Why it matters
You can't grow what you can't see. Growth teams live in their numbers, and the quality of every later decision depends on tracking the right events and reading them correctly.
This station covers how to plan tracking, which tools to use, how to read cohorts and funnels, what attribution can and can't tell you, and enough SQL and statistics to answer your own questions.
After this station you can
- Write a tracking plan for a sign-up flow
- Build and read a retention cohort table
- Explain the limits of last-click attribution
- Write a basic SQL query to answer a growth question
Every resource below is free to read or watch online. Links open in a new tab.
3.1 Tracking plans & events
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| How To Create a Tracking Plan: The Definitive Guide — AmplitudeExplains what a tracking plan is and how to choose, name and document the events you track. | Guide | Beginner | 15 min |
| Create a Tracking Plan — Mixpanel DocsTurns business goals into a concrete list of events and properties, with a template to copy. | Docs | Beginner | 15 min |
| How to Create a Tracking Plan — Segment AcademyCovers naming conventions and governance so event data stays clean as the product grows. | Guide | Intermediate | 15 min |
3.2 Analytics tools
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 courses (Analytics Academy on Skillshop) — Google Skillshop [free with email]Google's official GA4 training, from setup and reports to the certification exam. | Course | Beginner | 4 h |
| Google Analytics demo account — Google Analytics HelpLive GA4 data from Google's Merchandise Store, so you can practise reports and explorations hands-on. | Tool | Beginner | 1 h |
3.3 Cohorts & funnels
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explore playbook — Google Analytics HelpHow to use GA4 explorations, including funnel and cohort analyses, to answer specific questions. | Docs | Intermediate | 30 min |
| Consumer Startup Metrics — Y Combinator Startup LibraryWhich consumer metrics matter, and how to read retention cohorts and growth rates correctly. | Video | Intermediate | 30 min |
| The red flags and magic numbers that investors look for in your startup's metrics — Andrew ChenBenchmarks and warning signs for retention curves, cohorts and engagement, as investors read them. | Slides | Intermediate | 30 min |
3.4 Attribution
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get started with attribution — Google Analytics HelpExplains how GA4 assigns credit for conversions across channels and where to find attribution reports. | Docs | Beginner | 15 min |
| Select attribution settings — Google Analytics HelpCovers attribution models and lookback windows in GA4 and how each choice changes reported results. | Docs | Intermediate | 15 min |
3.5 Dashboards & reporting
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Marketing and Measurement Model — Avinash Kaushik (Occam's Razor)A framework for going from business objectives to KPIs, targets and segments before building any report. | Article | Intermediate | 25 min |
3.6 SQL & statistics for marketers
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQLBolt: Learn SQL with interactive lessons — SQLBoltShort in-browser exercises that teach SELECT, filtering, joins and aggregates step by step. | Course | Beginner | 3 h |
| SQL Tutorial — ModeSQL for analysis from basics to joins and window functions, using realistic business datasets. | Course | Beginner | 6 h |
| Statistics and probability — Khan AcademyFree video lessons on distributions, sampling, confidence intervals and significance tests. | Course | Beginner | 10 h |
Exercise.txt — Write a tracking plan
- Pick one flow: sign-up, checkout, or onboarding.
- List each step a user takes and name an event for it.
- Add the properties each event needs (plan, source, device…).
- Write the three questions this data should answer, and check each one can be answered.
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Terms in this station
EventPropertyCohortFunnelAttributionLast-click
On the bookshelf
Paid books that go deeper on this station: Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz, Storytelling with Data by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic. See the full bookshelf.