How to Measure Anything by Douglas W. Hubbard Summary

How to Measure Anything challenges the myth that certain business challenges are “immeasurable,” offering a framework to quantify intangibles like customer satisfaction, organizational flexibility, and technology risk. Douglas W. Hubbard introduces Applied Information Economics (AIE), a 5-step method to reduce uncertainty through measurement, Bayesian analysis, and calibrated estimates. The book emphasizes that measurement is about incremental improvement, not perfection.

Business leaders, data analysts, project managers, and decision-makers facing high-stakes uncertainties will benefit most. It’s particularly valuable for professionals in risk management, IT, finance, or policy who need to justify investments, assess ROI, or quantify abstract concepts like employee morale.

Yes—its practical methods, real-world case studies, and emphasis on actionable insights make it a standout resource. Critics note its technical depth in later chapters but praise its accessibility for non-experts. The 3rd edition adds updated examples and expanded tools for modern challenges.

AIE is Hubbard’s 5-step framework:

• Define the decision/problem.
• Assess current knowledge.
• Calculate the value of additional information.
• Apply measurement tools (e.g., random sampling, controlled experiments).
• Make data-driven decisions.
  This approach treats measurement as “uncertainty reduction” rather than absolute precision.

• “Anything can be measured”: Rejects the notion of inherent immeasurability.
• “It’s better to be approximately right than precisely wrong”: Prioritizes actionable insights over false certainty.
• “If you understand it, you can model it”: Links conceptual clarity to measurability.

The book provides tools like calibrated probability assessments to quantify subjective uncertainty and value-of-information calculations to prioritize data collection. For example, Hubbard shows how to estimate the ROI of cybersecurity investments using incremental measurements.

Some readers find its later chapters mathematically dense, and critics argue it oversimplifies complex social phenomena. A review notes it’s less focused on goal-setting frameworks (e.g., SMART goals) and more on measurement theory.

Yes—readers use Hubbard’s techniques to quantify career risks, evaluate hobby investments, or assess health interventions. For instance, decomposing “job satisfaction” into measurable factors like commute time or feedback frequency aligns with AIE principles.

Updates include new case studies (e.g., cybersecurity, remote work), expanded Bayesian analysis techniques, and a companion website with spreadsheets. It also addresses modern objections to measurement in “soft” domains like employee wellbeing.

Consulting firms, government agencies (e.g., homeland security), venture capitalists, and tech companies apply AIE for risk assessment, portfolio optimization, and policy evaluation. Hubbard’s team has measured outcomes for the EPA and Department of Defense.

Unlike Competing on Analytics (focused on data infrastructure) or Naked Statistics (theory-centric), Hubbard’s book offers step-by-step measurement protocols for specific decisions. It complements Thinking, Fast and Slow by adding quantitative rigor to intuition.

Hubbard simplifies methods like random sampling (small-N studies for quick insights), monte carlo simulations for risk modeling, and interaction terms to measure combined variables. The workbook edition includes templates for direct application.