Hypothesis, Experiments and Project Management

Welcome back, everyone. Ready for another deep dive?

This time we're really digging into RevOps project management.

And let me tell you, we found some seriously good stuff to talk about.

For sure. This is going to be good.

We're going way beyond the basics here, folks.

We want you to walk away with practical strategies,

stuff you can use right away to manage your RevOps projects like a pro.

Absolutely. And it all starts with embracing this idea of having an experimental mindset.

Okay. Experimental mindset. I like the sound of that already.

Okay. I'm picturing like scientists in a lab, but instead of test tubes,

we've got sales funnels and marketing campaigns. What do you think?

You got it. It's like treating your business challenges as scientific experiments.

So instead of diving headfirst into a massive project,

you start by testing an idea on a smaller scale.

Okay. So like instead of just overhauling our entire sales process,

we'd start by testing out one small tweak, like trying a new email template.

Exactly. But here's the key.

Yeah.

You need a solid hypothesis. It's not enough to just say,

hey, I think this new template is going to work better. You have to define what better

actually means. Will it increase our open rates? Will it lead to more qualified leads?

How are you actually going to measure the success of this experiment?

Data, data, data. Gotta love it. We need those KPIs, those measurable goals to track our progress.

Exactly. And that actually plays a big part in prioritizing what you test first.

Not all hypotheses are created equal.

Right. It's about figuring out which experiments will

actually move the needle. The ones that align with your big picture business goals.

Exactly. You got to analyze what your data is already telling you from your CRM,

your marketing automation, all of it, to figure out which experiments have the

potential for the biggest impact.

It's like picking your battles, right? Okay. So we've got a prioritized list of

hypotheses. We're feeling good. Now what? How do we actually manage these experiments?

Well, a lot of the experts we looked at are really big on using agile project management for

rev ops. I think sprints, not management.

Agile, okay. I'm familiar, but for those who maybe haven't heard that term before,

break it down for us.

Yeah. So essentially agile is all about taking those big daunting projects and breaking them

down into these smaller, more manageable chunks. We call those sprints. So instead of one massive

launch, you're constantly making small iterations, testing, adapting, getting feedback, looking at

the data, and then using all that to inform the next sprint.

So instead of trying to overhaul our entire sales onboarding process,

in one go, we might do a two-week sprint focused on just the first three touch points,

gather data, analyze it, learn from it, and then use those insights for the next step.

You nailed it. And it's huge to celebrate those smaller wins along the way.

Each successful sprint, each hypothesis you validate it,

builds momentum, keeps the team motivated.

Love it. It's like checking things off your to-do list, but like way more satisfying.

But let's be real. Rev ops isn't a one-person show, right? It takes a team to really make it work.

Oh, absolutely. You need your sales team, your marketing team, customer success,

finance. Everyone needs to be on the same page, working together towards that common goal.

Like a well-oiled machine.

Exactly. And you know what keeps a machine running smoothly?

Plenty of oil.

Well, yes. But in this case, it's communication. Those constant feedback loops. That's where

transparency becomes so crucial. Everyone needs to know what's happening, why it's happening,

and how their piece of the puzzle fits into the bigger picture.

No one likes to be left in the dark.

It builds trust.

It does. And accountability. And a sense of shared ownership over the project's success.

Okay. So we've covered a lot of ground here. We talked about treating rev ops projects like

science experiments, the power of having that agile mindset,

and the absolute necessity of collaboration and transparency.

But how do we put all of this into action?

That's the million-dollar question, right?

Well, next, we're diving into the practical side,

the tools and tactics that you can actually use to make these experiments a reality.

All right.

So we've got our hypotheses. We're thinking agile. We've got our team ready to collaborate.

What's next? What tools do we need to actually make these experiments happen?

You're hitting the nail on the head. The practical side is key.

A lot of the experts we've been reading are really big on using project management tools.

But we're not talking about just a simple to-do list here.

Right. Definitely not. This is rev ops. Things can get complex.

So we're talking about systems that can handle tracking progress across different teams,

managing tasks within those agile sprints, keeping everyone in the loop.

Exactly. You need a system that's keeping everyone on the same page.

One source of truth for the whole project.

I like that one source of truth.

So we've got these tools. How do we actually use them strategically, though?

It all comes back to KPIs, key performance indicators.

Remember how we talked about making your hypotheses measurable?

Your KPIs are those measuring sticks.

They tell you if your experiment is a success or not.

Makes sense.

You've got to know what you're aiming for.

But let's be real. Sometimes experiments, they don't go as planned.

What happens when that new email template we were so excited about, it just bombs?

That's where the good stuff happens. That's where the real learning comes in.

Honestly, that's one of the most valuable parts of this whole approach.

Don't be afraid of those oops moments. Embrace them.

Okay. I'm all for learning from our mistakes, but embracing them. I don't know about that.

I know. It's about shifting your perspective a little bit.

Think of it as a post-mortem review.

Not a blame game, but a chance to really pick apart your mistakes.

What happened? What worked? What didn't?

You can find some really valuable insights there.

It's like a treasure hunt, but for our mistakes.

Okay. I can get behind that.

So we're digging for those insights so we can do better next time.

Yes. And those insights, they're gold.

They help you refine your hypotheses, tweak your approach, and ultimately increase your chances of success with future experiments.

I can see how this all ties together now.

So let's say we've run our experiment.

We've analyzed the data.

We learned from our mistakes.

Maybe even more.

Maybe even celebrated a win or two.

What happens then?

What's next?

Time to scale.

Imagine you've found a winning formula, something that's really moving the needle.

You wouldn't want to keep that a secret.

No way.

We've got to share the love.

We want those wins to impact the entire organization.

Exactly.

That's where scalability comes in.

When you're designing your RevOps experiments, you want to think about how those learnings can be applied in other areas of your business.

So we're thinking big picture from day one.

Exactly.

But scaling successfully?

It takes careful planning, especially when it comes to your resources.

Resources, yeah.

We can't just click our fingers and expect those wins to multiply themselves, can we?

We need to think about the people, the budget, the tech, all of it.

Exactly.

You wouldn't try to bake 10 cakes if you've only got enough flour for five, right?

Same goes for scaling those RevOps wins.

You need the right resources in place.

It's about being smart with what we've got.

Our time, our budget, the tools at our disposal.

We've got this awesome toolbox.

Now all these strategies, but we've got to use them strategically.

Exactly.

It all comes down to intentionality, having a clear vision and being willing to adapt as you go.

This whole deep dive has been a real eye opener for me.

We've covered a lot, haven't we?

Yeah. From the experimental mindset to agile sprints to collaboration, tools, KPIs, and scaling.

Absolutely.

We've got a full toolkit now.

So what's next for our listeners?

Time to put these insights into action.

Start small, test your hypotheses, use agile to manage your projects, keep collaborating, keep learning from your results, and scale those wins wisely.

You've got the blueprint. Now it's your turn to make it happen.

You've got this.

All right.

Thanks for tuning in.

Until next time.

Keep experimenting.