Who This Helps
You are a founder operator drowning in data. You track 20 numbers every week, but you still can't tell if you're winning or losing. The Metrics & Dashboards Basics course is built for you. It helps you define a metric system you trust and build a dashboard that supports calm weekly decisions.
Mini Case
Meet Maya. She runs a small SaaS team. Every Monday, she opens a spreadsheet with 20 metrics. Revenue, signups, churn, support tickets, you name it. The problem? She spends 2 hours every week just figuring out what matters. Last month, she missed a 12% drop in activation because she was buried in vanity metrics. After taking the Metrics & Dashboards Basics course, she picked one North Star metric: weekly active users. She set 3 supporting metrics with realistic targets. Now she reviews her weekly scoreboard in 15 minutes and makes decisions fast.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Pick your North Star metric. Choose one number that tells you if your business is healthy. For Maya, it was weekly active users.
- Define 3 supporting metrics. These back up your North Star. For example, signups, activation rate, and retention.
- Set realistic targets. Don't guess. Look at last quarter's data and set a target that stretches but doesn't break you.
- Build a weekly scoreboard. Use a simple dashboard with 3 sections: North Star, supporting metrics, and guardrails (alerts for red flags).
- Review every Friday. Block 15 minutes. Look at your scoreboard. Ask: Are we on track? What's the one thing to fix next week?
Avoid These Traps
- Tracking too many numbers. Stick to 1 North Star and 3 supporting metrics. More is noise.
- Vague metric definitions. Define each metric clearly. "Active users" means logged in within 7 days, not just signed up.
- No targets. Without targets, you can't tell good from bad.
- Cluttered dashboards. Keep it clean. One page, three sections, no scrolling.
- Ignoring guardrails. Set alerts for metrics that signal trouble, like a 20% drop in signups.
- Reviewing too often. Daily reviews create noise. Weekly is enough for most decisions.
- Changing metrics every month. Stick with your North Star for at least a quarter.
- Forgetting the team. Share your scoreboard with the team so everyone knows what matters.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you will have a one-page weekly scoreboard with your North Star metric, 3 supporting metrics, and clear targets. You will spend 15 minutes reviewing it instead of 2 hours. And you will make faster decisions because you trust your data. Plus, you'll finally stop chasing 20 numbers and focus on what moves the needle. That's a win.