Measuring Reality
Telemetry is the automated measurement and transmission of data from remote sources. In product, it is how we know what users are actually doing vs. what they say they are doing.
The Tracking Plan
Do not track everything. Track the events that matter.
| Event Type | Example | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Activation | `Workspace_Created` | Measuring onboarding success. |
| Engagement | `Report_Exported` | Measuring core feature usage. |
| Monetization | `Subscription_Upgraded` | Revenue modeling. |
Common Mistakes
- Vanity Metrics: Tracking "Total Registered Users" instead of "Weekly Active Users." Cumulative metrics always go up; they do not indicate health.
FAQ
Client-side vs. Server-side tracking?
Client-side for UI interactions (clicks, scrolls). Server-side for mission-critical events (purchases, account creations) as ad-blockers can block client-side scripts.