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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryMeasurement & AttributionNorth Star Metric

Measurement & Attribution

North Star Metric

The single metric a company believes best captures the core value it delivers to customers and predicts long-term growth.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

A north star metric is the single measure a company believes best captures the core value it delivers to customers and best predicts long-term growth. Examples include weekly active users or orders delivered. It aligns teams around one shared outcome, with supporting input metrics showing which levers move it.