Who This Helps
This is for founders who feel stuck in analysis mode. You have numbers, but they're not telling a clear story to your team or investors. The Metrics & Dashboards Basics program helps you cut through the noise. Think of it as your guide to building a single source of truth that everyone trusts.
Mini Case
Sam's SaaS startup was growing, but decisions were slowing down. The team debated feature priorities for weeks based on gut feelings. Sam built a core dashboard tracking just three things: weekly sign-ups, activation rate, and churn. In 30 days, they saw activation was stuck at 40%. They shifted resources, and 60 days later, activation hit 55%. That dashboard saved them 3 months of guesswork.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Pick your one big goal for this quarter. (Example: Increase paid conversions.)
- Find the 2-3 metrics that directly show progress toward that goal.
- Gather last month's numbers for those metrics to set a baseline.
- Choose one simple tool (like a shared spreadsheet or a basic BI tool) to display them.
- Schedule a 15-minute weekly meeting with your key person to look at the dashboard together. No deep-dive, just 'What changed? Why?'
Avoid These Traps
- The Everything Dashboard: Don't try to show every metric. You'll overwhelm everyone. Start with 3-5 key numbers max.
- Data Purgatory: If you spend more than 2 hours a week manually updating it, your process is broken. Automate or simplify.
- Silent Screen Syndrome: A dashboard no one looks at is wallpaper. You have to talk about it to make it useful.
- Chasing Vanity Metrics: Likes and total visits feel good but don't pay the bills. Focus on metrics tied to revenue or retention.
- Ignoring Context: A number going down isn't always bad. Did you just change pricing? Tell the story behind the change.
- Building in a Vacuum: Don't design it alone. Ask your team, 'What one number would help you make a better decision this week?'
Your Win by Friday
Your win isn't a fancy chart. It's a shared understanding. By Friday, have one clear slide with your key metrics, their current status, and the one question you're trying to answer next. Share it in your next team huddle. You'll be surprised how quickly 'I think' turns into 'The data shows.' It’s like giving your team a compass instead of a map of the entire wilderness.