A dashboard full of green numbers feels like progress. But analytics only earn their keep when they change a decision. If a chart cannot alter what you do next week, it is decoration.
Start from the decision, not the metric
Before adding a chart, write down the decision it informs and the threshold that would change your mind. Metrics without a decision attached quietly accumulate until nobody trusts the dashboard at all.
Beware the averages
Averages hide the customers who are struggling and the ones who love you. Distributions and cohorts tell the truth. We default to cohort views for exactly this reason: the median user is a fiction you should not design for.
- Segment before you celebrate — a rising average can mask churn at the edges.
- Watch leading indicators, not just outcomes you cannot influence.
- Instrument the funnel, not just the finish line.