Aglet

Prioritize a Cohort Retention Definition

A retention definition can alter a curve without changing activity rows. Prioritize it by the decision using cohort comparisons, the number of surfaces sharing the measure, and the clarity of entry and return rules. Keep denominator, period alignment, and chart interpretation as distinct decisions when each needs separate evidence.

Decide where the work belongs

  1. Show the decision risk

    Use a small cohort with late returns, missing activity, and re-entry to demonstrate which conclusion changes under competing definitions. Name the report question and audience. Record actual members and cells rather than forecasting a retention rate or treating every disagreement as a defect.

  2. Compare definition paths

    Evaluate first-return retention, active-in-window retention, cumulative retention, and a paired display with explicit labels. For each path, list denominator, period basis, historical continuity, exports, fixtures, and owner approval. Preserve a clarification queue when the product question is not settled.

  3. Choose the next action

    Queue one bounded step: document cohort membership, revise return logic, split measures, or improve labels. Attach member-level fixtures and a revisit trigger. Keep unrelated chart scale, filters, and missing-value presentation separate unless they are proven first divergences.

What to carry forward

Prioritization is complete when one retention action has an owner, decision consequence, evidence threshold, and revisit trigger. Escalate a shared measure change only after entry and return semantics are approved; otherwise prioritize definition work before adjusting the curve.

Technical background: Metabase documentation.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

Create an account See the product workflow