Balance quantitative and qualitative metrics

Effective product measurement requires both numbers and narratives. Quantitative metrics offer precision and scale through concrete numbers and trends. These include conversion rates, time-on-task measurements, feature usage frequency, error rates, and revenue performance metrics. They excel at showing patterns across large user populations and detecting small changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Qualitative metrics provide context and emotional understanding that numbers alone cannot capture. User satisfaction ratings, Net Promoter Scores, sentiment analysis from feedback, usability test observations, and customer support themes all help explain the human experience behind the data. These insights reveal motivations, frustrations, and desires that drive the behaviors quantitative metrics measure.

The most powerful insights emerge when these approaches complement each other. For example, if session duration drops, quantitative data shows the extent, but only user interviews or feedback analysis can reveal whether it's because the product became more efficient (positive) or more frustrating (negative). In practice, you might run a few A/B tests or other quantitative tests, and then switch to usability studies when you’re not sure what to try next. Or you might start with a qualitative study to spot problems or opportunities, then use quantitative testing to measure the impact of changes.