cyberneticlibrary

Set up core metrics tracking

analyticsskillsetup L2172
whawkinsiv/solo-founder-superpowers

Causal-lift measurements

event-tracking-design+20pp vs no-skill baselinewith-skill 88% · baseline 68%

Measured by running the task with and without this artifact, K=5, graded by deterministic checks — no LLM judging.

What it does

Set up analytics instrumentation and core metrics tracking

Best for

Solo founder or analyst setting up analytics for the first time — provides tool recommendation by stage, event naming conventions, core metrics framework, and GA4 setup checklist to track decisions not dashboards.

Inputs
  • · Business stage (pre-launch, 0-$1K MRR, $1K-$10K MRR)
  • · Analytics tool choice (PostHog, Plausible, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Heap)
  • · Product type (SaaS, marketplace, marketplace, content, etc.)
  • · Key conversions (signup, activation, upgrade, retention)
Outputs
  • · Analytics tool recommendation by stage and cost
  • · Event tracking list (15-25 events) with naming conventions
  • · Event properties and parameters
  • · Core metrics framework (5 metrics that matter)
  • · GA4 setup checklist
Requires
  • · PostHog / Mixpanel / Amplitude / Heap / Google Analytics
  • · gtag.js or Google Tag Manager
Preconditions
  • · Website/app live with traffic
  • · Analytics account created
  • · Conversion events defined (what counts as success)
Failure modes
  • · Event naming conventions are recommendations — doesn't enforce via schema
  • · GA4 setup assumes standard web flow (not mobile-first or app-only)
  • · Cohort retention guidance is generic (doesn't account for product type)
  • · Doesn't cover privacy compliance (GDPR, CCPA) or consent management
Trust signals
  • · Tool recommendations by stage with pricing (PostHog free tier, Plausible $9/mo, etc.)
  • · 5 core metrics framework (signup rate, signup→activation, D7 retention, free→paid, churn)
  • · Event naming convention (Object Action in past tense, snake_case, be specific)
  • · GA4 implementation with gtag.js syntax and recommended events
  • · Core principle: 'Track decisions, not dashboards' + 'Every metric should inform an action'