Articles by Tal Raviv
Why Would I Ever Write a Growth Experiment Doc?Tal argues that writing a growth experiment doc is essential because it helps you articulate the hypotheses, goals, and metrics for an experiment. He emphasizes the importance of including a clear definition of success, which allows teams to evaluate whether an experiment has achieved its intended results. Additionally, Raviv explains that documenting experiments provides a valuable reference for future work, enabling teams to build on past learnings and avoid repeating mistakes. Tal also notes that a growth experiment doc should be concise and easy to understand, allowing anyone on the team to quickly grasp the experiment's objectives and methodology. He suggests using a simple template to structure the doc, including sections for the hypothesis, experimental design, success criteria, and anticipated results.
- That’s Not a Hypothesis
Tal explains why hypothesis statements are important - "clear learnings come only from clear hypotheses." He then goes on to explain where they come from, how to add support to them, and how to use them as connections between problems and solutions.
- Inside the 6 Hypotheses that Doubled Patreon’s Activation Success
Tal provides a framework for how to identify a North Star metric for onboarding that takes into account qualities of conversions, not just absolute conversion. He then provides six examples of how the team at Patreon were able to improve this metric: • Patreon defined "financially successful creators" (FSCs) who earn a life-changing income as their north star metric. FSCs drive further creator virality and patron growth. • They used category-based examples and comparables to inspire creators and help them overcome fears around asking for money. • Patreon provided emotional support and reassurance to creators who lacked confidence in their campaigns' success. • Counterintuitively, Patreon found that their highest earning creators wanted a more complex campaign editor to build trust. They preferred friction over simplicity. • Getting insights from frontline teams and rejecting "best practices" in favor of customized solutions helped Patreon double their onboarding success. Patreon's solutions included a new explore page, campaign editor, examples, help links, and inspirational videos.
- [CHEAT SHEET] Making Valuable Things
Tal explains how to research customer value in the form of a question, with a survey of 16 different investigation methods. He then provides 27 ways to test an idea.