Know if it's working

The only early metric that matters is net developer retention. Without it, you're not running a funnel; you're running a colander.

Use this when: you're tracking GitHub stars and pageviews and still can't answer "is GTM working?", or you're pouring effort into acquisition while new users quietly churn.

The core idea

Acquisition is worthless if users don't come back. Prove retention first; only then does spending on acquisition make sense. Most early founders optimize the top of the funnel while the bottom leaks. Fix that order.

Framework: net developer retention (Frankl)

Of all the developers who first used the product in Month 1, how many used it in Month 2? Month 3?

• Hold it above 100% (meaning existing cohorts grow through internal referral/expansion).
• Below solid retention, do not focus on acquisition: you're filling a leaky bucket.
• This single cohort question tells you more than every vanity chart combined.

Framework: the DREAM metrics (Frankl)