CRO Lessons I Wish I Knew Earlier with Edd Saunders

Starting a career in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) can be surprisingly difficult. Getting your first experience, working with developers, prioritizing experiments, dealing with failed tests, and proving the value of experimentation all come with a learning curve. In this episode of Experiment Nation, Eline speaks with CRO and experimentation leader Edd about the lessons he learned during his first years in the industry, and what he wishes he had known sooner.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction

• 01:03 Meet Ed: 10+ Years in CRO & Experimentation

• 02:26 An Unusual Path Into Digital Marketing

• 05:22 Discovering Experimentation Through Email Testing

• 08:34 How Previous Careers Can Prepare You for CRO

• 10:20 How to Get Your First CRO Experience

• 12:28 CRO Communities, Courses & Learning Resources

• 15:42 Why Practical Experience Beats Theory

• 16:00 The Hardest Parts of Starting a CRO Career

• 16:24 Getting Technical Buy-In From Developers

• 17:30 Why CRO Prioritization Frameworks Don't Always Work

• 18:32 How to Prioritize Experiments Based on Business Impact

• 21:38 Getting Your First CRO Client or Project

• 23:01 How to Create CRO Opportunities In-House

• 24:29 Why Agency Experience Can Accelerate Your CRO Career

• 27:19 Turning Digital Marketing Work Into CRO Experience

• 28:21 Experimenting Beyond A/B Tests

• 30:08 Learning From Failed Experiments

• 32:00 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Fear of Failure

• 34:41 How to Communicate Mistakes at Work

• 37:29 Get Out of the Solution Space

• 38:43 Finding & Validating Customer Problems

• 40:25 Stop Chasing Wins, Start Chasing Learnings

• 45:14 Using Jobs to Be Done in CRO

• 46:42 Surveys & Stakeholder Interviews for Customer Research

• 47:24 Customer Journey Mapping for CRO

• 50:40 Don't Forget the Human Behind the Data

• 51:57 "Have Strong Opinions, But Hold Them Loosely"

• 53:41 Keep Learning Beyond Traditional CRO Resources

• 54:29 What CRO Can Learn From Radical Candor

• 56:04 Final Thoughts