Stop Guessing. Start Knowing: A Guide to Analytics for Business

Building a SaaS is tough. Building it in public is harder. You're out there. Exposed. Always working. But are your choices smart? Or are you just hoping for luck?

Most of you guess. "Users want this," you think. "This feature feels right."

WRONG.

You are a founder. Not a mind reader. Your gut feelings are good for new ideas. They are bad for product choices. You need real facts. You need analytics for business.

If you build in public, ignoring data is like fighting with one hand tied. Let's fix this now.

Your Feelings Lie (And Cost You Money)

I see it often. Founders spend weeks on a feature. They "felt" it was important. They launch it. No one uses it. Or it makes things worse.

Why? They missed a key step. They did not understand users with data.

Think about it:

• You launch new signup steps. Do people finish them? Or do they quit halfway?
• You add a cool "AI Button." Does anyone click it? Does it fix a real problem? Or is it just a nice demo?
• More users are leaving. Is it a certain group? Is a feature broken? Or did you upset your best customers?

Analytics for business answers these. Without data, you drive blind. This will crash your SaaS fast.

Skip The Show. Focus On Money.

Forget total users. That's for bragging. You need numbers that truly help your business.

Here's what you should track:

• Active Users: How many people do something useful after joining? Not just log in.
• Feature Use: Are your main features getting used? Which ones are popular? Which are not?
• Keep Rate (The Best Metric): Do users stay? If not, your product leaks. More users won't help.
• Quit Rate: Why do users leave? Are there patterns? A breaking point?
• Customer Value (CLTV): How much money will a customer bring? This helps you spend on marketing.
• User Path: Where do users go in your product? Where do they stop? Find these weak spots. Fix them.

These are more than numbers. They are direct messages from your users. They tell you what works. They show what is broken. This feedback helps you grow.

Building in Public? Data is Your Story.

You already share your journey. Your wins. Your struggles. Why hide your best part? How you make choices?

When you openly use analytics for business, you do powerful things:

1. Build Trust: You show how you build a great product. It's based on real user actions.
2. Community Helps: Your audience gets involved. "Marc, that feature has low use. Try this?" They can find issues.
3. Faster Changes: You share the data problem. Get ideas. Fix it. Show the new data. This speed is unmatched.
4. No Lies: Numbers keep everyone honest. Even yourself.

Imagine saying: "Our new feature saw only 10% use. Data shows we need to fix signup. We are pausing that feature now. What do you think?" That is strong. That is open. That is how you win.

Your Simple Analytics Kit (Start Now)

Do not overthink this. You do not need a big data team. Start small. Start TODAY.

1. What Do You Need To Know? Write it down. "Do users finish onboarding?" "What feature leads to upgrades?" Your questions guide your tracking.
2. Choose Your Tools:
   • Product Use: Mixpanel, Amplitude. Or my choice for indie hackers: PostHog. It's open-source. Powerful. No excuses.
   • Website Visits: Google Analytics. Track where visitors come from.
   • Email: ConvertKit, MailerLite. Check open and click rates.
   • System Health: Watch for errors. Check how fast your app runs.
   • Or... Just Use Statflows. Forget many tools. Many bills. Many logins. Many headaches. Statflows does all of it. Product, web, email, even user feedback. All in one place. It's for founders. Get powerful facts. Without many subscriptions. Save money. Save your mind.
3. Track Key Events. Not Everything: Do not just dump all data. Track important actions: signed_up, project_made, feature_X_used, plan_upgraded, plan_cancelled.
4. Make Simple Boards: Create clear charts. Show your top 3-5 numbers. Check them every day.
5. Talk To Your Data: Look at your charts often. Ask "why?" Why did this number change? Make guesses.
6. Take Action: Analytics for business is about better choices. See a drop-off? Fix it. See an unused feature? Get rid of it.

Your SaaS Needs Help To Grow.

The market does not care how you feel. It cares about value. To always give value, especially when building in public, let user actions guide you.

Stop building features no one wants. Stop guessing what users need. Start using analytics for business. Build a product your users will love.

Go get that data.