growth-metrics-design

Growth Metrics Design

The Law

GROWTH WORK WITHOUT NAMED METRICS PRODUCES A STORY, NOT A RESULT.
"We'll know it's working when we see it" means success gets defined after the fact, by whoever is most invested in the work having worked.
North star + input/output metrics + leading/lagging indicators + activation/retention/conversion metrics + cadence + tracking + owners IS a metrics design.

When to Use

Trigger before:

• Executing any growth strategy, campaign, launch, or experiment defined by other builder-growth skills
• Setting quarterly or monthly growth goals
• Any time leadership asks "how will we know this is working?" and the honest answer is "we'll see"
• Before campaign-brief-generator or launch-plan-design references a success metric that has not been formally defined

When NOT to Use

• One-off internal analyses with no recurring tracking need
• Metrics already fully defined and tracked from a prior cycle with no change in strategy — reference the existing metrics document instead of redefining it

The Eleven Metrics Elements

A complete metrics design defines all eleven. Skipping any one means part of the system runs on assumption instead of measurement.

1 — North Star Metric

The single metric, from growth-strategy-design, that represents whether the strategy is working overall. One number the whole team can rally around.

2 — Input Metrics

The metrics representing the activities the team controls directly: campaigns shipped, content published, outbound sent, experiments run. Inputs are leverage — they are what the team changes to move outputs.

3 — Output Metrics

The metrics representing results the team influences but does not fully control: signups, conversion rate, revenue. Outputs are what inputs are supposed to move.

Rule: Never set a target on an output metric without a connected input metric. A revenue target with no defined activity to hit it is a hope, not a plan.

4 — Leading Indicators

Metrics that move before the north star does, giving an early read on whether the current approach is working — e.g., activation rate as a leading indicator of D30 retention.