Vanity Metrics vs. Real Profit: The Illusion of Revenue as a KPI

The more I think about revenue as a KPI, the more it resembles clicks and impressions on social.

I can ask a real estate friend to let me route a transaction in London or LA for a $14M property going through my account, paying back to the owner + the broker commission. I make $0 as a result (or negative if you account for wiring fees and taxes).

But hey, it’s an 8-figure business out of a single deal.

I see PPC firms and dropshippers boasting similar numbers, “selling $100M of product” by running $1M in ads and making $50K in profit before owners cut.

One of our partner communities listed down a dozen available leads right now, most looking as lucrative opportunities at $250K ARR contracts or higher.

That included ad spend + creative licenses and asset deals, and some even influencer cuts and affiliate commissions. A properly executed omnichannel contract like this would barely leave $1,500 – $2,000 management fee AT BEST, a running point for a dozen third-parties and multiple acquisition channels.

I can’t believe profit and EBITDA aren’t a default yet – or any other metric that shows actual cash on hand.