North Star Metric Workshop

Comment l'animer

1. 1

   Set the context (15 min): explain what a North Star Metric is and why it matters. Share examples from comparable companies. Clarify the key criterion: the NSM should capture value delivered to customers, not be a pure revenue or vanity metric. Present the six properties of a good NSM.

2. 2

   Map value delivery (20 min): ask 'What is the core action or experience that delivers value to our users?' and 'What would the users be doing if they are getting maximum value from our product?' Brainstorm candidate value moments on sticky notes.

3. 3

   Generate NSM candidates (15 min): translate value moments into measurable metrics. For each candidate, write it as a specific, countable metric with a timeframe (e.g., 'number of tasks completed per user per week'). Aim for 5–10 candidates.

4. 4

   Evaluate against the six criteria (20 min): create a simple scoring grid and evaluate each candidate against: reflects user value, predicts revenue, measurable, actionable, understandable, not vanity/not pure revenue. Score each 1–3 per criterion. Candidates with structural weaknesses on any single criterion should be modified or eliminated.

5. 5

   Select and pressure-test the NSM (15 min): bring the top 2–3 candidates to a group vote. For the winning candidate, run two stress tests: 'Could this number go up while users are getting less value?' (if yes, it's a vanity metric) and 'Could this number go down even when users are deeply satisfied?' (if yes, the metric is too narrow).

6. 6

   Define input metrics (20 min): ask 'What are the 3–5 key inputs that drive the NSM?' Inputs should be the primary levers the team controls — often corresponding to stages of the user journey. Map these as branches feeding into the NSM node.

7. 7

   Draw the input tree: starting from the NSM, draw the input metrics that feed it. Below each input metric, identify the team-level activities and experiments that move each input. This creates a clear line of sight from daily work to the North Star.

8. 8

   Define targets and review cadence: set a current baseline and a 6–12 month target for the NSM. Agree how frequently the NSM and its inputs will be reviewed and who is accountable for the overall number.

Conseils

• The most common failure in NSM workshops is selecting a revenue metric as the North Star. Revenue is the output; the NSM should be the cause. If you can only grow revenue by delivering more value, then improving the NSM will automatically improve revenue — but not vice versa.

• Be ruthless about the 'could this number go up while delivering less value?' test. Download counts, sign-ups, and page views fail this test consistently.

• Input metrics are where teams get actionable. Spend at least as much time on inputs as on the NSM itself — the NSM is directional, the inputs are operational.

• Run this workshop with a cross-functional group that includes engineering, product, data, and growth. If the NSM is set by leadership alone without team buy-in, it will not change daily behaviour.

• The NSM should be reviewed annually, not locked forever. As the product and market evolve, the core value exchange may shift — and the NSM should evolve with it.

Variantes

For multi-product companies, run separate NSM workshops per product line before aligning on a portfolio-level NSM. For early-stage startups pre-product-market fit, use a 'North Star hypothesis' that is reviewed monthly rather than committed to as a long-term metric. Pair with AARRR Pirate Metrics to connect funnel stage metrics to the NSM input tree.