How do good product metrics look like in 2025

Good product metrics are not a laundry list of numbers but a focused set that tells you whether the product is actually moving the needle on growth. The piece starts by breaking down the classic AARRR funnel-Acquisition, Activation, Engagement, Retention-and explains why each stage needs a handful of high-signal metrics instead of a sea of vanity data. It argues that leaders should treat metrics as a health check, not a trophy case.

The article dives into concrete examples: acquisition is measured by cost-per-acquisition (CPA) and qualified leads, activation by the first-time-value event rate, engagement by daily active users segmented by core feature usage, and retention by cohort roll-off curves over 30-day periods. It shows how a growth team can spot a dip in activation by looking at the time-to-first-value and then iterate on onboarding flows. The author also warns against over-tracking, recommending a quarterly audit to prune metrics that no longer drive decisions.

For technical leaders the takeaway is simple: pick metrics that surface trade-offs you need to act on, align them across product, engineering, and growth, and build dashboards that surface the right signals in real time. When the numbers line up, you can prioritize work that actually moves the needle, avoid chasing hype, and keep the team focused on delivering sustainable growth.