There have been numerous books and blogs written on how to think about who your active users are. Generally, the right answer is “it’s different for everyone and depends on the business”…which is really no answer at all.

Recently, we've been refining our definition of what it means to be an active participant in our marketplace. There are (1) the individuals who transact regularly, (2) the individuals who state that they are open to transacting but aren't receiving enough demand to prove it, (3) the individuals who are behaving as if they are active (accepting jobs) but have informed us that they don't actually participate, and (4) any number of combinations of the above.

I’ve found it helpful to pose the question; “If we meet 100% obtainment of this metric, is it possible the department/intiative fails? If so, we re-think.

While at times a toiling exercise, the hunt for the appropriate metric can be sometimes as important as the performance against it. Where many back off and decide to use a standard ruler, I encourage the endless hunt for the right (perhaps complicated and clunky) metric. What can’t be measured, can’t be improved and a 1 degree delta (in direction) that seems negligible in the short run can have serious impact down the road.