What key metrics do you track to measure post-launch success beyond just vanity numbers like downloads or sign-ups?

There are two major ones I’ve used over the years. 

The first is pipeline generation--how much pipeline is generated by the campaigns or sales plays that are tied to the launch 

The second is use case adoption. There are different tools and ways to measure it but ultimately it’s usually a CRM report you can pull and analyze which use cases are being adopted, and what are customers using your product for. If it’s tied to the key use cases you promoted during the launch, and even better if there’s historical data where you can compare and ideally see a lift, that means the launch is an impactful one. 

I also want to share my POV about the so-called vanity metrics. I think there’s a lot of value in them because those metrics are very important early signals of whether your messaging is resonating. So instead of waiting for the pipeline number and use case adoption metrics which usually take 1-2 quarters at least, I would encourage PMMs to regularly check metrics like downloads and registrations. Initially post-launch, I recommend a monthly review or something even more frequent. Once things settle a bit, it can be a quarterly review.