Experiments, testing & rollout · Specialist

Minimum detectable effect

Also called: MDE

ELI5

The smallest change the test is built to notice.

Used in conversation

“The minimum detectable effect is two percentage points.”

Definition

The smallest effect an experiment is designed with sufficient power to detect.

Here “Minimum detectable effect” means: The smallest effect an experiment is designed with sufficient power to detect.

Pitch context

You will see “Minimum detectable effect” in product strategy decks, roadmaps, experiments and architecture reviews when the discussion reaches experiments, testing & rollout.

Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret experiments, testing & rollout without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.

Sources & evidence · 2

Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.

Scrum Guides — The Scrum Guide — official current versionSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16