Prioritize Experiments Like a Growth Marketer Using a Scoreboard

Who This Helps

This is for growth marketers who track 20 numbers but still aren't sure which experiment to run next. If you've ever felt like you're throwing spaghetti at the wall, this is for you. The Metrics & Dashboards Basics program is your new best friend.

Mini Case

Meet Maya. She's a growth marketer at a SaaS startup. Her team tracks 20 numbers, but she can't pick one primary metric with a clear definition. She's stuck. She decides to build a weekly scoreboard with guardrails. She picks her North Star metric (weekly active users) and sets a target of 12% growth in 7 days. She then defines 3 supporting metrics: sign-up rate, activation rate, and retention rate. With her scoreboard, she spots that activation rate is lagging. She runs an experiment to simplify onboarding. Result? Activation rate jumps 15% in one week. No guesswork.

Do This Now (5 Steps)

1. Pick your North Star metric. Choose one primary metric that matters most to your business. Write it down with a clear definition.
2. Define 3 supporting metrics. These are the levers that move your North Star. For example, if your North Star is weekly active users, supporting metrics could be sign-ups, activations, and referrals.
3. Set realistic targets. Use past data to set a target for each metric. Aim for a 10-15% improvement in 7 days.
4. Build a weekly scoreboard. List your metrics and targets. Check them every Monday. Use guardrails to flag when a metric drops below a threshold.
5. Prioritize one experiment. Look at your scoreboard. Which metric is furthest from target? Run one experiment to move that metric. Track the result.

Avoid These Traps

• Tracking too many metrics. Stick to 4-5 max. More is noise.
• Setting vague targets. "Increase sign-ups" is not a target. "Increase sign-ups by 12% in 7 days" is.
• Ignoring guardrails. If a metric drops 20% below target, stop everything and fix it.
• Running multiple experiments at once. You won't know what worked. Run one experiment at a time.
• Forgetting to celebrate wins. When you hit a target, high-five your team. It's fun and keeps morale high.

Your Win by Friday

By Friday, you'll have a weekly scoreboard that tells you exactly which experiment to run next. No more guessing. No more wasted effort. You'll focus on the highest-impact move and see real results. And hey, you might even have time to grab coffee without checking your dashboard every five minutes.