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The metrics we track every year

Published 21 days ago • 1 min read

As the year winds down, a lot of agency founders start thinking about dashboards.

New tools. New KPIs. New goals.

The instinct is understandable, but it’s also where many agencies go wrong.

In one of our most listened to The AgencyHabits Podcast episodes, we talk about how to head into the New Year with clarity, not complexity: what to track, what to ignore, and how the right metrics actually improve decision-making.

Here’s what we cover:

  • Why fewer metrics lead to better leadership
  • How recurring vs. project revenue changes stability
  • What gross margin really reveals about operations and pricing
  • Why utilization needs context, not blanket targets
  • How pipeline and forecasted utilization warn you before problems show up
  • Why booked revenue can create false confidence if timing is ignored

That felt especially relevant heading into a new year.

Because the goal isn’t to feel busy reviewing dashboards. The goal is to spot risk earlier, make calmer decisions, and avoid reactive moves when things change.

And if you liked it, drop us a review or a comment, we read and appreciate every single one of them!

Who are we?

Hi, we're Peter and Sei-Wook, co-founders of Barrel Holdings, a portfolio of agency businesses. We also run AgencyHabits, a resource for agency operators featuring lessons learned from our various agency businesses.

Thanks for being a subscriber. If you or anyone you know is interested in selling their agency business, please check out what types of agencies we're looking for and email hi@barrel-holdings.com.

Also: Peter posts a lot of agency content on LinkedIn, give him a follow!

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AgencyHabits

Go behind the scenes of real agency businesses.

AgencyHabits provides learnings, ideas, and templates for agency operators drawn from Barrel Holdings companies. Barrel Holdings incubates, acquires, and grows agency businesses.

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