Breaking The Echo Chamber
Manuel da Costa
Breaking the Echo Chamber is a podcast series that exposes the uncomfortable truths about why most experimentation programs fail to drive real business impact. Host Manuel Da Costa, founder of Efestra, challenges industry orthodoxies and tackles the systemic issues that trap teams in endless testing cycles without meaningful results.Each episode reveals how common practices like tool proliferation, process obsession, and tactical thinking create a dangerous disconnect between test results and strategic decisions. If you're tired of running experiments that executives don't trust or implementing tests that never see the light of day, this series cuts through the industry noise to show you what's really broken and how to fix it.Perfect for experimentation practitioners, product leaders, and executives who suspect their testing programs are generating more activity than actual business value.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 21, 2025 • 46min
EP 2 - Rejecting the culture of experimentation with Mark Palfreeman
Mark Palfreeman, Senior Business Intelligence Manager at Flutter UK and co-founder of Experimentation North, joins Efestra's Manuel da Costa to challenge the industry's obsession with "culture of experimentation." Mark argues for rejecting velocity-focused testing in favor of a "culture of learning," exposing how testing tools have become "guns in the Wild West" that prioritize running more experiments over generating actionable insights. Through candid discussion about challenges, trust gaps between experiment results and business reality, and the dangerous democratization of testing without proper governance, this conversation reveals why most "mature" experimentation programs are busy but not valuable - and what organizations should focus on instead.
Jul 11, 2025 • 48min
EP 1 - Experimentation Needs Rebooting with Jonny Longden
Jonny Longden, the Chief Growth Officer of Spiro and a seasoned expert in experimentation, dives deep into the flaws of current practices in the industry. He argues that much of what's labeled as 'experimentation' is simply tactical thinking without strategic value. Longden emphasizes the need for organizations to shift their cultural approach and integrate genuine innovation into their experimentation processes. He also addresses the challenges faced by product teams and calls for more effective collaboration to redefine responsibilities in conversion rate optimization.
