Looking ahead to 2026, I believe metrics will be more important than ever.
Not because metrics are new, and not because we suddenly discovered data. Metrics have always been part of how teams operate. But for a long time, they were often used to justify decisions that had already been made, instead of helping teams make better ones.
Today, measuring means something different. Measuring means having better inputs to decide, adjust, and move forward with more clarity.
From metrics as reports to metrics as signals
In our work at Revolt, the most useful metrics were rarely the most sophisticated ones. They weren’t complex dashboards or highly specialized KPIs. They were simple signals that showed us where things were breaking down.
Some of the metrics we rely on most include:
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Lead time: how long it takes to deliver work from start to finish
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Rework rate: how often something needs to be redone
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Reprioritization frequency: how often priorities change during a project
These metrics help us understand how work actually flows. When lead time increases, we look for bottlenecks, dependencies, or waiting times. When rework goes up, it’s usually a sign of unclear requirements or rushed decisions. When priorities change too often, it’s rarely an execution issue—it’s an alignment problem.
They don’t tell the whole story, but they point us in the right direction.
Measuring less, deciding better
As we move closer to 2026, teams are getting smaller, budgets are tighter, and AI is accelerating execution across the board. In that context, measuring everything becomes both unrealistic and counterproductive.
What matters is choosing the right signals.
In practice, this means:
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Prioritizing metrics that are close to the work
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Avoiding vanity metrics that look good but don’t drive action
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Using metrics to start conversations, not to assign blame
A dashboard full of numbers doesn’t create clarity. A small set of well-chosen metrics, reviewed regularly, does.
Metrics as a shared decision language
By 2026, the companies that perform best won’t be the ones with the most data. They’ll be the ones with the clearest criteria for using it.
Good metrics act as a shared language across teams. They make problems visible early, reduce subjective debates, and help teams adjust before issues escalate. Most importantly, they keep decisions grounded in how work is actually happening.
Metrics are not the objective.
They are the language teams use to make better decisions, together.
As everything accelerates, clarity becomes a competitive advantage. And the right metrics are one of the most effective ways to build it.
