Who This Helps
This is for you, the Junior Analyst who wants to stop guessing and start shipping analysis that actually gets used. You’re tired of running experiments that don’t move the needle. The Metrics & Dashboards Basics program is your shortcut to focusing effort on the highest-impact move.
Mini Case
Meet Maya. She’s a Junior Analyst at a fast-growing SaaS company. The team tracks 20 numbers, but no one knows which one matters most. Maya decides to pick one primary metric with a clear definition. She chooses “Weekly Active Users” as her North Star Metric. Then she defines 3 supporting metrics: sign-ups, retention rate, and feature adoption. She sets realistic targets: 12% growth in sign-ups, 7-day retention above 40%, and feature adoption at 25%. Now she can prioritize experiments that directly improve these numbers.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Pick your North Star Metric. Choose one number that captures the core value your product delivers. For Maya, it was Weekly Active Users.
- Define 3 supporting metrics. These are the levers you can pull. Maya chose sign-ups, retention rate, and feature adoption.
- Set realistic targets. Use past data or industry benchmarks. Maya aimed for 12% growth in sign-ups.
- Build a weekly scoreboard. Track your North Star and supporting metrics every week. Add guardrails to catch problems early.
- Prioritize one experiment per week. Look at your scoreboard. Which metric is furthest from target? Run one experiment to move that number.
Avoid These Traps
- Tracking too many numbers. Stick to 4-5 metrics max. More is noise.
- Setting vague targets. “Increase engagement” is not a target. “Increase weekly active users by 12%” is.
- Running experiments without a clear hypothesis. Always ask: “If I do X, will Y move by Z%?”
- Ignoring guardrails. If a metric drops below a threshold, pause and investigate before running more experiments.
- Forgetting to celebrate small wins. Even a 3% improvement is progress. Share it with your team.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you will have a clear North Star Metric, 3 supporting metrics with targets, and a prioritized experiment to run next week. You’ll ship clean analysis with clear recommendations. And you’ll feel like a superhero—minus the cape, but plus a spreadsheet that actually works.