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 Tracy Laranjo shares her journey.
Tracy is a CRO and experimentation strategist that you may recognize from the Experiment Nation and From A to B podcasts. She has held various in-house and agency CRO roles and has a background in full-stack digital marketing from a past life.
Everything I do within my work life is an experiment. The projects and clients I take on, my processes, how much I charge… everything. I embrace failure as a learning opportunity. I ask for feedback to develop a better iteration of my offerings. I research my buyer to understand what they value. These are all traits I picked up as an experimenter.
Tracy Laranjo
What is your current experimentation role and what do you do?
I own a CRO consultancy that helps direct-to-consumer brands build their first CRO program in collaboration with their in-house team. I also help CRO agencies refine their internal processes for long-term success.
How did you enter the experimentation space? What was your first experimentation related role?
My first experiment was literally watching ink dry on paper. My print production career went nowhere fast, so I tried a variety of digital marketing jobs to find out what I enjoyed the most. The answer came to me after running A/B tests on email and ad campaigns for a couple of years.
Three wonderful leaders in the startup I worked for at the time recognized my developing knack for CRO and the growth opportunity it presented for the startup so they offered me a specialized CRO Manager role and a pay bump. It was a no-brainer. I’ve been hooked on experimentation since.
How did you start to learn experimentation?
With embarrassment, I’ll admit I did experimentation wrong in the first couple of years. I consider the start of me “learning experimentation” to be after a coworker showed me how to run a statistically-valid A/B test.
In the beginning, I absorbed as many experimentation books, podcasts, and courses as I could. Things really clicked when I realized experimentation isn’t just about testing; it’s also about all the detective work that happens outside of the test.
Most of what I learned from that point on came through trial and error on the job or by surrounding myself with better experimenters.
How do you apply experimentation in your personal life? (what are you tinkering with or always optimizing?)
I spend lazy days playing strategy games like Civilization VI. It tickles that part of my brain that enjoys finding problems and min-maxing limited resources for impact.
Everything I do within my work life is an experiment. The projects and clients I take on, my processes, how much I charge… everything. I embrace failure as a learning opportunity. I ask for feedback to develop a better iteration of my offerings. I research my buyer to understand what they value. These are all traits I picked up as an experimenter.
What are you currently doing to keep up with the ever-changing industry?
I take time every week to create and maintain relationships in my large network of experimenters and people with complementary skill sets. It’s how I access intel not easily available online, how I get new clients, and how I beat the loneliness of self-employment. Networking has had timeless value once I realized it’s just people sharing their experiences with each other.
What recommendations would you give to someone who is looking to join the experimentation industry and get their first full-time position?
Put yourself out there in a way that feels true to you. For me, it was joining Experiment Nation, a community of like-minded experimenters.
Shortly after joining, I interviewed over a dozen other experimenters on EN’s podcast and gained a mentor (shoutout to Rommil Santiago). Both were huge unlocks for my career because:
- I leveled up fast by asking seasoned experts the questions that kept me up at night
- My podcast content stood out to employers and shot me to the top of the list for job applications (along with a $20,000 pay bump)
- The people I met through EN referred me for work or eventually became clients
Which developments in experimentation excite you? How do you see the field changing in the next 5 to 10 years?
I love that businesses are realizing they can’t afford to be distracted by random growth hacks instead of making a consistent habit of obsessing about their own customers’ experiences. Unfortunately, many businesses will still view shiny objects like AI as a way to pile more work onto fewer humans.
I don’t think experimenters will be immune to this tough job market and I don’t believe that learning AI will save them from losing their jobs. Bosses will still lay off talented people en masse to please shareholders.
I believe that it will become increasingly important for every experimenter to clarify what sets them apart from other experimenters competing for the same jobs and get really freakin’ good at selling themselves.
Is there anything people reading this can help you with? Or any parting words?
Don’t be intimidated by the faces on your LinkedIn feed. They’re just people. Connect with those who inspire you and let them know the impact they’ve made on your life. It’s ok to ask them the questions that keep you up at night. You have plenty to offer them in return, even if you don’t realize it.
Which other experimenters would you love to read an interview by?
Afton Flynn would have such a fresh perspective.
She walked away from experimentation for a few years to build a successful hiking elopements and weddings photography business. I’d love to hear how she used experimentation as an entrepreneur and what it’s like coming back to experimentation at such a turbulent time in the industry’s history.
Thank you Tracy for sharing your journey and insights with the community.
