Lately I’ve been thinking about how tech teams and product orgs can go beyond building features and actually consider the broader impact their work has on people and the planet. Many of us talk about things like accessibility, inclusivity or sustainability in abstract terms, but when it comes to measuring and tracking impact in a meaningful way, it often feels vague or inconsistent.
For example, if you’re launching a platform that’s intended to support a community, how do you quantify whether it’s genuinely improving lives rather than just driving engagement? Or if you’re optimizing for performance and efficiency, how do you balance that with energy use, carbon footprint or equitable access?
I’m curious what approaches other developers, product managers, or tech leads use to think about the real‑world effects of their work. Do you have frameworks, metrics, or even simple heuristics you rely on? What’s challenging about trying to build software that aims for impact but also has clear, measurable outcomes?
Looking forward to hearing different perspectives on this.
Top comments (2)
I’ve found that the easiest way to make impact measurable is to tie it to a small set of clear outcomes rather than broad ideals. Things like accessibility usage metrics, sustainability baselines, or community-focused KPIs can give you something concrete to track. It’s never perfect, but even lightweight frameworks help keep teams honest about whether they’re actually improving something or just assuming they are. Curious to hear what others are using in their workflows.
One approach I’ve been experimenting with is focusing on a few tangible indicators rather than trying to capture everything at once. For example, tracking accessibility adoption, user satisfaction in underserved communities, or energy consumption tied to product features. It keeps measurement manageable while still giving meaningful insights into social and environmental impact.