You're Measuring the Wrong Thing

We crave metrics because we crave clarity.

It’s human. When the path is unclear, we look for numbers to tell us we’re moving in the right direction. That’s not a bad instinct. The problem is what happens when we mistake movement for progress—or worse, settle for certainty when what we really need is clarity.

And nothing delivers false certainty quite like a number.

We count likes. Clicks. Impressions. Open rates. Pipeline velocity. Steps walked. Slides shared. Meetings booked. Why? Because we can.

But not all metrics are signals. Some are just noise with a decimal point.

In my work helping companies define their core narrative—what they stand for, how they win, and how to scale their story—I always start with one deceptively simple question:

“How will you measure success?”

Most answers fall into one of three categories:

1. Vague Outcomes
   “We want more visibility.” “We need better alignment.”
   True, maybe. But fuzzy.

2. Vanity Metrics
   “We want more followers.” “We need more likes.”
   Tangible, yes. But easy to fake. And often misleading.

3. Proxy Indicators
   “We want to shorten the sales cycle.” “We want to increase engagement.”
   Closer. But still not the full story.

None of these are wrong. But none are the whole truth either.

Metrics Shape Behavior

The danger isn’t the metrics themselves. It’s when they become the story.

Instead of measuring behavior, we start shaping it to serve the metric. We optimize for what’s trackable. Not what’s meaningful.

We forget: You are what you measure. So choose wisely.

I've written before about asking better questions—and one of the most useful, uncomfortable ones is: “Does this metric tell me if I’m on the right path—or just that I’m still moving?”

That’s the real issue: we’re swimming in data, but starving for insight.

Measuring Narrative Impact

So how do you measure something as intangible—and powerful—as a corporate narrative?

You don’t track it in the same way you track a landing page or an ad campaign. It’s not about click-through rate (CTR) or customer acquisition cost (CAC). A great narrative is a long-game asset—one that aligns people, influences perception, and sets the conditions for trust and traction.

Instead of asking “Did it convert?” ask:

💼 Customers

• Do they understand not just what you do, but why it matters?

• Are they using your language to describe their problems—and your solution?

• Are they bringing others to the table who already believe the story?

• Do they feel like they’re part of a bigger vision—not just buying a tool?

A resonant narrative reduces friction. It builds trust before the first sales call.

🤝 Partners

• Are you getting inbound interest from adjacent players who want to align?

• Do partners know how to explain your value prop to their customers?

• Can they easily see where your story fits into theirs—and vice versa?

When your narrative is clear, others know exactly how to collaborate with you. You're not just a vendor—you’re a multiplier.

🧠 Analysts

• Are analysts repeating your framing—your metaphors, your category language?

• Are they referencing your story when talking about the market direction?

• Do their reports reflect your lens on what matters and why?

Analyst perception is a lagging but powerful indicator of narrative success. When they start using your language, you’re no longer reacting to the market—you’re shaping it.

⚔️ Competitors

• Are they copying your messaging—directly or indirectly?

• Are they reacting to your positioning by shifting their own?

• Are they trying to differentiate against your story?

You know your narrative has landed when your competitors are forced to respond to it. That’s leadership.

None of this shows up cleanly in your dashboard. But they’re all real. And if you know what to listen for, they’re measurable—through the language people use, the clarity of your pipeline, and the types of questions you’re getting.

That’s narrative impact. And the best part? It compounds.

The Right Question

I opened this issue—and first explored it in People Like Bad Pizza—with a question I come back to often: “How will we measure success?”

It’s not just about metrics. It’s about aligning on outcomes before chasing activity.

In How to Ask Good Questions, I expanded on this:

“You can't move forward with confidence if you don’t know what you're aiming for—or how you’ll know when you get there.”

And in conversations with startup leaders, this comes up constantly. Especially when things feel chaotic. When there’s a temptation to grab for the nearest KPI—any sign that things are working.

But if your KPI is flawed, it doesn’t just fail to guide you. It actively leads you astray.

What's Actually Worth Measuring?

I’ve had a lot of conversations over the years about metrics. I’ve seen it from multiple vantage points inside an organization. The real challenge? Figuring out if they actually matter.

They give you a snapshot. They answer “what happened?”—but not “did it matter?”

Yes, track your data. But don't confuse motion with momentum. And don’t confuse visibility with value. The most important signals are often the hardest to quantify:

You might not see them in your analytics dashboard. But you’ll feel them. In the way conversations shift. In the kind of referrals you get. In the trust you build. In the questions people ask after the meeting.

So how do you know if your story is landing? Start here::

• Are the right people repeating our story?

• Are they showing up with questions that reflect our framing?

• Are they calling us because they heard something that resonated?

Are we being talked about the way we want to be?

That’s the signal. Not just attention—but alignment.

Success isn’t about getting louder. It’s about shaping the conversation—and making sure the echo sounds like you.

Berkson’s Bits:

Engagement is not a reliable signal of impact.

Some of your strongest connections don’t like or comment—they just notice.

What I'm Reading

Arjun Moorthy’s post on LinkedIn that sparked this issue of The Narrative Intel: Many CEOs have heard their CMO cite the 95% activity drop-off stat

It’s a great reminder that too many marketing metrics are disconnected from strategic goals—and that measuring what’s easy can distract us from what matters. Highly recommend giving it a read.

When narrative signals start showing up across customers, partners, analysts, and even competitors, that’s not just marketing working—it’s strategic alignment in motion. If this resonates with you, please forward it to a founder, marketer, or operator who’s feeling buried under metrics that don’t quite mean what they think they mean. And if you need help figuring out how to define success for your story—I’m here to help.

Looking forward to continuing the conversation...

Alan