What hiring managers scan for
- Clear problem framing and constraints
- Decision trade‑offs and why they made sense
- Measured outcomes, not just features
- Distribution: who used it and how it spread
Wrap‑up and next steps
Keep it simple: one project, one metric, one page, one short demo. Publish weekly and ask a specific question. Three strong, outcome‑led case studies will outperform a dozen unfinished experiments.
Simple case study structure
- Brief: problem, users, constraints, and success metric
- Approach: options considered and chosen path
- Outcome: results with numbers and real user feedback
Project menu by role
Pick one scoped project you can ship in 1–2 weeks. Lead with outcomes.
Product / UX
- Reduce steps in a key flow; measure task completion time.
- Rewrite onboarding; measure activation through first aha moment.
- Usability test with 3 users; prioritize and ship one fix.
Data / Analytics
- Instrument a workflow; publish a weekly KPI with commentary.
- Build a mini pipeline from CSV to dashboard; reduce decision latency.
- Design a metric definition and show an example calculation.
Engineering
- Automate a repetitive task with guardrails and monitoring.
- Improve reliability; show error rate drop and MTTR improvements.
- Refactor a hot path; benchmark and show throughput gains.
Marketing / Growth
- A/B test an email or landing section; report lift with CIs.
- Build a lead‑qualifier; show conversion and downstream quality.
- Create a distribution playbook; measure reach and replies.
High‑signal examples
These examples are quick to ship and easy to verify.
- Cut onboarding from 7 to 5 steps; activation +6% over 3 weeks.
- Automated a weekly report; 3 hours/week saved for a 5‑person team.
- Reduced error rate from 3.2% to 1.1% with a validation step.
- Built a dashboard tile that drove a weekly staffing decision.
For macro trends on roles and demand, see the World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs 2025 → PDF
Metrics that matter
Choose metrics sensitive to your change, easy to capture weekly, and aligned with stakeholder goals.
- Time saved per run or per week
- Quality: error/defect rate, review comments resolved
- Throughput: tasks/hour, tickets closed, queries served
- Activation / conversion for a defined cohort
- Satisfaction: a one‑question pulse (“Was this better?”)
Distribution and outreach
Evidence without distribution is a hidden gem. Publish small, honest updates and ask a specific question that invites replies.
- Post a 60‑second demo; link the before/after metric.
- Ask: “Which step would you remove to make this easier?”
- Rotate audiences: peer group, domain community, target users.
Evidence checklist
- Outcome title with a number and constraint
- Environment and versions; reproducible steps
- Before/after screenshots or logs
- User quotes or reviewer feedback
- Next step if given more time
Templates and prompts
One‑paragraph case brief
User: … Pain: … Constraint: … Metric: … Done when: …
One‑page case study
- Title with metric
- Context and constraints
- What you shipped
- Before/after and how measured
- What you’d do next
Outreach email samples
Keep it short, specific, and tied to a result.
Subject: Cut onboarding by 27% in 3 weeks — 60s demo
Hi {Name}, I reduced onboarding steps from 7 → 5 and lifted activation +6%. 60‑second demo: {link}. If you had one wish for your flow, what would it be?
Subject: 3 hrs/week saved with safe automation
Hi {Name}, I automated a weekly report with guardrails; saved 3 hrs/week for 5 people. Short walkthrough: {link}. Which step would you remove first?
Screenshots and video tips
- Show the “before” and “after” doing the same task on the same data.
- Keep videos under 90 seconds; narrate constraints and the metric moved.
- Zoom into the exact moment of improvement; annotate sparingly.
- Use captions; many reviewers watch on mute.
Reviewer rubric
Score yourself like a busy hiring manager would.
- Outcome (40%): clear metric moved with credible baseline and timeframe.
- Constraints (20%): resources/time limits and tradeoffs are explicit.
- Reproducibility (20%): versions, steps, data, and code are linked.
- Communication (20%): one‑page narrative and a < 90s demo.
Common pitfalls
- Feature lists without a measured outcome. Fix: lead with the metric.
- Tool worship over results. Fix: standardize on exports and versions.
- Long videos with no numbers. Fix: open with the delta and timestamped proof.
- No distribution. Fix: publish to one niche community and ask one question.
One‑page example
Title: Cut onboarding time by 27% in 3 weeks (7 → 5 steps)
Context: Solo project; 6 hrs/week; access to 12 new users; mobile web.
Approach: Mapped funnel; removed duplicate confirmation; rewrote copy.
Result: Activation +6% (n=312), time‑to‑complete −27% (n=42).
Evidence: 60s demo, before/after video; screenshots; metric sheet.
Next: Test progressive disclosure on step 2; expected −10% more time.
Portfolio home structure
Make your homepage skimmable in 30 seconds. Show outcomes first and let reviewers dive deeper only if interested.
- Header: role focus + one‑line value (e.g., "I reduce onboarding friction").
- Top 3 case studies with metric‑led titles and 60s video links.
- Short bio with domain context; link to socials and resume.
- Contact CTA; make it easy to reply or book time.
Publish checklist
- Outcome metric in the title and first paragraph
- Baseline and timeframe clearly stated
- Repro steps with versions and data snapshots
- Before/after visuals with captions
- Distribution plan: where you’ll post and the question you’ll ask
FAQs
How many projects should I include?
Three strong case studies beat ten weak ones. Aim for one per role focus.
What if I lack access to real data?
Use public datasets and simulate constraints. Be explicit about assumptions.
How long should a case study be?
One page and a short video. Lead with the metric; link deeper context.