Chapter 12 - Experimentation

“Iteration/experimentation is the only way.” —Exponential Organizations, First Edition

ExOs are perpetually experimenting, constantly trying something new. Traditional companies see Experimentation as a side activity, a novelty, something to do when the enterprise is doing well and cash is flowing. That is a huge mistake, especially in modern life, when change is fast and continuous, markets are volatile, and radical shifts in technology and customer demand are regular occurrences. As Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has said, “Our success is a function of the number of experiments we run per year, per month, and per day.” In this chapter, we’ll look more closely at what true Experimentation means and how to achieve it. What is Experimentation?