Experimentation Glossary

Browse 14 experimentation terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.

14 Experimentation Terms

A/B testing
A controlled experiment where two variants (A and B) of a webpage, feature, or algorithm are shown to randomly split user groups to determine which performs...
A/B Testing
A/B Testing is an experimental method where two variants of a product, webpage, or feature are shown to different segments of users simultaneously to determine...
AI Notebook
A notebook-based environment used to explore data, prompts, models, or experiments interactively while mixing code, outputs, and documentation in one place. AI...
Experimental Feature
A feature released in a limited or provisional state to gather feedback, validate demand, or explore technical feasibility before broader commitment. In...
Fail Fast Culture
A culture that encourages trying ideas quickly, learning early, and not overinvesting in failing approaches before evidence arrives. In practice, fail-fast...
Growth Hacking
A marketing approach focused on rapid experimentation across channels and product development to identify the most efficient ways to grow a business. Critics...
Growth Marketing
Marketing focused on measurable experimentation and conversion improvement across the full customer lifecycle, not just brand awareness. Growth marketing...
Hyperparameter Sweep
A systematic run of many training jobs with different hyperparameter settings, such as learning rate or batch size, to find stronger model performance.
Lean Methodology
An approach centered on reducing waste, testing assumptions quickly, and learning through iteration rather than executing large unvalidated plans. In startups...
Mad Scientist
A playful label for someone who pursues bold, unconventional, or slightly chaotic technical experiments with unusual enthusiasm. In startup and research...
Multivariate Testing
An experimentation method that tests combinations of multiple variable changes at the same time to understand both individual and interaction effects. It is...
Playground Culture
A culture that encourages experimentation in safe environments such as sandboxes, REPLs, notebooks, or temporary branches before formalizing changes. It values...
p-value
The probability of obtaining results at least as extreme as the observed data, assuming the null hypothesis is true. A small p-value (typically below 0.05)...
Sandbox Culture
A team environment that encourages trying ideas in isolated, low-risk environments before exposing them to production or other critical systems. It reflects a...

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