Startup Hours (Part Two): Are they vanity metrics?

Shanaz Chowdhery
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

I track my sleep to the point in which I can tell you exactly how many hours I sleep each night and how that varies from weeknights to weekends. I use apps that track activity on my work computer to gamify staying on task and increase my email response times. I log how many hours I spend in my office and at home to calculate commute times and quantify my work-life balance.

I use a variety of apps and tricks to document how I spend my time to satisfy my curiosity and increase my productivity. If you’re thinking about doing the same, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the problems associated with tracking metrics like these:

  • They can be inaccurate: You may forget to activate your sleep tracking app every time you fall asleep watching Netflix. You may opt to turn off the GPS on your phone to save some battery every time you go out with friends, leaving IFTTT unable to log your location. Imagine if you did both of those things several times throughout the course of a month. We make choices throughout our days which may throw off our data. Take your results with a grain of salt and remember that most of the data will be imperfect.
  • They can oversimplify productivity into a game of time management: Tracking metrics like this can lead one to think solely about the quantity of hours: I spent 8 hours sleeping, 10 hours working, 1 hour at the gym, and 2 hours reading. To get the most out of quantifying your time, you have to couple it with a qualitative analysis: How can I get better sleep? Am I doing what I love? How can my workout be more effective? It’s not just about the number of hours, but how they’re spent that matters.
  • They can turn you into a jerk: Now that you know, you may be inclined to brag about the number of hours you work or the amount of deep sleep you’re getting. This isn’t for bragging rights; it’s to give you insight into how you spend your hours and help you spend your time more effectively. At worst, these are vanity metrics. At best, these are powerful metrics that function as a tool to increase your efficiency. Don’t be a jerk; use your powers for good.

Remember: the utility of these metrics comes from knowing not only the number of hours, but how they’re spent.

I’ve been tracking my work, sleep, productivity, and more for the past few months. Check out this article to explore what I’ve learned.

Shanaz Chowdhery

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I have very strong opinions about esoteric productivity hacks. Follow me to optimize your efficiency.

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