Actionable Metric

A measurement that is directly tied to a specific action or decision, so changes in the number tell you what to do next. It is the opposite of a vanity metric.

Actionable metrics drive real improvement because they connect cause and effect. Tracking them helps you run experiments and know whether a change actually worked.

Instead of tracking total followers, a founder tracks email signup conversion rate on her landing page, because she can run tests to improve that number and see the impact on sales.