Any phase · Craft
Build a metric tree
A metric tree breaks your top metric into the drivers and inputs that move it. It shows which levers your team can pull and how your work links to the goal.
About 1-2 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Data and measurementStrategy and vision
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Start with your top metric, such as your north star.
- Break it into two to four drivers that add up to it.
- Break each driver into inputs a team can change.
- Mark which inputs your team owns.
- Use the tree to explain why your work matters.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Check the maths: drivers should add up to the top metric.
- Agree one definition for each metric with data teams.
- Use the tree to find where a drop started.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Build a shared tree across teams to link work to company goals.
- Use it to spot under-invested drivers in planning.
- Keep it up to date as the business changes.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Data Analyst or Performance Analyst: Check the maths and definitions
Reviewed by: Data Analyst
Tool examples
- Miro
- Draw the tree on a board.
- Mixpanel
- Build the tree from live metrics.
- Amplitude
- Link each input to a chart.
Definition of done
- Tree drawn to input level
- Owners marked
- Definitions agreed
Common pitfalls
- Categories that don't add up
- Different definitions in different dashboards
- Drawing it once and never using it