---
title: "Designing experiments that end arguments"
canonical: "https://bizfay.com/insights/designing-experiments-that-end-arguments"
type: "Article"
author: "BizFay"
publisher: "BizFay"
published: "2026-05-02"
category: "Experiment"
reading_time: "8 min"
---

# Designing experiments that end arguments

> Canonical HTML page: https://bizfay.com/insights/designing-experiments-that-end-arguments

An experiment is only useful if both sides agree in advance what result would change their mind. A short protocol we use before running anything.

## The pre-commitment

Write down the decision the experiment will inform, the result that would change it, and the smallest sample that would make the result credible. If any of the three cannot be written, the test is activity, not evidence.

## Cost discipline

Budget the test against the value of the decision, not the size of the channel. A question worth a small decision does not deserve a large experiment.