# Niopd Po North Star

> Defines and tracks the North Star Metric that drives product success. Use for strategic focus, team alignment, or metric rationalization.

- Skill: `8421bit/niopd-po-north-star` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add 8421bit/niopd-po-north-star`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/8421bit/niopd-po-north-star/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: 8421bit (https://skillmd.com/u/8421bit)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/8421bit/niopd-po-north-star

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# North Star Metric Skill

This skill helps define the one metric that best captures the core value your product delivers to customers.

## Theoretical Foundation

### What is a North Star Metric?
A North Star Metric (NSM) is a single metric that:
1. Reflects the value delivered to customers
2. Correlates with long-term business success
3. Focuses the entire organization

### Characteristics of Good North Star
- **Leading indicator** of business success
- **Reflects customer value** (not just business value)
- **Actionable** (teams can influence it)
- **Understandable** (everyone gets it)

### Examples by Product Type

| Product Type | North Star Metric |
|--------------|-------------------|
| Marketplace | Transactions per week |
| Social | Daily active users |
| SaaS | Active users × Features used |
| Media | Total time reading |
| E-commerce | Purchases per buyer |

### North Star Framework

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    NS[North Star Metric] --> I1[Input 1]
    NS --> I2[Input 2]
    NS --> I3[Input 3]
    I1 --> T1[Team 1]
    I2 --> T2[Team 2]
    I3 --> T3[Team 3]
```

### When to Use
- Strategic planning
- OKR setting
- Team alignment
- Metric rationalization
- New product development

## Instructions

### Step 1: Define Product Value
- "What value does our product deliver?"
- "What job does it do for users?"
- "What would users miss most if it disappeared?"

### Step 2: Identify Candidate Metrics
List metrics that could represent success:
- Usage metrics
- Engagement metrics
- Transaction metrics
- Retention metrics

### Step 3: Evaluate Candidates
| Metric | Customer Value | Business Value | Actionable | Simple |
|--------|----------------|----------------|------------|--------|
| [Metric A] | ✓/✗ | ✓/✗ | ✓/✗ | ✓/✗ |

### Step 4: Select North Star
Choose the metric that best balances all criteria

### Step 5: Define Input Metrics
What drives the North Star?
- Input Metric 1: [Description] - [Team owner]
- Input Metric 2: [Description] - [Team owner]

### Step 6: Set Targets
| Metric | Baseline | Target | Timeline |
|--------|----------|--------|----------|
| North Star | [Current] | [Goal] | [When] |
| Input 1 | [Current] | [Goal] | [When] |

### Step 7: Generate Document
**File path**: `04-plans/[YYYYMMDD]-north-star-v0.md`

## Output Specifications
- **File Naming**: `[YYYYMMDD]-north-star-v0.md`
- **Location**: `04-plans/`
- **Template**: `references/north-star-template.md`

## Related Skills
- `niopd-st-okr`: OKR alignment
- `niopd-pm-kpis`: KPI framework
- `niopd-po-aarrr-metrics`: Funnel metrics
- `niopd-ur-jtbd`: Customer jobs