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The Initial

The Initial

Written by: Lucia van den Brink
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Lucia ran 1000+ A/B tests and worked for 20+ leading brands, together: we learn from mistakes made, the nitty-gritty of how brands started, and their unique perspectives. each episode is a candid convo with the people who build, break, and rebuild: product leaders, experimentation experts, founders, cmo’s, investors, analysts and more we talk about their first experiment, when and how the company started, how they grew to be more data-driven and where they are nowLucia van den Brink
Episodes
  • DANGERS of scaling insignificant test with Alisa
    Jan 15 2026

    In this episode, Alisa Antypova (ex-Preply & ADC Consulting) opens the door to her world of experimentation.


    She talks about her start in data science, building Preply’s experimentation platform from the ground up, and how decisions become sharper when you test instead of guess.


    We explore airlines, marketplaces, and other complex systems where a single decision can create wide ripple effects. We talk about holdouts, the quiet truth tellers, and the risk of scaling tests that don’t really matter.


    Alisa shares the mistakes she’s seen, the traps teams often fall into, and why understanding what doesn’t work may be one of the most underrated skills in experimentation.


    Follow Alisa on LinkedIn:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisa-antypova/


    Article she referenced on airlines and experimentation:

    https://adc-consulting.com/cases/how-latam-airlines-embraced-business-experimentation-for-revenue-management/

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    35 mins
  • The faster you iterate, the bigger the chances of success with Giedrius Blazys from Vinted
    Jan 12 2026

    In this conversation, Giedrius shares his journey from academia to working on experimentation at Vinted.


    He talks about the messiness of testing in a marketplace, where every A/B test affects both sellers and buyers. We discuss why shared metrics matter, and how difficult, yet worthwhile, it is to build a culture that truly experiments.


    We get into the slow, steady work of improving this craft. The friction teams face when moving toward a data-driven way of working. And the patience that process demands.


    Giedrius also reminds us that experimentation isn’t only for large companies. Small teams and big teams alike can learn from user behavior, if they take the time to test with intention.

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    33 mins
  • Small changes, big IMPACT on conversion with Kevin Anderson
    Jan 12 2026

    In this conversation, Kevin Anderson (ex-Vista, ex-ING, now a consultant) shares his journey from web analyst to product manager at VistaPrint, and how he’s experienced experimentation from every angle.


    We talk about what it really takes to scale experimentation across an entire organization. That includes leadership pushback, the slow work of proving value, and the mistakes that still sting.


    Kevin explains the difference between agency support and building experimentation in-house. He shares why ownership matters, and why experiments only last when the organization truly owns them.


    We also look ahead. We discuss AI, what may change, and what will likely stay the same. The need to test, learn, and stay curious.

    Follow Kevin on LinkedIn:
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinanderson/


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    36 mins
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