North Star Metric In A Nutshell

A north star metric is any metric a company focuses on to achieve long-term growth. To be sustainable, this metric must be related to delivering customer value.
A north star metric has two vital components. It must include a product vision statement and a metric serving as a key measure of the current product strategy.
A north star metric should reflect the engagement level of the user and be clearly understood on the organizational level. It should also evolve as the company evolves to ensure that the business remains competitive.

Aspect	Explanation
Definition	The North Star Metric is a single key performance indicator (KPI) that represents the core value delivered by a product or service to its customers. It serves as a guiding metric for businesses and helps them align their efforts and strategies towards a common goal. The concept was popularized by Sean Ellis, a startup advisor, and entrepreneur. The North Star Metric should reflect the ultimate success and value creation for the users or customers. For different businesses, this metric can vary but should always be centered around delivering value and driving user engagement.
Key Concepts	– Focus on Core Value: The North Star Metric is focused on the core value proposition of the product or service, emphasizing what truly matters to customers. – Singular Metric: It’s a single, easily understandable metric that simplifies decision-making and goal-setting. – Customer-Centric: The metric revolves around delivering value and a positive experience to customers, making it customer-centric.
Characteristics	– Alignment: It aligns all team members and departments within a company toward a common goal. – Long-Term Success: The North Star Metric is oriented towards long-term success, not just short-term gains. – Measurability: It should be measurable and quantifiable, allowing for tracking and analysis. – Customer Value: The metric emphasizes delivering value to customers, fostering customer satisfaction and retention.
Implications	– Strategic Focus: The North Star Metric helps businesses focus on what truly matters in terms of delivering value and achieving long-term success. – User Engagement: It encourages strategies that increase user engagement and satisfaction, leading to higher customer retention. – Data-Driven Decisions: The metric promotes data-driven decision-making, as it requires measurement and analysis. – Alignment: It aligns the entire organization, ensuring that everyone works towards the same goal.
Advantages	– Clarity: The North Star Metric provides clarity by highlighting the most important goal. – Alignment: It aligns the organization’s efforts and resources, reducing fragmentation. – Customer-Centric: The focus on customer value often leads to improved user satisfaction and loyalty. – Measurable: It is quantifiable, allowing for tracking and progress assessment.
Drawbacks	– Selection Challenge: Choosing the right North Star Metric can be challenging and may require testing different options. – Complex Businesses: For complex businesses with multiple products or services, finding a single metric can be difficult. – Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Overemphasizing short-term gains at the expense of long-term value creation can be a drawback if not managed properly.
Applications	– Tech Startups: Many tech startups use the North Star Metric to measure and improve user engagement and retention. – E-commerce: Online retailers often focus on metrics related to repeat purchases and customer lifetime value. – Streaming Services: Streaming platforms may center their strategies around user engagement metrics, such as time spent on the platform. – Subscription Services: Subscription-based businesses can focus on metrics related to subscriber growth and churn rates.
Use Cases	– Social Media Platform: A social media platform identifies “daily active users” as its North Star Metric, striving to increase user engagement and time spent on the platform. – E-commerce Store: An e-commerce store adopts “average order value” as its North Star Metric, working to increase the average amount customers spend on each purchase. – Subscription Service: A subscription-based service selects “monthly subscriber growth” as its North Star Metric, aiming to increase its subscriber base. – SaaS Company: A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company chooses “user adoption rate” as its North Star Metric, focusing on getting more users to actively use its software.
Conclusion	The North Star Metric is a strategic tool that guides businesses towards delivering value to customers and achieving long-term success. By focusing on a single, customer-centric metric, organizations can align their efforts, drive user engagement, and make data-driven decisions that lead to growth and customer satisfaction.

