Product-org-os north-star-metric

Document Intelligence

This skill supports three modes: Create, Update, and Find.

Mode Detection

@path/to/north-star-metric.md

Threshold: >=85% auto-proceed | 70-84% state assumption | <70% ask user

Mode Behaviors

CREATE: Generate complete new North Star Metric definition using template below.

UPDATE:

1. Read existing NSM document (search if path not provided)
2. Preserve unchanged sections exactly
3. Update metric definition, input metrics, or measurement plan
4. Show diff summary: "Updated: [sections]. Unchanged: [sections]."
5. Note: Changing the NSM is a significant strategic shift; document rationale

FIND:

1. Search paths below for NSM definitions
2. Present results: title, product, current NSM, path
3. Ask: "Update one of these, or create new?"

Search Locations for North Star Metrics

• product/

• strategy/

• metrics/

• analytics/

Gotchas

• North Star must be a customer-value metric, not a revenue metric — revenue is a lagging indicator
• Input metrics must be actionable by teams — metrics nobody can influence are useless

Define the North Star Metric for a product: the single metric that best captures the core value delivered to customers, along with the input metrics tree that drives it.

Vision to Value Phase

Phase 5: Business & Customer Outcomes - The NSM defines how we measure value delivery and track whether the product is succeeding at its core mission.

Prerequisites: Phase 1-2 complete (clear vision, customer segments, value proposition defined) Outputs used by: Phase 5 (value realization, customer health), Phase 6 (outcome reviews, retrospectives), Phase 3 (roadmap prioritization)

Methodology

NSM Selection Criteria

NSM Categories by Business Type

Output Structure

# North Star Metric: [Product Name]

**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Owner**: [Single accountable person - typically VP Product or CPO]
**Product**: [Product name - optional, for multi-product organizations]
**Status**: Proposed / Active / Under Review

## The North Star Metric

**NSM**: [Metric name in plain language]

**Definition**: [Precise definition - what counts, what doesn't, measurement window]

**Why This Metric**:
[2-3 sentences explaining why this metric best captures the core value the product delivers to customers]

## NSM Validation Checklist

| Criterion | Pass? | Evidence |
|-----------|-------|----------|
| Measures customer value delivered | [Yes/No/Partial] | [Why] |
| Leading indicator of revenue | [Yes/No/Partial] | [Correlation data or rationale] |
| Actionable by the product team | [Yes/No/Partial] | [Which teams can influence it] |
| Simple enough to rally around | [Yes/No/Partial] | [One-sentence explanation test] |
| Hard to game without creating real value | [Yes/No/Partial] | [Gaming risk assessment] |

**Validation Result**: [Strong NSM / Acceptable / Needs Refinement]

## NSM Equation

**[NSM] = f([Dimension 1], [Dimension 2], [Dimension 3])**

| Dimension | Definition | Relative Importance |
|-----------|-----------|-------------------|
| **Breadth** | [How many customers experience value] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| **Depth** | [How much value per interaction] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| **Frequency** | [How often they experience value] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| **Efficiency** | [How quickly they reach value] | [High/Medium/Low] |

**Dominant dimensions for this product**: [Which 2-3 matter most and why]

## Input Metrics Tree

[North Star Metric] | +-- Input Metric 1: [Name] | Definition: [What it measures] | Owner: [Team/person] | Current: [Value or TBD] | Target: [Value or TBD] | +-- Input Metric 2: [Name] | Definition: [What it measures] | Owner: [Team/person] | Current: [Value or TBD] | Target: [Value or TBD] | +-- Input Metric 3: [Name] | Definition: [What it measures] | Owner: [Team/person] | Current: [Value or TBD] | Target: [Value or TBD] | +-- Input Metric 4: [Name] (optional) | Definition: [What it measures] | Owner: [Team/person] | Current: [Value or TBD] | Target: [Value or TBD]

### Input Metrics Detail

| Input Metric | NSM Dimension | Actionable By | Correlation to NSM | Priority |
|-------------|--------------|--------------|-------------------|----------|
| [Metric 1] | [Breadth/Depth/Frequency/Efficiency] | [Team] | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] | [P0/P1/P2] |
| [Metric 2] | [Dimension] | [Team] | [Strength] | [Priority] |
| [Metric 3] | [Dimension] | [Team] | [Strength] | [Priority] |

### Input Metric Quality Check

| Check | Metric 1 | Metric 2 | Metric 3 |
|-------|----------|----------|----------|
| Orthogonal (non-overlapping) | [Yes/No] | [Yes/No] | [Yes/No] |
| Actionable (team can own it) | [Yes/No] | [Yes/No] | [Yes/No] |
| Predictive (correlates with NSM) | [Yes/No] | [Yes/No] | [Yes/No] |

## Measurement Plan

### Data Sources
| Metric | Source | Collection Method | Refresh Rate |
|--------|--------|------------------|-------------|
| [NSM] | [System/tool] | [How collected] | [Daily/Weekly] |
| [Input 1] | [System/tool] | [How collected] | [Daily/Weekly] |
| [Input 2] | [System/tool] | [How collected] | [Daily/Weekly] |

### Reporting Cadence
| Audience | Metric Set | Frequency | Format |
|----------|-----------|-----------|--------|
| Product team | NSM + all inputs | Daily/Weekly | Dashboard |
| Leadership | NSM + key inputs | Weekly/Monthly | Report |
| Company | NSM only | Monthly/Quarterly | All-hands |

## Alternatives Considered

| Candidate NSM | Why Rejected | When to Reconsider |
|--------------|-------------|-------------------|
| [Alternative 1] | [Reason] | [Under what conditions] |
| [Alternative 2] | [Reason] | [Under what conditions] |

## NSM Evolution Triggers

The NSM should be reconsidered when:
- [ ] Product fundamentally changes its value proposition
- [ ] New customer segment becomes dominant
- [ ] NSM stops correlating with revenue
- [ ] Business model changes (e.g., subscription to usage-based)
- [ ] NSM is consistently gamed without value creation

## Team Alignment

| Team | Primary Input Metric | How They Contribute to NSM |
|------|---------------------|---------------------------|
| [Engineering] | [Metric] | [Contribution] |
| [Product] | [Metric] | [Contribution] |
| [Marketing] | [Metric] | [Contribution] |
| [Sales] | [Metric] | [Contribution] |
| [Customer Success] | [Metric] | [Contribution] |

Instructions

1. Ask clarifying questions about the product's core value proposition and available data
2. Check prior context: Run

   /context-recall [product]

   to find related vision statements, strategic bets, and positioning
3. Check feedback: Run

   /feedback-recall [value/satisfaction/usage]

   for customer signals about what they value most
4. Reference any analytics, usage data, or strategy documents provided via @file syntax
5. Apply the validation checklist rigorously; reject NSM candidates that fail critical criteria
6. Ensure input metrics are orthogonal, actionable, and predictive
7. Provide concrete alternatives considered with rejection rationale
8. Save in product/ or strategy/ folder
9. Offer to create presentation version using /present

Context Integration

After generating the NSM definition:

1. Offer to save: Ask "Should I save this to the context registry? (

   /context-save

   )"
2. If yes, extract and save:
   • NSM definition and input metrics to context
   • Link to related vision statement, strategic bets, and roadmap themes
3. Suggest using the NSM as success criteria in

   /strategic-bet

   and

   /outcome-review