“Tell me how you measure me and I will tell you how I will behave. If you measure me in an illogical way… do not complain about illogical behavior…” - Eli Goldratt
Stop wasting time on things that don't matter! Train yourself to spot the wrong metrics in real time and focus on what truly counts.
Founders of successful startups know that focusing on irrelevant metrics, also known as vanity metrics, can lead to failure. Instead, they focus on metrics that matter, such as the number of sales. I prefer to use cosmetic metrics in my conversations, and I will also use this phrase here. If you want alternatives, you can try "shallow metrics, surface-level measures, tokenistic analysis, empty data points, or illusory indicators," depending on your preferences.
