North Star Metric
Also known as: NSMOne Metric That MattersOMTMKey MetricFocus Metric
💡The Concept
Your North Star Metric is the single number that best captures the core value your product delivers to customers. Airbnb's is 'Nights Booked.' Spotify's is 'Time Spent Listening.' When this metric goes up, everything else follows — revenue, retention, referrals. It aligns the entire company around one measurable goal.
⚠️The Trap
The biggest mistake is choosing a vanity metric as your North Star. 'Total Users' sounds impressive but ignores whether those users are active or getting value. Zynga had hundreds of millions of registered users but collapsed because their North Star should have been 'Daily Active Players,' not sign-ups.
🎯The Action
Pick a metric that reflects VALUE DELIVERY, not revenue directly. Test it with this framework: (1) Does it measure the value users get? (2) Does it predict long-term revenue? (3) Can every team influence it? If yes to all three, you have your North Star. Rally the entire team around this single metric.
⚡Pro Tips
Your NSM should be a leading indicator, not a lagging one. Revenue is lagging — by the time revenue drops, you've already lost users.
Every team in the company should be able to connect their work to the North Star within 2 steps of causation.
🚫Common Myths
✗Myth: “Revenue is the best North Star Metric”
✓Reality: Revenue is a result, not a driver. Focus on what CAUSES revenue — value delivery, engagement, retention. Revenue follows.
✗Myth: “You need one metric forever”
✓Reality: Your NSM should evolve as your product matures. Pre-PMF, it might be activation rate. Post-PMF, it becomes engagement depth.
📈Industry Benchmarks
Weekly Active User Ratio (WAU/MAU)
B2B SaaS Product EngagementElite
> 60%
Good
40-60%
Average
25-40%
Needs Work
15-25%
Critical
< 15%
Source: Mixpanel Product Benchmarks Report, 2023
Knowledge Check
A social media scheduling tool is choosing its North Star Metric. Which is the best choice?
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