Any phase · Craft
Choose a north star metric
A north star metric captures the core value users get from the product. Paired with a few input metrics the team can influence, it keeps everyone pulling in the same direction.
About 1-3 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
- Intermediate (1 to 4 years)Experienced (5+ years)
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Ask what value users get when the product works.
- Find a number that reflects that value.
- List what drives it.
- Agree it with the team.
- Track it every week.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Identify the moment users get real value and a metric that counts it.
- Break it into three to five input metrics teams can move.
- Check it reflects long-term value, not short-term spikes.
- Align team goals to the inputs.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Run a workshop with leaders to agree the metric and inputs.
- Check it cannot be gamed at the expense of users.
- Use it to make prioritisation trade-offs across teams.
- Know when to change it as the product matures.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Data Analyst or Data Scientist / ML Engineer: Test candidate metrics against historical data
Reviewed by: Data Analyst, Tech Lead
Tool examples
- Amplitude
- Use the North Star template to map the metric and inputs.
- Looker
- Define the metric once so every report uses it the same way.
- Miro
- Draw the metric tree with inputs below the north star.
Definition of done
- North star metric agreed
- Input metrics defined
- Tracked and reviewed regularly
Common pitfalls
- Choosing revenue, which measures value captured, not delivered
- Too many north stars
- Inputs the team cannot influence