>tempted to just go by the measurable metrics alone? For me that's where I start out, using the metrics that are already available, and often needing to measur

>tempted to just go by the measurable metrics alone? For me that's where I start out, using the metrics that are already available, and often needing to measure a few more things that seem good at the time. Hard data can tell you a lot, I was a mathematical child and I've been known to do an equation or two, even a statistic now and then. But that's not enough, there are quite a few mathematically gifted business operators who are capitalized with resources way beyond my reach, whom I have always needed to outperform in their capitalist market while being a lowly entrepreneur without any of other peoples' money to rely on. There would be no way to compete with them on their terms. So the overall objective is to get the early metrics into the rear view mirror where it belongs, since it is intended to fade away to a lesser degree of prominence as real knowledge and strategy is built more deeply to go forward more effectively than measurement would predict no matter how accurate or well-regarded the hard data is. The temptation is always there to rest on your laurels in a number of ways, but yielding to that is the halting of the continuous improvement process. Even though absolute perfection may not be fully achievable, that's the direction you want to progress toward as much as you can. But no further progress can be made when you've halted for any reason. You need to find your North Star for the particular situation and follow it unwaveringly so you can leave past performance in the dust with the data which was once defined by it.