When is the right moment to start collecting data?

Question

So we build a product, we deployed it, but what is the moment we should start collecting data about our user activate, about our attribution and monetization?
This question is haunting me for a long time and I try to answer it in the new book I am working on, but I will love to hear the community's opinion about it.
When did you feel is the right time for you to start thinking about building data infrastructure, when was the moment you realized you need more data to make decisions

The more info you add will be helpful, will be happy to mention your answers in the book if you allow it

After the first major bug
After we started user acquisition
After we reached 1,000,000 MAUs
Who needs data?

Thanks for the help and support

Richard Shepherd · Accepted Answer

Now surely. You don't have to analyse it right now but surely collecting it from the start is needed to give you a benchmark?

Lior Barak · Answer

@richardesigns Out of interest what will you say is must for tracking?

Lior Barak · Answer

In my book, I explorer that most companies starting to collect data after they start doing user acquisition, but the reallity is a bit different and most companies start to collect some kind of CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) just to know how much they paid on each new user, and only when they arrive to the 1M MAUs (Monthly Active Users) they start thinking about data as a tool to keep growing.
But I still urge to start collecting data from day one, as it's a lighthouse to the growth of the company and more decisions can be explained by data.

I don't know what your opinion about it but I will be more than happy to hear it

When is the right moment to start collecting data?

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