Calculate expected value for user retention
Last updated: July 16, 2025
Quick Overview
Given the following scenario about revenue per session, calculate the the p-value.
Reddit
Statistics & Math
Data Scientist
Data Scientist
Phone Screen
Statistics & Math
Easy
150
2
3,634 solved
Given the following scenario about revenue per session, calculate the the p-value.
Reddit values data-driven decision making. This Phone Screen question assesses whether you can design experiments, interpret results correctly, and avoid common statistical pitfalls like p-hacking or Simpson's paradox.
What the Interviewer Expects
- State the correct formula or theorem with clear definitions
- Apply the concept to the given scenario step by step
- Interpret the result in plain language
- Identify assumptions and when they might be violated
Key Topics to Cover
Power analysis and sample size calculation
Hypothesis testing (H0, H1, p-values)
Regression analysis
Probability distributions
Multiple testing correction (Bonferroni, FDR)
How to Approach This
- Define your hypotheses (H0 and H1) clearly before performing any test.
- Calculate required sample size BEFORE running an experiment, using power analysis.
- Remember the Central Limit Theorem: sample means become approximately normal with large n.
- Watch for Simpson's paradox. Always segment data by key dimensions.
- Distinguish between statistical significance and practical significance.
Possible Follow-up Questions
- How would you handle multiple comparisons?
- What assumptions does this test make, and how would you validate them?
- How would you explain this result to a non-technical audience?
- What alternative statistical method could you use here?
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Browse Statistics QuestionsSample Answer
Problem Formulation
To calculate the expected value for user retention based on revenue per session, we need to define the parameters of our study. We will form two hypotheses:
- Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no sig...
Solution Approach
- Data Collection: Gather user retention rates and revenue per session data for both pre-change (Group A) and post-change (Group B).
- Calculate Means: Compute the mean retention rates for b...
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