CROs are infallible. We believe data! We trust science over opinions! We are LITERALLY never wrong, right? Well, sometimes we may be right, but we can still be rude about it. 🫣 And no one wants to work with that one guy who, while they may be right, has to let everyone know how right they are EVERY. DAMN. TIME. I enlisted the help of Michael Aagaard, nicknamed "Shrek" (for very good reasons...) to explore how it is that some #CROs may actually be problematic. And how their own behavior may actually be the reason why CRO and experimentation isn't being adopted or used in an organization. We got into: - Messaging and tone matters. You may be right, but HOW you say it may be the difference between "let's run that test" and "I fucking hate that idea" - You're in the wrong industry if you are "testing to be right" - Balancing "confidence" without being "arrogant" as a CRO Timestamps: 00:00 Episode Start 04:46 Soft Skills Which Indicate You May Be a Bad CRO 13:05 Collaboration is Key - SEEKING Out That Collaboration Is King 18:26 It's Not What You Say - It's How You Say It 26:05 Risk Tolerance IS Different for Everyone - Don't Project YOUR Risk Tolerance for Others 33:25 Shit You Need to Know: Jason Haddock (How Layoffs Impact CRO) Go follow Michael Aagaard on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalaagaard/)! And go check out Jason's post too! (https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoBJason) If you have listener questions, submit them at https://tinyurl.com/askfromatob for a chance to be featured too!

Are you doing 'strategic #CRO' ? What the hell even is strategic CRO? And how do you get there? Well, Talia Wolf had a post previously that triggered this discussion, so I had her on to better flesh out this idea. If you want to learn how to get from tactical to strategic experimentation, this is a can't miss episode. Plus - we went into some spicy convo about website carousels..... We got into: - What rituals define 'tactical' vs. 'strategic CRO - What is better to start with: qualitative or quantitative research? - Tips on breaking out of the 'tactical' hamster wheel to get you into strategic experimentation Timestamps: 00:00 Episode Start 07:10 Shiva Triggers Talia (Bad Definitions of CRO Box CRO into Tactics) 11:40 What ARE Tactics vs. Strategy? 18:43 Qualitative Data Should Be First - NOT Quantitative 26:41 Ways to Identify If Your Program is Tactical vs. Strategic 35:04 Shit You Need to Know: Carousels... CAN you actually use them? Go follow Talia Wolf on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliagw/)! If you have listener questions, submit them at https://tinyurl.com/askfromatob for a chance to be featured too!

In this engaging conversation, Victoria Sakal, Head of Growth at Wonder and a UX research expert, sheds light on the intriguing overlap between UX and CRO. She reveals how UXers often misinterpret CRO roles and emphasizes the need for a collaborative mindset. Victoria advocates for integrating user motivations with conversion metrics, while also proposing a shared insights database to bridge the gap between teams. Discover her tips for overcoming biases and fostering a more data-driven, accessible approach to both UX and CRO.

Your tests keep on getting blocked. You're frustrated, shaking your fist at the screen, calling everyone a doo-doo head. We've all been there. It sucks. But on the heels of Gertrud Vahtra giving a talk at Experiment Nation on how to help getting alignment on testing by running workshops, I HAD to have her on the podcast to go deeper into this topic. We got into: - Are your test approval rates too high? Too low? What does that mean for your experimentation program? - How to appropriately redirect stakeholders to not disrupt current tests in-flight while also keeping them engaged in the process - Where being passive aggressive CAN be helpful (and Gertrud DEFINITELY approves of this, and Shiva isn't making it up) Timestamps: 00:00 Start of Episode 1:38 Shit You Need to Know: Gerda Vogt-Thomas 8:34 Is Lack of Business Alignment on CROs to Fix...? 14:00 How Do You Balance Many Stakeholders Without Having TOO Many "Cooks in the Kitchen" 20:51 Your CRO Program Management Lacks Meta-Data, Which Impacts Transparency and Trust in Your Program 27:53 Does Your "Idea to Experiment Run" Ratio Need Improvement...? 33:01 Establishing Clear "Drivers" Helps Reduce Blocking in Experimentation Approvals Go follow Gertrud Vahtra on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertrudvahtra/)! And check out her Experiment Nation talk too! (out soon) Also make sure you guys are following Gerda Vogt-Thomas on LinkedIn - link to her (super triggering) post here: https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-Gerda If you have listener questions, submit them at https://tinyurl.com/askfromatob for a chance to be featured too!

