Metric Substitution
Replacing a hard question with an easy one that can be measured — 'is this a good hire?' becomes 'did they go to a good school?' — and then optimising the proxy until it stops meaning anything.
An everyday example
Choosing a vendor by number of integrations because 'will it work for us' is hard to assess.
What it can cost you
Answering the wrong question with great precision; Goodhart's law on the proxy.
Warning signs
- I am comparing what is easy to count.
- The metric has become the goal.
One thing to do
Write the real question and the proxy side by side; decide on the real question and use the proxy only as one input.
Is this happening to you right now?
Describe your situation and get a read across all six brains. No account needed.
Check my situationRelated
Not medical, legal or financial advice. How Decision IQ works
One decision idea a week
One useful idea. No daily drip, no pressure.