Track the metric. Remember the goal.

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Metrics are useful because they create focus and measure progress over time. But metrics are usually proxies for something larger. That distinction matters.

When teams start optimizing aggressively for a metric, behaviour adapts around it. This can often be counterproductive. For eg, better retention does not always mean the right users are getting retained.

So, defining a metric is only half the job. The other half is defining its caveats.

• What can this metric miss?
• How can it be manipulated?

Good product teams think about this upfront and define counter-metrics — balancing measures that protect the system from over-optimization. If you optimize for execution speed, track quality. If you optimize for growth, track retention. If you optimize for engagement, track satisfaction.

Metrics help you steer. But they should never make you forget where you were trying to go.