Chapter 12 · Product Analyst
Appendix A: ten principles to carry into the job
~3 min read
- Know the decision before you query. Data serves a choice; find the choice first.
- Always name the denominator. A rate without its base is a trap.
- Segment before you trust an average. The aggregate hides the story.
- Check the instrumentation first. Most 'metric drops' are logging bugs.
- Retention is the truth. Acquisition is vanity if users don't come back.
- Correlation is a hypothesis, not a finding. Prove cause with an experiment.
- Every metric has a shadow. Watch what could break while your number rises.
- Randomization buys causation; protect it. Name the assumption you're breaking.
- Lead with the answer. Takeaway first, evidence on request.
- State your caveats. Volunteered uncertainty is what makes confidence credible.
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