Why Every Product Team Needs a North Star
In product management, it’s easy to get pulled in a dozen directions at once. You have feature requests, sprint deadlines, metrics, and also surprise: market shifts! Through all the noise, successful teams usually have one thing in common: a clear North Star.
I promise this isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a powerful, practical tool that helps you stay focused, aligned, and purposeful, especially when the pressure is on.
What Is a North Star?
A North Star is more than a vision statement or metric. It’s a clear, actionable way of expressing your product’s long-term value to users. Having a north star helps you prioritize not by urgency, but by impact.
It should answer:
- What’s the core value we’re delivering?
- How will we know we’re consistently delivering it?
- What impact does it have on our users and our business?
Think of it as a compass. It doesn’t show every step on the path, but it helps you keep moving in the right direction.
Why It Matters
It helps you focus
Without a North Star, teams risk becoming reactive — chasing competitor features, solving edge cases, or building for the loudest stakeholder. A clear North Star helps you say no to distractions and yes to what really matters.
It aligns everyone
When engineering, marketing, product, and support are all pulling in the same direction, decisions get easier. Autonomy increases. You avoid wasting time building beautiful solutions to the wrong problems.
It makes progress measurable
Strong North Stars tie user value to product success. It’s not about vanity metrics like sign-ups or downloads, it’s about behavior that signals real impact.
It brings energy and clarity
Product work is intense. When teams understand the “why,” they’re more motivated. The North Star connects everyday tasks to a bigger purpose.
Real-World Examples
Each of these reflects a meaningful outcome tied to both user value and business health.
- Spotify: Time spent listening
- Airbnb: Nights booked
- Slack: Messages sent per user
- Duolingo: Daily active learners
How to Define Yours
Start with your users
What’s the main job they’re hiring your product to do?
Find the core value moment
What part of the journey delivers the most value?
Choose a metric that reflects that value
Make it measurable, but long-term, not just a short-term spike.
Socialize it
Make it visible across teams. Use it in decision-making.
Let it guide your roadmap
Every feature, initiative, or campaign should connect back to your North Star.
What a North Star Is Not
- It’s not a vanity metric
- It’s not permanent, it can (and should) evolve as your product matures
- It’s not one-size-fits-all , your users and business model shape it
Additional Reading
👋 Feel Free to Clap and Share your Thoughts!
Find more at our LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Check our podcast. Follow our LinkedIn page and Newsletter!
Disclosure: At PM101, we strive to provide our readers with valuable and honest information on Product and Program Management. As a way to support the blog and continue providing valuable content, some blog posts may contain affiliate links or promotional content. By clicking on these links and making a purchase, the writer may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This commission helps to keep the blog running and allows the writer to continue providing valuable content and increasing her coffee and kombucha consumption. Rest assured, we will always provide honest and informative content and use affiliate links and promotional content only as a means to generate revenue to support the blog.
