One metric that matters

Ben Yoskovitz and Alistair Croll detailed their concept of One Metric That Matters (OMTM) in their book Lean Analytics.

This concept--focusing on one important metric instead of a multitude of metrics--is designed to help entrepreneurs simplify and stay focused. According to the authors, this means that at any given time, there's one metric you should care about above all else. Communicating this focus to your employees, investors, and even the media will really help you concentrate your efforts.

This is a powerful metaphor that helps provide organizational clarity around what to focus on. Now, the hard part often is deciding which metric matters. Fortunately, their book covers various examples, depending on criteria such as the stage of the company and the nature of the business, to help serve as a guide for choosing the right metric.

The one change we've made to the preceding diagram is to switch key metrics in the Lean Canvas with OMTM: