When Usage Is Not Value

Usage is one of the easiest signals to count. That convenience has encouraged businesses to treat consumption as a proxy for value.

The proxy breaks

A customer can use more because a workflow is inefficient. They can generate more events because a system requires unnecessary repetition. They can consume more while receiving less.

When that happens, the meter records growth while the relationship experiences decline.

Value requires context

Usage becomes meaningful only when it is interpreted alongside outcomes, expectations, constraints and the customer’s changing circumstances.

Counting is necessary. Understanding is different.