Minute Monday #7: It never gets easier; you just get faster
Greg LeMond was the first (and - since Lance Armstrong was retrospectively disqualified - the only) American winner of the Tour de France.
Greg is famously quoted as saying:
It never gets easier; you just get faster
The same is true of any timed competitive sport (until the inevitable age-based performance decline - I’m rapidly approaching 47 years of age, and I can confirm that despite feeling pretty fit, I can no longer ride my bike as fast as I can once could).
But winding back the clock a few years and Greg LeMond’s quote rang very true.
Every week of training felt as hard as the last, but over time the results of that training became apparent in the average speed I’d maintain on rides.
Hold on a second Ben, I’m here to read about product and growth! What does all this cycling malarky have to do with that?!
Well, this is the thing with experimentation - the exact same thing applies!
It doesn’t feel any easier week to week, but you are getting better at it, and the results will eventually show.
Maintain your training discipline → keep experimenting
Don’t take shortcuts → ensure scientific rigour
Analyse your data → learn and adapt
Take rest days → build in time to reflect on and improve the process
As you grow, traffic volume will increase, and all other things being equal, the time it takes to reach statistical significance will decrease.
Congratulations. You’re now learning faster.
Keep at it, especially when it feels hard.
I can attest to your principles in both sport and product. 💯 i refer to it as “the grind” 😅