intermediate
4 min read
Testing Velocity vs. Testing Rigor
Balancing speed and accuracy in experiments
Fast testing
- Run 3-5 day tests with lower sample sizes
- Accept 80-90% confidence in exploratory phases instead of 95%
- Test more variables in same timeframe
- Higher risk of false positives
- Good when you need to move quickly
Rigorous testing
- Run 2-4 week tests with large samples
- Require 95%+ confidence
- Test fewer variables but with certainty
- Lower risk of false positives
- Good when stakes are high
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Recommendation
Most situations favor rigor over speed. False positives waste more time than patient testing.