The Danger of Chasing Vanity Metrics in Startups

Howdy!
In today’s blog, I want to talk about a trap I’ve seen far too many founders fall into—chasing vanity metrics.

When the numbers look that good on paper, it’s easy to get caught up in them. Followers, website traffic, app downloads, social mentions- all of these metrics make us feel like we’re winning. These are tangible numbers that make it easy for us to brag. Here’s the hard truth: if those numbers don’t translate into revenue, retention, or any real traction for your business, they really don’t mean much at all.

Letting yourself be distracted by surface-level wins can be incredibly dangerous for a bootstrapped business. Every minute that passes by, every dollar that’s being spent, needs to move you closer to your goal of being a more profitable business. There is no reason to be celebrating 10,000 new followers if you have no actual paying customers. This isn’t scaling- this is just spinning your wheels.

I’ve seen founders pour their hard-earned money into growing email lists, getting press features, or racking up likes on social media, all while ignoring the metrics that should be top priority:

Customer acquisition cost
Customer retention
Revenue growth
Product adoption and usage
Profitability

The problem with these vanity metrics is that they can very easily give you a false sense of progress. They look good, and make you feel good…but they don’t necessarily move your business forward.

Would You Rather Be Popular or Profitable?

Staying focused on what actually drives your business forward helps you make better decisions. Paying customers, renewals, margins– these things should always be top of mind. When you stay focused on the right things, you spend smarter. You build a company that lasts longer.

Building a business is messy. It can be slow at times. It doesn’t feel as good as a viral post or PR win. But it’s a lot more sustainable.

Founders who are succeeding long-term aren’t chasing hype– they’re staying disciplined, tracking the proper metrics, and never straying from their pursuit of real growth.