Growth Playbook
Data & Analytics
Track only what answers critical product questions—nothing more.
This page shows you what to measure, why, and how to start in one sprint.
1 · Mental Model Q → M → E
Question → Metric → Event
- Question you want answered
- Metric that quantifies it
- Event (or two) that feed that metric
| Product Question | Metric (M) | Minimal Events (E) |
|---|---|---|
| Do users see value on day 0? | Conversion to First Value | signup, first_value |
| Do they come back? | D1 / D7 Retention | app_open |
| Will growth be organic? | Invite Acceptance Rate | invite_sent, invite_accepted |
| Can we re‑engage them? | Push Open Rate | notification_open |
If an event doesn't roll up to a key question, skip it.
2 · Core Event Set (6 Lines of Code)
track('app_open') // every launch
track('signup', { method: 'id' })
track('first_value', { action: '🎉' })
track('invite_sent')
track('invite_accepted')
track('notification_open')
That is enough to build funnels, retention, and viral metrics.
3 · Action Plan
Focus on these 4 metrics weekly until they're all green:
- Signup → First Value % (target: ≥40%) - Are users getting value immediately?
- D1 Retention (target: ≥25%) - Are they coming back the next day?
- Invite Acceptance % (target: ≥15%) - Is word-of-mouth working?
- Push Open % (target: ≥15%) - Can we re-engage users?
Next steps: Pick the lowest metric and spend 1-2 sprints fixing it. Don't touch anything else until all four are hitting targets.
4 · Common Pitfalls to Dodge
- Event sprawl – >10 events = analysis paralysis.
- Vanity charts – page views ≠ value.
- No cohorts – averages hide churn.
- Premature segmentation – wait for 1k users.
- Ignoring retention – acquisition is useless without it.
Analytics should light the path, not become the journey. Keep it lean, learn fast, and build what moves the needle.