Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast
Host: Scott Becker
Episode: The Defense of Metrics (10-16-25)
Date: October 16, 2025
Episode Overview
In this concise solo episode, Scott Becker addresses the vital importance of hard metrics in business, particularly in private equity and sales, amidst a contemporary focus on “busyness” and soft skills. Becker advocates for anchoring business evaluation—of companies, leaders, and teams—in tangible results, not just effort or activity.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Pitfall of “Busyness” Over Results
- Scott opens by critiquing today's tendency to value constant activity over outcomes.
- He observes that society often rewards people for being busy or undertaking various tasks, but stresses that this is not the ultimate measure of business success.
“In some ways, we’ve come into a world where people are judged on busyness and doing so many different things. ...But in really evaluating a company...you still have to come back to...are they generating sales? Are those sales closing?”
— Scott Becker (00:20)
The Role of Metrics in Leadership & Team Building
- Becker reaffirms the significance of team-building and soft skills, but as a means to an end—not the end itself.
- Leadership isn’t about camaraderie alone; it’s about achieving collective goals that are measurable, like sales growth or customer satisfaction.
“There’s nothing more important in business than a whiting and building a team. But it’s not aligning and building a team for the sake of having a fraternity or sorority. It’s...for the sake of getting something done.”
— Scott Becker (00:43)
- He clarifies that these goals must be tied to direct outcomes, asking rhetorically if actions are generating income or delivering value.
Relevance of Metrics Across Business Functions
- Becker underscores that all business functions—whether in sales, operations, or leadership—should ultimately be evaluated based on whether they drive concrete results.
- He suggests that, while "busy" activities can be positive, their value must be assessed according to their tangible return for the organization.
The Baseball Analogy: Are You “Scoring Runs”?
- Scott references a tweet by Trey Hannam, comparing business performance to baseball: Are you simply practicing, or are you really scoring?
- The analogy is used to emphasize the importance of measuring outcomes, not just effort.
"There’s a great tweet on Twitter ... day hitters and hitting coaches. ... Is what you’re doing actually leading to scoring runs? ... It’s really very similar in business. Is what you’re doing driving sales and executing results for customers or not?"
— Scott Becker (01:22)
Closing Thoughts
- Scott wraps up by reiterating that being busy is not synonymous with being productive.
- The ultimate defense of metrics: only actual results—sales closed, customer value delivered—justify the activity.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the primacy of execution:
“It’s ultimately measuring are we doing it? Are we not doing it? Is it generating income or is it not generating income?”
— Scott Becker (00:57) -
On the illusion of progress:
“If it’s not, you’re not really achieving anything, even though you’re doing a lot of busy and a lot of motions and a lot of other things.”
— Scott Becker (01:38)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:00-00:40 – Introduction; critique of busyness culture in business
- 00:41-01:05 – Role of team-building and why it must serve measurable purposes
- 01:06-01:20 – The focus on income and real outcomes as evaluations standards
- 01:21-01:38 – Baseball analogy via Trey Hannam; applying metrics logic to business
- 01:39-End – Final remarks and summary
Episode Takeaways
- Essential business evaluation must rely on clear metrics—such as sales and execution—not just effort or activity.
- Team-building and soft skills are important in service of tangible, measurable outcomes.
- Using sports analogies (scoring runs), Becker makes a compelling case for prioritizing metrics.
- The defense of metrics is more than a business philosophy; it is a framework for assessing real value.
For those seeking a sharp, results-oriented perspective on business performance, this episode delivers a punchy reminder: don’t confuse busyness with accomplishment—metrics matter.