Glossary · the-fork
GLOSSARY
The fork
A point where one metric name covers several defensible definitions in live use: four denominators for sell-through, three revenues from a single storefront admin, lift as a multiple or as a percentage. Every branch of a fork reconciles perfectly against its own source, which is why arithmetic never catches the wrong one.
Principle 10 · A metric without its definition is not a number
Where does The fork come from?
Principle 10 of the Kymira doctrine, A metric without its definition is not a number. The fork is the name the doctrine gives to what that principle requires in practice.
What failure is The fork named after?
Sell-through's four denominators. Units received, beginning on-hand, sold plus ending, average inventory: four numbers, one name, and a marketplace variant that exceeds 100%.
What does it look like on a real file?
Sell-through can be taken over units received, beginning on hand, sold plus ending, or average inventory, and all four tie.
Not for
Not a data quality problem. Every branch of a fork is internally consistent, so no gate above meaning can catch the wrong one.
Nearest terms
Last updated 2026-09-02 · Dylan, founder · one of 40 terms in the Kymira glossary, each one named after something we watched go wrong in a real build or in our own audits.