• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, July 31, 2009

Brett Crosby, group manager, Google, provided an analysis at OMMA Metrics & Measurements on how he uses metrics and data in his personal life. A surfer from San Diego, Calif., where he founded Urchin, Crosby wears a watch with a wave counter, which allows him to keep track and count each wave with a click of a button.

How many waves you get in a session becomes motivating, he says. But the real benefit comes from timing, knowing how many waves to expect and the frequency in which they occur.

While most surfers in the water think about getting into position for the next wave, Crosby has data points to prepare. If the sets come every four minutes, he can mathematically figure out there's about 20 seconds until the next wave. So, while everyone else is sitting around, Crosby can gain higher conversions by using data.