In my last post I mentioned how PostHog changed the way I make design decisions. This time I want to go deeper: how I set it up, what I'm tracking, and which metrics actually matter for a platform like GotNext.
Setting Up PostHog in Next.js
PostHog has a React SDK that works well with Next.js. The setup is straightforward:
- Install the
posthog-jspackage - Initialize it in your app layout with your project API key
- Start capturing events
Out of the box, PostHog captures pageviews and basic interactions. But the real value comes from custom events, tracking the specific actions that matter to your product.
What I'm Tracking
For a competitive gaming platform, the metrics that matter are different from a typical SaaS app. I'm tracking:
Core Actions:
tournament_registered- A player registers for a tournamenttournament_checkin- A player checks in for their tournamentladder_joined- A player joins a competitive laddermatch_completed- A match result is submitted
Engagement Signals:
leaderboard_viewed- Are people checking rankings?profile_viewed- Are players looking at other players' profiles?platform_linked- Did they connect their Xbox/PSN/Steam account?
Drop-off Points:
- Registration funnel completion
- Tournament registration to check-in rate
- Ladder join to first match completion rate
Funnels That Matter
The most useful PostHog feature for GotNext has been funnels. A funnel tracks a sequence of events and shows you where users drop off.
My most important funnel is: Visit > Register > Link Platform > Join Ladder > Complete First Match
Each step in that funnel tells me something. If people visit but don't register, the landing page isn't convincing. If they register but don't link a platform, the onboarding isn't clear. If they join a ladder but never complete a match, there might be a matchmaking or UX problem.
Right now, the biggest drop-off is between registration and platform linking. That tells me I need to make the platform linking step more prominent, maybe a post-registration prompt or a banner on the dashboard.
Session Recordings
Session recordings are PostHog's killer feature for a small team. Instead of guessing why a metric is low, you can watch what actually happened. I've found bugs this way: interactions that silently fail, buttons that don't look clickable, pages that load in a confusing state.
I spend about 30 minutes a week watching recordings of new users going through the site for the first time. It's the highest-ROI activity I do outside of writing code.
Feature Flags
PostHog also handles feature flags, which I use for rolling out new features gradually. When I'm ready to launch cash matches later this month, I plan to start with it enabled for a small group of users, watch for issues, then gradually roll it out to everyone.
For a platform that will handle money, this kind of cautious rollout isn't optional. It's essential.
The Bottom Line
You don't need a data team or a complex analytics stack. One tool, set up properly, with the right events tracked, gives you more product insight than any amount of guessing. If you're building a product and not tracking how people use it, start today.