If you’re given a dataset with declining user engagement, which metrics would you review?

• A. Review retention, DAU/MAU, funnel metrics, cohorts.
• B. Review only revenue and churn.
• C. Count feature requests.
• D. Assess marketing impressions.

Answer: (A)

When user engagement is fading, you need metrics that show how often people come back and how they actually use the product over time. Retention is the starting point because it tells you whether users return after their first experience—if retention drops, engagement is likely shrinking across the board. DAU/MAU adds a sense of stickiness by showing what fraction of your audience is engaging in a given period, which helps you see whether overall engagement is shrinking or just fluctuating. Funnel metrics illuminate where the engagement path breaks down, pointing to specific steps—onboarding, activation, or the core actions—where users lose interest or stall. Cohorts let you compare behavior across groups over time, so you can detect whether changes, releases, or campaigns affected engagement differently for different user segments.

Relying solely on revenue and churn misses important detail about how people actually use the product. Churn is related to engagement but doesn’t reveal where or how engagement is weakening. Revenue, meanwhile, doesn’t measure usage depth or frequency. Counting feature requests shows interest but not whether users are actively engaging, and marketing impressions gauge exposure, not ongoing engagement with the product. The combination of retention, DAU/MAU, funnel metrics, and cohorts gives a fuller, actionable picture of engagement dynamics and where to intervene.