A KPI you do not act on is a vanity metric
The test for a real KPI is simple: if it moved, would we do something differently? Registered users looks great and changes nothing. 30 day activation tells me whether the product works. I cut metrics that only exist to look good in a deck.
Leading before lagging
Revenue is a lagging indicator. By the time it moves, the decision was made months ago. I pair every lagging KPI with a leading one I can influence this week, so the team has a steering wheel, not just a rear view mirror.
One number per team
Each team should be able to name the single metric they are moving this quarter. When everything is measured, nothing is prioritised. I would rather a team obsess over one honest number than report twenty they cannot influence.
Instrument it, then trust it
A KPI is only as good as the tracking behind it. I make sure the event, the definition and the dashboard are agreed before launch, so we are not arguing about whether the number is real during the incident review.
Real example
For SmartNews Ads I helped define the reporting metrics advertisers and internal teams actually steered on, moving conversations from raw impressions to activation and revenue quality metrics. Fewer numbers, but ones people acted on.