Data / Experiment Post Template
Data and experiment posts consistently outperform every other content type on Reddit. "I ran an experiment" followed by real numbers is irresistible to communities of builders and marketers.
The Template
Title: I ran [experiment] for [timeframe]. Here are the results [hint at surprising finding]. --- [Setup: what you were trying to test and why] **The experiment:** [What you did — be specific about methodology] Sample size: [number] Duration: [timeframe] What I measured: [specific metrics] **Results:** [Metric 1]: [result] [Metric 2]: [result] [Metric 3]: [result] [Chart or table link if you have one] **What surprised me:** [The finding that wasn't what you expected — this is the most important part] **What it means practically:** [1-2 sentences on how someone reading this could apply the finding] **Caveats:** [Honest limitations: small sample, single company, specific context] [Soft product mention only if it's truly relevant — e.g., the experiment was run using your tool] What other experiments would be interesting to run on [topic]?
When to Use This
Post experiment results as soon as the experiment concludes, while the data is fresh and relevant. Experiments with at minimum 50-100 data points are credible. Smaller samples are fine if you're transparent about the limitation.
Best Subreddits
Tips for Success
- 1The title hint at a surprising result ("turns out X didn't matter as much as Y") drives 3-5x more clicks.
- 2Always include the caveats section. It preempts criticism and signals intellectual honesty.
- 3Visual data (even a simple ASCII table) dramatically increases shareability.
- 4The "what it means practically" section is what gets saved. Translate the data into an action.
Filled-In Example
Title: I A/B tested 40 Reddit post titles for my SaaS. The results were not what I expected. I've been trying to figure out which types of post titles actually drive clicks and signups, not just upvotes. So I ran a structured test. **The experiment:** I wrote 40 pairs of titles covering the same post idea but with different angles (failure vs. success, specific number vs. vague, question vs. statement). I posted them to r/indiehackers over 8 weeks. Sample size: 40 post pairs (80 posts total) Duration: 8 weeks What I measured: upvotes, comments, profile visits, signups **Results:** Failure angle vs. success angle: Failure got 2.3x more upvotes on average Specific number in title vs. vague: Specific number got 1.8x more clicks Question titles vs. statement titles: Statement won (67% of the time) Posts with "years" vs. "months": Shorter timeframes got more comments **What surprised me:** Posts that mentioned a specific failure got more organic shares than posts about success, even when the success numbers were bigger. People share struggle more than wins. **What it means practically:** Lead with what went wrong before you talk about what went right. Even if your overall story is positive, open with the hardest part. **Caveats:** Single subreddit, single product, 8-week window. Results may vary significantly by niche and subreddit culture. I built a tool that helped me track all of this — link in profile if curious. What other title variables would be interesting to test? Happy to run follow-up experiments.
