Why You Should Leverage Data for Bigger things, like Life choices

Swapping guesswork for data-driven results

Let’s face it: most of us are just winging it. From breakfast choices to what to wear today, we are basically “walking hypotheses” with zero data to back anything up. Actually, without coffee, the term “walking zombie” is probably a better term for me personally. But what if we started treating our everyday decisions like a science experiment? Or for that matter, raise the bar professionally and be better at measuring and testing truly impactful business decisions, like should we offer our customers 1 day or 2-3 days’ shipping?

That’s where experimentation programs step in — like a nerdy best friend who wants to help you make better life choices. (BTW, I think it’s a culture thing; a race of supremely rational and advanced aliens would test things all the time; and so should we humans, especially now that we can do it smarter with *drum roll* AI).

Data-driven experimentation: Not Just for Marketers

Most of you know that A/B testing is a method to compare different versions of something to determine which variant performs better. At Conversionista and Curamando we use it all the time professionally to improve web sites, figure out which ad copy works best and, for some of our most ambitious clients, make informed decisions on things like the optimal freight prices (which resulted in 11% revenue uplift for the entire ecom business)

But enough about us and let’s get back to your life; Are you a guy and single?  Why not test Mustache vs No Mustache? Try a month with each variant to see which one gives you the most compliments, or even dates. Are you worried that you won’t get enough quantitative data? Your Tinder profile will take care of that; just make sure to update it with a well-lit picture once that thick, luscious mustache is fully grown (or fake it with some slick AI editing).

PS: If you can’t grow a mustache, test short vs long hair (it should be impactful enough to get a significant result).

Threat Your Life Like a Lab

Try and think of your day as a series of experiments:

• Morning Routine A: Wake up, meditate, green smoothie
• Morning Routine B: Wake up late last minute, scroll TikTok, coffee IV drip

Track which one makes you feel more like a functioning human (use data from your health monitoring app plus maybe a survey). I haven’t tested A yet, but I’m trying to stay unbiased until the data comes in.

• Evening Routine A: Go to sleep reading a book instead of bringing the phone to bed.
• Evening Routine B: End the evening with some Netflix and chill plus catch up on social media.

I haven’t tested this one either and like the rest of you, I’m guessing that going with A will improve my sleep. But what I’m most curious about is to see how much this life choice affects my sleep. Having those results in black and white could hopefully motivate me to make a routine of ditching the phone. It’s the same thing for organizations; having a hunch is not good enough to motivate people who may think differently. That’s why leveraging data the right way leads to meaningful action.

Why being data-driven Matters

Testing and measuring your life force you to be curious and intentional. Plus, you can avoid long-term mistakes -like committing to a haircut that only looks good on anime characters or spending a month eating only broccoli, even though you are not vitamin B-deficient.

And if nothing else, it gives you great stories:

“Yeah, I tested three colognes last month. Turns out women prefer ‘Jean Paul Gaultier’ over ‘Dubbel Dusch.’  Who knew?”

Final Thoughts

Life is chaotic. But when you test, track, and tweak, you take control. Experimentation is about being curious and open to change.

1. Incorporate a data-driven way of thinking in your personal life
2. Try and find truly impactful tests, rather than testing a black vs red button
3. Whether you do it in your professional or personal life, advocate and implement testing programs/mindset for lasting and improving impact
4. Use data and experiment results to motivate action

Just maybe don’t try it with marriage proposals. That’s more of a long-term study. And if you need to test your business ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Eidra.

Hannes Söderlund is Head of Insights & Analytics at Curamando and Partner at Eidra, with extensive experience in leading organizational transformations towards becoming more data-, AI-, and insights-driven.