Vanity Metrics
Reflections on Q1
I love vanity metrics.
They’re bold and fun. But more importantly, they teach people to win.
And I fucking win.
Today I set another record: Best Quarter in Company History at Median.
Median was founded 11 years ago. I joined Median as Chief Revenue Officer 69 days ago. Now we’ve redefined what’s possible- a new definition of success.
And we did it while completely overhauling our revenue model. We moved from one-time project fees to Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). As an example, if we would have charged $40,000 once in the past, we now charge $40,000 annually. Every. Single. Year.
This fundamentally changes our business- and drives massive enterprise value. ARR gets a 10x–20x revenue multiple (okay, maybe not 20x in today’s environment). One-time project fees? You’re basically just a cashflow business.
Note: Best Quarter is based on year #1 contract value not inflated Total Contract Value (TCV). Last year, when I sold our biggest deal at Together, someone in Marketing thought I was celebrating the TCV... and was shocked when I told her it was just the year 1 $ amount. 😂
Here’s the Thing About Vanity Metrics...
They set a clear, narrow goal to focus on.
They break limiting beliefs around what’s possible and set a new standard.
They energize the Sales Team. The entire company, if you do it right.
They turn the mundane into an impassioned pursuit.
They give people something fun to chase- something to conquer together. And that’s where the magic happens. People bond through adversity. They unify around accomplishing what seemed impossible just weeks ago.
And when the team smashes it? It teaches them how to win. What winning takes. What winning feels like. It builds belief. And belief is contagious.
And the Other Thing About Vanity Metrics…
If you’re bold enough, you can speak their attainment into existence.
Just 4.5 months into my tenure at Together, I posted on LinkedIn that we were heading to Florida.
Not because we’d already hit the outrageously high goal I’d set- we were only halfway through the quarter when I made that post!
But I knew we’d hit it. The energy was undeniable. The team felt it. I felt it. So I called it early.
This was our Sales Team bonus trip- and we earned it. And we went.
We went. A lot of companies do 'President’s Club’ where only the top salespeople get to go on the trip. I don’t. We win together. We all go together.
Q1 2025 at median
Then success becomes inevitable. “The score takes care of itself,” as the great Bill Walsh said.
Well, maybe not inevitable. Sometimes the team needs a gentle push or a challenge.
One of the biggest mistakes sales leaders make (and I used to make it all the time) is pushing too hard. Treating their team like they don’t already want to win. But they do. Most salespeople genuinely want to perform and be the best. When sales leaders push with pressure instead of purpose, it doesn’t drive performance- it kills morale. If you treat your team like they’re losers, don’t be surprised when they play like it.
Your team wants to win. Show them how to win. Get genuinely excited when they’re doing it. Have a ton of fun along the way. And support the hell out of them.
And show that you care. I don’t work at Median on Fridays (the spoils of winning), but I still sent that message Friday morning because I care. Look at the replies (right). That energy!
I haven’t been CRO at Median that long so I was actually a little surprised by how fired up the team got! It fired me up too. On my day off. Watching the updates roll in felt like watching an epic comeback win live. I love the pursuit of vanity metrics.
At 9:35am, it looked like we’d be one short of best month ever by end of day. By 2:05pm, we’d set the record! What a team.
This is what I do. Whether it’s setting a Discovery Call record, smashing a quarterly revenue target, or the company’s total ARR- I call my shot. I tell everyone. I speak it into existence.
And when it happens? The belief deepens. Not just in me, but in themselves. My belief in them and myself deepens too.
Vanity metrics aren’t just for show. They create momentum. They make winning a habit.
Oh, and I also love…
