The North Star

Creating a shared purpose for a product can be achieved by setting a North Star. The North Star Framework is a model for managing products by identifying a single, crucial metric known as the North Star Metric.1 According to Sean Ellis, who coined this term, this is the single metric that best captures the core value that your product delivers to [its] customers.

Amplitude2 is a digital analytics company that has freely released an excellent playbook regarding the North Star Framework – what it is, why you might use it, and how to use it. It lists the following seven checklist points about what a North Star Metric is:

1. It expresses value. We can see why it matters to customers.
2. It represents vision and strategy. Our company's product and business strategy are reflected in it.
3. It's a leading indicator of success. It predicts future results, rather than reflecting past results.
4. It's actionable. We can take action to...