Case Study	North Star Metric	Description
Facebook	Daily Active Users (DAU)	Facebook’s North Star Metric is the number of users who log in and engage with the platform daily. It measures the platform’s stickiness and user engagement.
LinkedIn	Profile Completions	LinkedIn’s North Star Metric focuses on the number of users who complete their profiles. A fully filled profile drives user engagement and networking on the platform.
Uber	Completed Rides	Uber’s North Star Metric is the total number of completed rides. It signifies the success of the platform in providing transportation services to users.
Twitter	Tweets Sent	Twitter measures the number of tweets sent as its North Star Metric. Active tweeting indicates user engagement and contributes to the platform’s growth.
Airbnb	Nights Booked	Airbnb’s North Star Metric is the total number of nights booked through the platform. It reflects the success of Airbnb in connecting hosts and travelers.
Spotify	Monthly Active Users (MAU)	Spotify tracks the number of monthly active users who stream music on the platform. MAU signifies ongoing user engagement with the service.
Slack	Daily Active Users (DAU)	Slack’s North Star Metric is the number of daily active users who actively use the platform for communication and collaboration.
Netflix	Monthly Subscribers	Netflix measures the number of monthly paid subscribers. The growth in subscribers is crucial to the success of the streaming service.
Amazon Prime	Prime Membership Renewals	Amazon Prime focuses on renewals of Prime memberships as its North Star Metric. It indicates the retention and satisfaction of Prime customers.
Tinder	Matches Made	Tinder tracks the number of matches made between users. It reflects the success of the app in connecting potential romantic partners.
Instagram	Daily Stories Uploads	Instagram’s North Star Metric is the number of daily stories uploaded by users. This metric emphasizes user-generated content and daily engagement.
Duolingo	Daily Active Learners	Duolingo’s North Star Metric is the number of daily active language learners. It highlights the platform’s effectiveness in teaching languages to users.
Pinterest	Pins Saved	Pinterest tracks the number of pins saved by users. This metric reflects user engagement and the value users find in the platform’s content.
DoorDash	Completed Deliveries	DoorDash’s North Star Metric is the total number of completed food deliveries. It indicates the success of the platform in connecting diners and restaurants.
Snapchat	Snaps Shared	Snapchat measures the number of snaps shared by users. Active snap sharing signifies user engagement with the multimedia messaging app.

A north star metric (NSM) is any metric a company focuses on to achieve growth. A north star metric is usually a key component of an effective growth hacking strategy, as it simplifies the whole strategy, making it simpler to execute at high speed. Usually, when picking up a North Start Metric, it’s critical to avoid vanity metrics (those who do not really impact the business) and instead find a metric that really matters for the business growth.

Understanding a north star metric

A north star metric is the one measurement most predictive of the long-term success of a company.

To be deemed a north star metric, the measurement must:

Lead to revenue generation.
Reflect customer value.
Measure progress.

Since long-term success is intrinsically related to customer satisfaction, an effective north star metric is any metric that delivers value. In theory, a business that focuses on its north star metric should be successful as a natural by-product.

How to determine a north star metric

As noted in the introduction, a north star metric must satisfy three criteria.

Many companies will be tempted to make revenue their north star, but a metric that makes money while ignoring customer needs is unsustainable.

To phrase the NSM itself, a business must incorporate two components:

A statement of its product vision, and
A metric that serves as a key measure of the product strategy.

With that in mind, here are some further general tips on determining this important metric:

The business must understand the value customers receive from its products and how that value is derived. The final metric should relate to the customer experiencing the core value of the product.
The metric should reflect the engagement and activity level of the user.
It should be a single factor that clarifies whether a business is pointed in the right direction.
It should also be simple to understand and clearly communicated across the organization. However, in some cases it might be difficult for a single department to understand how their work influences the NSM. To solve this issue, the department can identify its own metric which supports the broader NSM.
Businesses should not agonize over discovering the perfect metric. The process may require several failed attempts before the most suitable metric is discovered.
The north star metric is not set in concrete – it should change and evolve as the company changes and evolves. Monthly active users was the NSM of Facebook in the early days. But years later, Facebook realized that daily active users was an NSM that would allow them to remain competitive.

Examples of north star metrics in business

To better understand north star metrics, consider these real-world examples:

