North Star Metric
One metric that best captures delivered customer value.
Explanation
A North Star Metric is the single most important measure that captures the core value your product delivers to customers. It should be a leading indicator of business success and something every team can influence. Unlike vanity metrics that make you feel good but don't predict success, the North Star directly correlates with customer satisfaction and business growth.
Real-World Example
Facebook: Daily active users (not signups). Airbnb: Nights booked (not listings). Spotify: Time spent listening (not subscribers). Slack: Messages sent (not teams created). Each reflects actual value delivered.
How to Apply
Find intersection: What do customers value? What drives revenue? What can teams influence? Test correlation: Does improvement here predict business success? Make it visible: Dashboard everyone sees. Cascade: Each team has input metric that drives North Star.