Metrics Frameworks Cheat Sheet
A one-page summary of the key frameworks from the Metrics Mastery course. Use this as a quick reference to diagnose problems and align your strategy.
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The Integrated System: A Doctor's Analogy
The frameworks are not separate tools; they are a nested system for diagnosing and solving problems.
- North Star: The patient's long-term health goal (e.g., "Lower cholesterol"). It's the ultimate outcome.
- AARRR: The annual physical exam. It's a broad diagnostic that identifies the general problem area (e.g., "Your blood pressure is high"). It tells you where to look.
- HEART: The specialized diagnostic tool (e.g., an EKG). Once you know the problem, you use HEART to understand the specific why and guide the solution.
1. The North Star Framework
| Purpose | Strategic Alignment |
| Answers | "What is our ultimate product goal?" |
| Key Components | North Star Metric (NSM): A single, leading indicator of customer value and business success.**Metric Tree:** Deconstructs the NSM into actionable **Input Metrics**.Counter-Metrics: Guardrails to prevent unintended harm. |
A Strong NSM Checklist
- [ ] Expresses Customer Value: Measures user success.
- [ ] Represents Product Strategy: Reflects your unique value prop.
- [ ] Is a Leading Indicator: Predicts future revenue.
- [ ] Is Actionable: The team can influence it.
- [ ] Is Understandable: Simple and clear to everyone.
- [ ] Is Measurable: You can track it accurately.
- [ ] Is Not a Vanity Metric: Correlates to real impact.
2. AARRR "Pirate Metrics" Framework
| Purpose | Funnel Diagnostics |
| Answers | "Where is our funnel leaking?" |
| Stage | Description | Example Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | How do users find you? | Traffic by Channel, Visitor-to-Lead Rate, CAC |
| Activation | Do users have a great first experience? (The "Aha!" moment) | Activation Rate, Time to Value (TTV) |
| Retention | Do users come back? | Retention/Churn Rate, DAU/MAU Ratio |
| Referral | Do users tell others? | Net Promoter Score (NPS), Viral Coefficient (K-Factor) |
| Revenue | How do you make money? | Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), MRR, ARPU |
3. Google's HEART Framework
| Purpose | UX Quality Measurement |
| Answers | "Is this feature easy and enjoyable to use?" |
| Key Process | Goals-Signals-Metrics (GSM): Connect high-level user Goals to observable Signals and then to specific Metrics. |
| Category | Measures... | Example Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Happiness | User satisfaction and attitude. | NPS, CSAT, App Store Ratings, Ease-of-use surveys |
| Engagement | Frequency, intensity, or depth of interaction. | Shares per user, Comments per user, Session duration |
| Adoption | Uptake of a new product or feature bynew users. | % of new users using Feature X in first 7 days |
| Retention | Long-term engagement ofexisting users. | Week-over-week cohort retention, Churn rate |
| Task Success | Efficiency and effectiveness of a specific flow. | Task completion rate (%), Time-on-task, Error rate |