I pay as little attention as possible.
I’m using OP3 prefixes on my shows to get more-standardized-ish numbers. I self-host my podcasts so the Wordpress plugin only gives raw-download levels of statistics—ie, not anywhere near industry standards.
I really just use the statistics to make sure things are working! 
Downloads, charts, follower counts—metrics are everywhere. How much do you pay attention, and how do you avoid letting them distort your goals?
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