How We Ensure Credible Analytics on Dropbox Mobile Apps
Article Summary
Marianna Budnikova from Dropbox reveals why your mobile analytics are probably lying to you. And it's costing you two weeks every time you get it wrong.
Dropbox Mobile invested in fixing their analytics integrity problem after realizing last-minute, poorly-tested analytics were leading to faulty business decisions. The team developed a systematic approach combining intentional design, snapshot testing, and stakeholder collaboration to ensure their data actually tells the truth.
Key Takeaways
- Three pillars: Intentional (answers real questions), Credible (well-tested), Discoverable (easy to use)
- Snapshot testing catches analytics bugs by comparing JSON outputs in UI tests
- Found double-logged events and unusable localized error messages across 22 languages
- Biweekly releases mean analytics mistakes cost two weeks to fix
Critical Insight
By treating analytics as code with snapshot tests and engaging stakeholders early, Dropbox eliminated double-logging bugs and made their mobile data trustworthy enough to drive decisions.
