// definition

North Star Metric

A North Star metric is the single number that best captures the core value your product delivers to customers, such as weekly active users or projects created. It is not the only metric you track, but it is the one that overrides the others when they conflict.

Why it matters for developers

Without a North Star, teams optimize conflicting metrics and lose the plot. Choosing one creates a hierarchy that aligns every decision and tells you whether the business is genuinely getting healthier.