Leadership KEEPS ON fighting you on running basic tests. They don't care about data. Your ideas "suck" (to them at least). We've all been there. I wanted to discuss this with someone who has BOTH experience in experimentation, BUT also talking the talk with senior leadership. Of course I had to talk to Nima "The Machine" Yassini. We got into: - What it is that leadership REALLY wants. And why CROs aren't necessarily delivering on that promise (primarily in messaging, not in actual body of work) - Why consultants are somehow more trustworthy than in-house experts (even if they're saying the same shit...) - Should experimentation really just be re-classified as 'research'? Timestamps: 00:00 Start of Episode 2:15 Common Reasons Why Leadership Hate Experimentation 7:01 Leadership (For Some Reason...) Values Consultants Over In-House Opinions 10:20 Experimentation Needs Cross-Functional Help - We Can't Do It Alone 15:50 Creating a "Culture of Experimentation" Should Equally Focus on "Culture" - Not Just "Experimentation" 21:00 Leadership's Drive for Impact (Inadvertently) Leads to Snakeoil / Lack of Experimentation 28:16 Messaging Matters in How You Communicate What We Do 35:49 Shit You Need to Know: Michal Eisik Go follow Nima Yassini on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimayassini/)! And check out this article he referenced in the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-NimaArticle Also make sure you guys are following Michal Eisik on LinkedIn - link to her post here: https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-Michal If you have listener questions, submit them at https://tinyurl.com/askfromatob for a chance to be featured too!

Are you burned out in your #CRO job? Many of us are. Or have been. Or continue to be. Or... will be in the future. André Morys (CEO and founder of konversionsKRAFT) and Shiva Manjunath discussed this topic in this episode. We got into: - Signs you may be burned out in your CRO career - André's thoughts on why CROs burn out more easily than in other jobs (and he's 100% right...) - Tactical ways to address the burnout you're having without fully quitting (though... quitting IS always an option) We also got into a pretty interesting debate around using AI users in research for this week's "Shit You Need to Know".... Timestamps: 00:00 Start of Episode 2:30 Signs You Might Be Burned Out In Your CRO Job (Or Career...) 8:51 André's Theory to Why CROs Burn Out More Than Others (...And He's Right) 15:14 CRO Is Objectively A Tough Industry to Be in 16:38 Other Major Reasons Why CROs Ultimately Get Burned Out 22:17 Your Burnout May Be More On "Dealing with Politics" Rather Than Actually CRO-Related 24:04 Tips on Dealing with Your Burnout 33:56 Shit You Need to Know: Kate Moran (Using "AI Research" - this one got a little spicy...) Go follow André Morys on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-morys/)! And if any of y'all are feeling burnout, you are all free to DM either one of us so we can try to help y'all work through it. Also, consider signing up for Experiment Nation's (free) "CRO Therapy" talks, moderated by the OG certified home Tracy Laranjo. Also make sure you guys are following Kate Moran on LinkedIn - link to her post here: https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-Kate If you have listener questions, submit them at https://tinyurl.com/askfromatob for a chance to be featured too!

Kelly Wortham, an A/B testing expert, and Shiva Manjunath, a conversion rate optimization guru, dive into the world of experimentation. They tackle the fears surrounding your first A/B test and share real experiences from the CRO community. Learn what to prioritize and what to ignore when starting out, and explore simple tests that anyone can run. The discussion even heats up around the questionable use of ROI in evaluating test results, highlighting a more nuanced approach to A/B testing. Get ready to embrace the fun of experimenting!

Carlos Trujillo, known as 'The Selfie King', is an eCommerce CRO expert, and is joined by optimization whiz Shiva Manjunath. They dive into the nuances of B2B vs. B2C conversion rate optimization. Discover how core principles overlap while user psychology and metrics differ. They highlight the importance of understanding customer needs and the balance between creative strategies and structured techniques. Plus, get a sweet promo code to snag a discount for an upcoming conference and maybe even a selfie with Carlos!

Ben Labay, CEO at Speero with vast hiring expertise, shares insights on acing your CRO interview. He emphasizes that candidates should act as product owners, spotlight their past successes, and showcase critical thinking. Labay categorizes hires into A, B, and C players, urging candidates to illustrate measurable achievements. The importance of asking thoughtful questions about daily roles is highlighted, along with tips on what to deliver in the first 90 days as a CRO. Plus, there's a special promo code for an upcoming conference!

Slobodan "The Maniac" Manić joined Shiva to rap about snakeoil in CRO. From understanding the importance of process-focused methodologies, recognizing red flags in case studies, and emphasizing research over results, this episode equips you with the tools needed to avoid being deceived by CRO scams. This is important, because many times people will call themselves 'CROs' and, unfortunately, it ends up cheapening our reputation when bad faith actors use our name to peddle bullsh*t. Slobodan is the homie, and this was a banger podcast. Vibes were immaculate. Timestamps: 00:00 Start of Episode 2:27 What IS Snakeoil...? 5:14 Snakeoil in CRO Case Studies 8:39 Are "Guarantees" Bad? 11:48 Fixation on "Micro" vs "Macro" Metrics Can Be Problematic 21:35 Detecting Snakeoil in CRO Agencies 38:22 Shit You Should Know : Tim Mehta Go follow Slobodan on LinkedIn, and subscribe to his show at https://www.nohacks.show/ Also make sure you guys are following Tim Mehta on LinkedIn - he posts great content! If you have listener questions, submit them at https://tinyurl.com/askfromatob for a chance to be featured too!