A dashboard cannot resolve a vague definition. Before choosing charts, describe the earliest repeatable moment when a trial account experiences the product's core value. The event must indicate progress—not merely activity.
Start with a small set of successful customers. Trace what they did before conversion, then compare that path with trials that lapsed. Look for behaviours that are both meaningfully connected to value and early enough for your team to influence.
Treat the first definition as a hypothesis. Check its relationship with retention and paid conversion, inspect it by company size and acquisition source, and document known limitations. A metric earns trust when everyone understands what it captures and what it misses.