Airbnb:
- Number of Nights Booked: Airbnb’s primary focus is on connecting travelers with unique lodging experiences. By tracking the number of nights booked, Airbnb assesses its success in providing accommodations that meet travelers’ needs and preferences.
Facebook:
- Daily Active Users: Facebook’s core mission is to connect people worldwide. Daily Active Users (DAUs) reflect the platform’s ability to keep users engaged and returning to the platform regularly for social interactions, content sharing, and engagement.
WhatsApp:
- Number of Messages a User Sends: WhatsApp, a messaging app, measures user engagement through the number of messages sent by each user. This metric indicates the level of communication and interaction among users on the platform.
Quora:
- Number of Questions a User Answers: Quora aims to provide a platform for knowledge-sharing and learning. The number of questions a user answers reflects their contribution to the community’s knowledge base and indicates user engagement.
Spotify:
- Time Spent Listening: Spotify’s primary goal is to provide an enjoyable music streaming experience. Time spent listening indicates user satisfaction and engagement with the platform’s vast music library.
Uber:
- Rides per Week: Uber’s success relies on its ability to connect riders with drivers efficiently. Rides per week reflect the frequency of Uber usage by riders, which is a crucial factor in the company’s growth and revenue.
Amazon:
- Number of Monthly Purchases: Amazon’s North Star metric focuses on customer transactions. The number of monthly purchases highlights the platform’s role as a preferred choice for online shopping, emphasizing customer loyalty and sales volume.
Netflix: Monthly subscriber retention rate.
- Netflix’s primary goal is to keep subscribers engaged and prevent churn. The monthly subscriber retention rate helps them understand how many customers are continuing their subscriptions, indicating the platform’s content and user experience quality.
LinkedIn: Daily job applications.
- LinkedIn focuses on helping users find relevant job opportunities. The daily job application metric aligns with their goal of connecting professionals with the right career opportunities.
Instagram: Daily photo uploads.
- For Instagram, the number of daily photo uploads reflects user engagement and content creation, which is fundamental to the platform’s success.
Twitter: Daily tweets per user.
- Twitter aims to keep users actively sharing their thoughts and engaging with others. The daily tweets per user metric measures the platform’s ability to maintain user activity.
Dropbox: Files synced across devices.
- Dropbox’s North Star metric revolves around user data synchronization across devices, ensuring that files are readily accessible to users whenever and wherever they need them.
Slack: Messages sent per user.
- Slack’s success depends on active communication among team members. The number of messages sent per user highlights the platform’s effectiveness in facilitating workplace communication.
Tinder: Matches per week.
- Tinder’s North Star metric focuses on connecting users with potential matches. Matches per week demonstrate the platform’s ability to create meaningful connections.
Airline Industry: Load factor (percentage of filled seats on flights).
- Airlines aim to maximize the efficiency of their flights by filling as many seats as possible. The load factor metric helps them optimize capacity and revenue.
E-commerce: Average order value (AOV).
- Online retailers like Shopify track AOV to understand how much customers typically spend per order. Increasing AOV can lead to higher revenue.
SaaS (Software as a Service): Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) growth rate.
- SaaS companies, such as HubSpot, prioritize MRR growth rate to assess the expansion of their subscription customer base, indicating business scalability.
Gaming Industry: Daily active players.
- Mobile game developers like Supercell monitor daily active players to gauge the popularity and engagement of their games.
Real Estate: Average days on market (DOM).
- Real estate agents use DOM as a North Star metric to understand how quickly they can sell properties, which directly impacts their revenue and efficiency.
Education Technology: Student course completion rates.
- EdTech platforms like Coursera focus on student course completion rates to measure the effectiveness of their courses and the satisfaction of learners.
Healthcare: Patient satisfaction scores.
- Hospitals and healthcare providers prioritize patient satisfaction scores to ensure quality care and improve patient experiences.
Food Delivery Services: Delivery time.
- Services like DoorDash emphasize reducing delivery times to enhance customer satisfaction and encourage repeat orders.
Automotive: Vehicle fuel efficiency (miles per gallon).
- Car manufacturers aim to improve vehicle fuel efficiency to meet environmental standards and appeal to cost-conscious consumers.
Telecommunications: Average revenue per user (ARPU).
- Telecom companies like AT&T track ARPU to assess the profitability of their subscriber base and identify opportunities for upselling services.
Financial Services: Customer Net Promoter Score (NPS).
- Banks and financial institutions use NPS to measure customer loyalty and assess the likelihood of customers recommending their services to others.
Retail: Foot traffic conversion rate.
- Physical retail stores track foot traffic conversion rates to determine how effectively they turn in-store visitors into paying customers.
Hospitality: Occupancy rate.
- Hotels and resorts monitor occupancy rates to optimize room pricing and ensure efficient use of their facilities.

Key takeaways:

Definition and Significance of a North Star Metric (NSM):
- A North Star Metric is a singular key performance indicator (KPI) that a company identifies and focuses on to achieve sustained growth and success.
- It acts as a guiding light, aligning the entire organization around a common goal and strategy.
- The NSM is not just about revenue; it’s a metric that reflects customer value and progress towards achieving long-term success.
Criteria for an Effective North Star Metric:
- The NSM should lead to revenue generation, as it directly impacts the company’s financial health.
- It must reflect customer value, ensuring that the company’s offerings are meeting customer needs and expectations.
- The metric should measure progress and indicate whether the company is moving in the right direction toward its goals.
Selecting the Right North Star Metric:
- Understand Customer Value: The chosen NSM should be directly tied to the core value that customers receive from the company’s products or services.
- Reflect Engagement: The metric should gauge user engagement and activity level, indicating how deeply customers are interacting with the company.
- Simplicity and Clarity: The NSM should be simple to understand and communicate across the organization, ensuring everyone is aligned.
- Departmental Alignment: Each department can have its own supporting metric that contributes to the overarching NSM, ensuring alignment across teams.
- Iterative Process: Finding the perfect NSM may require experimentation and iteration, and it’s okay to pivot if necessary.
Evolution of the North Star Metric:
- The NSM is not fixed; it should evolve as the company’s strategies, products, and market conditions change.
- Adaptation is essential to stay competitive and relevant in a dynamic business landscape.
- Example: Facebook initially focused on monthly active users as its NSM, but later shifted to daily active users to align better with user engagement.
Examples of North Star Metrics in Business:
- Airbnb: Number of nights booked. This reflects the company’s core value of connecting travelers with unique lodging experiences.
- Facebook: Daily active users. This emphasizes the platform’s engagement and the frequency of user interaction.
- WhatsApp: Number of messages a user sends. This metric aligns with the messaging app’s primary purpose.
- Spotify: Time spent listening. This reflects the platform’s aim to keep users engaged and consuming content.
- Uber: Rides per week. This metric drives the company’s focus on consistent use and rider loyalty.
- Amazon: Number of monthly purchases. This highlights the frequency of customer transactions.
Key Takeaways:
- A North Star Metric is a crucial KPI that guides a company’s growth strategy.
- It should embody customer value, engagement, and progress toward long-term success.
- The NSM should be adaptable and evolve as the company changes over time.
- Aligning departments and teams around the NSM fosters a unified approach to achieving goals.
- The process of identifying the right NSM may involve trial and error, but it’s essential for sustained growth and competitiveness.

