Vanity metric

A number that rises reliably and changes no decision.

Example

Cumulative registered users, page views, social followers.

The test: if this number doubled, would you do anything differently? If not, stop reporting it — especially to yourself.

North star metric — The single measure that best captures the value customers get from your product.
Activation — The moment a new user first experiences the product's core value.
Retention — The share of customers still active after a given period. The inverse of churn, and usually the more useful way round.

OKRs and KPIs — KPIs are the dials you watch. OKRs are what you are trying to change this quarter. Confusing them turns planning into reporting. (12 min)
What to measure, and what to ignore — Different stages need different numbers. Measuring everything is the same as measuring nothing. (12 min)
The north star metric — One number that only improves when customers genuinely benefit. Choosing it badly points the whole company at the wrong thing. (10 min)