Numbers that matter vs. numbers that don't

Not all metrics deserve your attention. Teams often drown in data while missing the signals that actually show progress toward their goals. Vanity metrics make you feel good but don’t support decisions. High page views, for example, say little about whether users find value. Actionable metrics, in contrast, link directly to user behavior and business outcomes, helping you see cause-and-effect relationships that guide choices.

To keep decision-making clear, focus on the essentials. Tie one or two success metrics directly to your hypothesis, and add a guardrail metric to catch unintended consequences. For instance, if you are testing whether users will pay for a feature, track conversion rates as your success metric and churn as your guardrail. Leave everything else aside unless you want to explore new hypotheses. This discipline ensures metrics drive decisions instead of distracting from them.