I know I have written about this topic a lot, but 80%+ of the people who come to me for help on product design/sense and execution cases still fall into this trap, and so I will address it again.

The goal of a product company is NOT engagement or retention. The goal of a product company is to solve a problem for a user. Yes, you might pivot from a growth to an engagement strategy at a high level, but your goal is NOT engagement or retention.

Most people who come to mock with me try to force their metrics into one or more of the 5 metrics called pirate metrics because the anagram sounds like the sound we grew up being told pirates make.

What are they:

• Acquisition

• Activation

• Retention

• Referral

• Revenue

This list is for different categories of metrics NOT the goal. Read more here from Product Plan on Pirate Metrics.

When you come up with a goal, use the language of the user, not a Silicon Valley investor.