KPI ye, lest ye be KPI’d

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KPI ye, lest ye be KPI’d (July 13, 2026)

BY ROB BEELER

Crunch, crunch, crunch. If you were a number cruncher before, with AI you’re now breaking down numbers to subatomic levels. If anything, you’re craving more data to smash together to see what you can learn. More, more, more. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Here’s the thing: if your boss or your boss’s boss is a number cruncher, will your true value to the company show up when the analysis is done? My take: It’s not unless you’re a source of unique data and help create a new kind of KPI.

I contend that every one of you has a unique perspective on your company. You may feel like a cog, but things flow in and out of your inbox which are different than those for everyone else. That alone gives you the opportunity to answer a question no one else even knows to ask. Look at everything you have access to, then look at it again, differently. Question the questions. Explore. Somewhere in all of that is a POV that will provide valuable insights to those who are trying to figure out where the company is trying to go. In the process, you will become a unique data provider.

Alas, that alone will not save your job or accelerate your career. The fact is that anyone who runs a company right now is trying to figure out if they are ready for the future or not. A lot of companies have made, or are coming to, the conclusion that AI = less headcount. But if you automate everything, what, as an organization, is your unique selling proposition? Anything you can automate, I might be able to automate better. No, you can’t. Yes, I can…

What organizations need help with is the measurement of human intangibles. The unique selling proposition at the end of the day is the people who are the company. So start thinking of how you express that value. Why should you be in the room when decisions are made? What is unique about you that makes the company you work for more unique? More importantly, does the company recognize that about you?

Your homework: tell me what you’re going to do to provide some unique perspectives to your company and how you’re going to help demonstrate your unique value. I’d love to hear and will share (anonymously if you prefer) with others. Inspiration is what will set you apart, so help inspire others.

Here’s what you need to know this week… 

  • Claire Johnson, CEO of San Diego Magazine and Here We Are Studios, is joining Base.Camp La Jolla as a keynote speaker! Drawing on her experience in product at NBC and her work building a more diversified local media business, Claire will share what she’s learned about creating new products, revenue streams, and opportunities as the publishing model continues to change.

Want to get caught up on everything we’ve published? Start here.

Here’s the latest…  

  • Beyond the spike: turning fan moments into first-party gold with Minute Media’s Rebecca Hyde
    In an industry still heavily dependent on pageviews and programmatic CPMs, that churn is baked into the model. Publishers chase the spike, monetize the impression, and start again. But as third-party cookies continue their long goodbye and advertisers push harder for addressable, consent-based audiences, that cycle is becoming harder to justify.

  • Navigator London 2026: what we learned (besides that Rory Latham hates auctions)
    This June, we convened for our third annual Navigator London event, and bringing the community together felt as important as ever. The agenda was built with publishers firmly in mind, with some inspiring keynotes. But true to form, some of the sharpest insights came to light away from the stage, in the many breakout sessions, over lunch, and likely in the local pub afterwards.

A full list of our 2026 events we’re involved in, all in one nice little package:

Chicago AdTech Happy Hour

📅 July 21st, 5:00pm CT – tomorrow!

📍  Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, Chicago

The next Chicago AdTech happy hour (unsponsored) will be July 21, 5:00 pm. Go forth and community!

Join the Community!

Thousands of professionals, of all ages, worldwide turn to Beeler.Tech as their meeting place for all things publisher revenue operations. Join the Beeler.Tech Community here! Your teams and colleagues are welcome, too. 

Join the Women’s Space

Our Women’s Space continues to grow, and we’re developing a Code of Conduct for all Beeler.Tech events: something every attendee will agree to, and something we hope the wider industry adopts. The goal is simple: raise the bar on respect and professionalism for everyone. We have a Slack channel and a WhatsApp group. The WhatsApp chat is more active, but you’re welcome in either (or both) if you want to be part of the conversation.

Please reach out to Melissa if you would like to join one or both.

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