Dashboards & Reporting Systems

Even early on, dashboards help keep your team focused and aligned. This section explains how to create simple, low-cost dashboards using Google Sheets or Looker Studio that keep your key metrics visible.

Why it's Important

Makes key metrics accessible to everyone.
Enables early data-driven discussions.
Provides a single source of truth.
Helps you spot trends and anomalies.
Keeps your team focused on what matters most.

How to Implement

Choose a tool: Google Sheets, Looker Studio, Notion tables.
Define 5–10 core metrics to track weekly.
Set up basic automations (e.g., Supermetrics, Zapier) to pull in data.
Create views by category (e.g., acquisition, engagement, revenue).
Share dashboards weekly and pin them in Slack/Notion.
Schedule weekly metrics review with the team.
Update dashboard format as metrics evolve.

Available Workshops

Metric Prioritization Exercise: Decide what matters now.
Build Your First Dashboard Sprint: Create it live in Google Sheets.
Metric Ownership Map: Assign leads to each metric.
Weekly Metrics Review Ritual: Simulate a reporting meeting.
Visualize the Story Drill: Turn raw data into insights with charts.
OKR Tracker Setup: Align dashboard to your objectives.

Deliverables

A live, team-accessible dashboard.
Weekly reporting process documented.
Assigned owners for each metric.
Automation workflows for data entry.
Archive of past weeks’ reports for trend spotting.

How to Measure

Frequency of dashboard updates.
Dashboard view/engagement stats (if hosted).
Time to update weekly metrics (goal: <30 min).
Action items or decisions sourced from dashboard reviews.
Feedback from team on dashboard clarity.
Number of experiments launched based on dashboard data.

Real-World Examples

Buffer

Maintained a public metrics dashboard as part of their transparency ethos.

Linear

Shared internal growth metrics weekly via Notion dashboards.

Morning Brew

Used a simple Google Sheet to align their content and growth teams early on.

Get It Right

Start with just a few metrics that really matter.
Make it visual and easy to understand.
Tie dashboards to real decisions (not just tracking).
Automate data pulls where possible.
Build review habits around your dashboard.

Don't Make These Mistakes

Creating a dashboard and never looking at it.
Making it too complex to update weekly.
Mixing lagging and leading indicators with no clarity.
Hiding it in private folders—transparency matters.
Forgetting to clean up unused or broken reports.