MIT Sloan Management Review
Vol. 61, Issue 4, Pages 67-73
July 2020
Abstract
Experimental mindset has permeated much of the tech sector and is spreading beyond that. These days, most major tech companies, such as Amazon, Facebook, Uber, and Yelp, wouldn't make an important change to its platforms without running experiments to understand how it might influence user behavior. Some traditional businesses have been dipping their toes into experiments for decades. And many more are ramping up their efforts in experimentation as they undergo digital transformations. In a dramatic departure from its historic role as an esoteric tool for academic research, the randomized controlled experiment has gone mainstream. Startups, international conglomerates, and government agencies alike have a new tool to test ideas and understand the impact of the products and services they are providing. Here, Luca and Bazerman discuss how to effectively incorporate experimental results into decisions and to determine when and how to experiment.
Citation
Luca, Michael, and Max H. Bazerman. "Want to Make Better Decisions? Start Experimenting." MIT Sloan Management Review 61.4 (July 2020): 67-73.