North Star metric: Measuring what matters for your startup
Updated: May 29th, 2025
Contents
What is a North Star metric?
A North Star metric (NSM) is the one metric that's most predictive of a startup's long-term success. Everything in the startup should be done to move that single metric forward.
The NSM should (A) keep people in the company focused on what matters, and (B) align their actions with moving the company forward towards its vision.
Examples of North star metrics for SaaS companies
SaaS company | North Star metric |
|---|---|
Spotify | Time spent listening |
Univid | Number of webinars |
HubSpot | Number of weekly active teams |
Jonathan Rintala
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