“You can’t measure that” is just business-speak for “we’re guessing and hoping nobody notices.”
Doug Hubbard notices. And then he brings math. The kind that turns million-dollar guesswork into real decisions, and lets software teams prove they delivered value, not just code.
And security? Also measurable. Start with defining what security means for your product (most teams miss this step!). Then get resourceful on where you get the data you need to reduce uncertainty.
Measurement is about reducing uncertainty. One tiny drop in uncertainty can change a million-dollar decision.
Developers love measuring speed… but speed by itself is often the least important thing. Ask questions like:
Did it create value?
Did it cost us more in fixes than it saved in speed?
Should we repeat, adjust, or stop investing in this feature?
If someone says “that’s impossible to measure,” spoiler: it’s 100% measurable. Doug says, “you already have more data than you think, and you need way less data than you assume.”
Spend more time planning for how you will leverage AI. Doug advises, “Spend more time thinking about where AI is going and options for ways you can use it.” In fact, one of the best ways you can use AI is to brainstorm and model thousands of alternative solutions.
Security isn’t a vibe. It’s measurable. Breach databases, vulnerability scores, and near-miss data are just a few examples of hard evidence hiding in plain sight. Doug recommends starting out with Cyentia Institute’s Information Risk Insights Study (IRIS) and Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations report.
Simple math beats expert intuition again and again. Basic statistical models often outperform seasoned pros when choosing what to build or what to fix.
The first step for any developer: ask “What decision will this metric change?” If the metric doesn’t change a decision, it’s just noise.
About Doug Hubbard
Doug Hubbard grew up in a small rural town, became a Captain in the Army National Guard, and went on to build a career solving one of the hardest problems in business: measuring the things everyone else says can’t be measured. He’s the inventor of Applied Information Economics, founder of Hubbard Decision Research, and the guy companies call when they need to reduce uncertainty in the most uncertain environments. Doug literally makes the immeasurable… measurable.
Doug is the author of:
How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business
The Failure of Risk Management: Why It’s Broken and How to Fix It
Pulse: The New Science of Harnessing Internet Buzz to Track Threats and Opportunities
