The goal of this interview series is to inspire and help people to transition their career into a new or next experimentation related role. In this edition Mariem Mazlout shares his journey. She is Lead Data Analyst in the Experimentation Hub at Vista.
Outside of work, I have fun experimenting with seeds. I like trying out different planting techniques, soil types, and growing conditions to see what makes my plants thrive. It’s pretty cool to see how tweaking little things can make a big difference in my garden.
Mariem Mazlout
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hey! I’m Mariem, a Tunisian working at Vista Tunis in a diverse team. I’ve got an Engineering background and have been in the Experimentation industry for about 5 years now.
Outside of work, I love hanging out with my family and friends, spending time with my dog, traveling, and kitesurfing both in Tunis and beyond. My next adventure? Egypt, to check out the Blue Lagoon!
What is your current experimentation role and what do you do?
I’m currently the Lead Data Analyst in the Experimentation Hub at Vista. I collaborate closely with experimenters from all backgrounds and experience levels, offering technical and analytical support, helping them navigate challenges, and ensuring their needs are effectively communicated to our team.
I also lead a monthly experimentation learning circle, where we aim to expand experimentation knowledge across the company. We give the stage to experimenters to share their insights from the experiments they run, helping to spread the knowledge across the organization.
How did you enter the experimentation space? What was your first experimentation related role? Share your origin story here.
It all started in a rather amusing way. I was watching the documentary “The Social Dilemma” and it got me thinking, “How can I dive into the world of experimentation and play with data?” As a senior analyst at the time, I was curious about how to run experiments and use tools to gather data and see how different treatments affect website visitors’ behavior. That curiosity led me into the experimentation space, where I started exploring how to apply these concepts practically and responsibly.
How did you start to learn experimentation?
I prefer learning by doing and observing, and I had the chance to do just that at Vista. Working closely with experienced colleagues and experts in experimentation, and providing support to experimenters, gave me valuable hands-on experience. I also embraced opportunities to tackle complex problems, even if they didn’t always lead to success. After all, failure can be a great teacher too! For instance, if an experiment shows that your assumptions were wrong, it’s not a failure, it’s full of learnings and insights! 😉
How do you apply experimentation in your personal life? (what are you tinkering with or always optimizing?)
Outside of work, I have fun experimenting with seeds. I like trying out different planting techniques, soil types, and growing conditions to see what makes my plants thrive. It’s pretty cool to see how tweaking little things can make a big difference in my garden. Just like in my job, it’s all about learning and improving along the way!
What are you currently doing to keep up with the ever-changing industry?
To keep up with the constantly evolving industry, I rely on my natural curiosity and passion for what I do. I focus on following the process, learning as I go, and letting my enthusiasm guide me. It’s all part of the journey, sometimes even finding inspiration from an interesting experimentation-related book or a thought-provoking LinkedIn post!
What recommendations would you give to someone who is looking to join the experimentation industry and get their first full-time position?
Experimentation is a field where curiosity is key. It’s essential to build a strong foundation by reading books and learning the fundamentals of experimentation and data analysis. But don’t stop there, be open to other fields like design, marketing, and user research. You don’t have to be solely an experimentation expert; wearing different hats can be incredibly valuable. For example, you could be a designer with strong experimentation knowledge, which would give you a unique edge in the industry
Which developments in experimentation excite you? How do you see the field changing in the next 5 to 10 years? What will stay the same? What’s not going to change in the next ten years?
I see more and more fields, like UX design, Product, and marketing, finally getting why experimentation is so valuable. This will make our approaches way more well rounded. But one thing that’s never going to change? The classic “Why didn’t we test that first?” moment that catches every team off guard. No matter how advanced we get, we’ll still need to test our assumptions and learn from the failures.
Is there anything people reading this can help you with? Or any parting words?
If you’re reading this and have some cool experimentation tips, a must-read book, or even just a hilarious LinkedIn post, send them my way! I’m always up for new ideas and a good laugh. And if you’re diving into experimentation, just keep experimenting, stay curious, and don’t sweat the failures, they’re where the magic happens!
Which other experimenters would you love to read an interview by?
I’d love to read an interview with someone who’s just as fascinated by the psychology behind human behavior as I am. I’m especially curious about how they see the magic of experimentation and how a tiny tweak can create a big shift in behavior or outcomes. It’s amazing how understanding the human mind can help us design experiments that really move the needle. Since I’m into psychology too, it would be awesome to dive into their insights on how these small changes can make such a big difference
Thank you Mariem for sharing your journey and insights.
