Glossary/Strategy & Frameworks/Pirate Metrics (AARRR)
Strategy & Frameworks
Pirate Metrics (AARRR)
Dave McClure's 2007 startup framework tracking Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral and Revenue.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Pirate Metrics, or AARRR, is Dave McClure's 2007 startup framework tracking Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral and Revenue. Named for how the acronym sounds, it breaks growth into stages so teams can find where users drop off. It helps prioritize experiments on the stage with the biggest constraint on growth.