Measure of Success
What is a measure of success?
A measure of success is the metric that defines what customers need to accomplish when using your product. Your company will be successful when your customer is successful—which is why it's critical to identify a true measure of customer success rather than falling back on vanity metrics like page views, new registrations, or dollars spent.
The right measure of success varies by product. For a data backbone product like HiveMQ, success means the product works flawlessly in the background without customers needing to touch it. For other products, success might look entirely different. The key is understanding what your customers are trying to achieve.
How does measure of success apply to discovery teams?
For product teams practicing continuous discovery, measure of success takes on a team-level meaning: how much impact did we make on the outcome and how quickly did we make that impact?
This framing emphasizes two dimensions:
Impact on the outcome means moving the needle on the specific product outcome the team is pursuing—not just completing activities or shipping features, but creating measurable change in customer and business results.
Speed matters because continuous discovery is about learning quickly through weekly customer interviews, clear assumptions, and short-timeframe testing. Fast learning cycles help teams reach their outcome more efficiently.
Why does focusing on the right measure of success matter?
It's easy to measure the wrong things. Vanity metrics like page views, new registrations, or dollars spent might feel meaningful, but they often don't reflect genuine customer success. A customer might register for your product but never achieve their goal. They might spend money but remain dissatisfied.
Finding and focusing on a true measure of customer success is one of the most important components of product strategy. When you measure what truly matters to customers, you align your work with creating real value—and that's what drives sustainable business success.
Learn more:
- Shifting from Outputs to Outcomes: Why It Matters and How to Get Started
- What You Should Clarify and Communicate as a Product Leader
Related terms:
- Outcome
- Product Outcome
- Metrics
- Customer Value
Last Updated: October 25, 2025