You get what you measure. Frederick Taylor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Winslow_Taylor ) invented "Scientific Management" by measuring the behavior of manufacturing employees at Western Electric. He got amazing results. Only later was it observed that any goup of people improved their efficiency if they knew they were being watched. Another corollary: if you give salesmen higher commissions for product warranties, they will sell warranties at the expense of actual product. So if VC's ask for quantifiable "traction", they will get quantifiable "traction" at the expense of real innovation. Of course, it looks slightly wrong to the VC's, just as backing the "perfect team" gives only a 10% chance of a home run.

A disruptive venture is going to be disruptive because it cant be quantified, giving rise to "I cant define it but I know it when I see it." Or maybe not. Ask the VC's that passed on Google.