Interpret mixed results across segments from an experiment
Last updated: August 28, 2025
Quick Overview
An experiment shows conflicting results. What conclusions can you draw? What are the caveats?
Zillow
August 28, 202544
3
3,698 solved
An experiment shows conflicting results. What conclusions can you draw? What are the caveats?
Statistics questions at Zillow test your ability to reason quantitatively and design rigorous experiments. This Take-home Project question evaluates your understanding of statistical inference and its application to business decisions.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Set up the problem formally with proper notation
- Apply the correct statistical test with clear justification
- Interpret results with appropriate caveats and confidence levels
- Discuss practical significance vs statistical significance
- Identify potential confounders and how to address them
Key Topics to Cover
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
- What alternative statistical method could you use here?
- How would you design a follow-up experiment based on these results?
- How would you handle multiple comparisons?
- What assumptions does this test make, and how would you validate them?
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Problem Formulation
Let’s define the segments of interest in the experiment conducted by Zillow. Assume we have two segments: A (e.g., existing users) and B (e.g., new users). We are trying to test the impact of a ne...
Solution Approach
To analyze the conflicting results, we will:
- Calculate the mean engagement scores for each segment: ar{E}_A and ar{E}_B.
- Conduct a t-test for each segment to determine if the diffe...
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