Service Level Objectives (SLOs) often miss the point because they measure whether systems are working, not whether they deliver real value to users or the business. Even if every technical metric looks healthy, a service can still fail the customer, for example, if a rideshare app responds quickly but has no drivers nearby. Instead define business SLOs around actual user outcomes (e.g., “99.5% of rider requests have at least three cars within 2 km”), aligning reliability goals with product-level decisions that matter to users and the bottom line.
Service Level Objectives (SLOs) often miss the point because they measure whether systems are working, not whether they deliver real value to users or the business. Even if every technical metric looks healthy, a service can still fail the customer, for example, if a rideshare app responds quickly but has no drivers nearby. Instead define business SLOs around actual user outcomes (e.g., “99.5% of rider requests have at least three cars within 2 km”), aligning reliability goals with product-level decisions that matter to users and the bottom line.