If one engineer at a startup tries Slack and says, 'I hate it. I am not going to use this,' that's it for us. We won't get evaluated.
Stewart ButterfieldRead
Hard numbers tell an important story; user stats and sales numbers will always be key metrics. But every day, your users are sharing a huge amount of qualitative data, too - and a lot of companies either don't know how or forget to act on it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Quantitative data is essential, but qualitative insights from users are equally important and often overlooked.
Stewart Butterfield emphasizes the significance of both quantitative data, like user statistics and sales figures, and qualitative data, which includes user feedback and experiences. He notes that while companies may prioritize hard metrics, they often neglect the valuable insights that can be derived from the qualitative data shared by their users, leading to missed opportunities for improvement and connection.
Themes
DataQualitativeQuantitativeUsersInsightsMetrics
In practice
Example use cases
In a meeting about user engagement, this quote can highlight the importance of both metrics and user feedback.
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