Companion Frameworks	Definition	Focus	Application
North Star Metric	A single, high-level metric that encapsulates the core value delivered to customers and drives long-term business success. The North Star Metric serves as a guiding light for the organization, aligning teams and initiatives towards achieving a common objective and delivering exceptional customer value.	Focuses on identifying and prioritizing the most critical metric that directly correlates with customer satisfaction, retention, and business growth, guiding strategic decision-making and resource allocation.	Strategic Planning, Performance Measurement, Customer Success
OKR (Objectives and Key Results)	A goal-setting framework that aligns organizational objectives with measurable outcomes. OKRs define ambitious objectives and key results that outline specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound targets. OKRs help focus efforts, track progress, and drive accountability across the organization.	Focuses on setting clear, measurable goals and outcomes to align efforts, drive performance, and promote transparency and accountability throughout the organization, facilitating strategic execution and continuous improvement.	Goal-setting, Performance Management, Strategic Alignment
Balanced Scorecard (BSC)	A strategic performance management framework that translates an organization’s mission and vision into a comprehensive set of balanced objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) across four perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Processes, and Learning and Growth. BSC helps organizations measure and manage performance holistically.	Focuses on aligning strategic objectives with performance metrics across multiple dimensions to drive balanced and sustainable business performance, facilitating strategic planning, execution, and performance evaluation.	Performance Management, Strategy Execution, KPI Alignment
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)	A metric that represents the total net profit a company expects to earn from a customer over the entire duration of their relationship. CLV helps organizations understand the long-term value of their customer base and allocate resources effectively to acquire, retain, and maximize customer relationships.	Focuses on quantifying the value of customers to the organization over time, guiding strategic decisions related to customer acquisition, retention, and relationship management, and optimizing marketing and sales efforts for maximum profitability.	Customer Relationship Management, Marketing Strategy, Revenue Growth
Net Promoter Score (NPS)	A metric used to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction by asking customers a single question: “How likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?” Based on their responses, customers are categorized as promoters, passives, or detractors, providing insights into overall customer sentiment.	Focuses on assessing customer loyalty and advocacy, guiding efforts to improve customer experience, drive word-of-mouth referrals, and foster long-term customer relationships, leading to increased customer retention and business growth.	Customer Experience Management, Loyalty Measurement, Feedback Analysis
Customer Churn Rate	A metric that measures the percentage of customers who discontinue or cancel their subscription or relationship with a company over a specific period. Customer churn rate helps organizations assess customer retention and loyalty, identify churn drivers, and implement strategies to reduce customer attrition.	Focuses on tracking customer attrition and retention rates, identifying factors contributing to customer churn, and implementing retention initiatives to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value, driving sustainable business growth and profitability.	Customer Retention, Churn Management, Subscription Business
Market Share	A metric that represents the percentage of total market sales or revenue captured by a company or product relative to its competitors. Market share reflects a company’s competitive position within the industry and its ability to attract and retain customers compared to rivals.	Focuses on evaluating a company’s competitive position and performance relative to industry peers, guiding strategic decisions related to market expansion, product differentiation, and competitive positioning, driving market growth and profitability.	Competitive Analysis, Industry Benchmarking, Market Positioning
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)	A metric that measures the average cost incurred by a company to acquire a new customer. CAC includes expenses related to marketing, sales, and customer acquisition efforts, divided by the number of new customers acquired within a specific period. CAC helps organizations assess the efficiency and effectiveness of their customer acquisition strategies.	Focuses on quantifying the cost-effectiveness of customer acquisition efforts, guiding resource allocation, marketing strategy optimization, and sales performance evaluation, leading to improved return on investment (ROI) and sustainable business growth.	Marketing Analytics, Sales Performance Management, ROI Optimization