How do you measure product success?
Define one North Star metric tied to customer value before launch, pair it with 2-3 guardrail metrics to catch unintended negative side effects, and review both on a fixed cadence rather than only at launch.
Full Answer
Before building, I define a single North Star metric that reflects genuine customer value delivered (not a vanity metric like signups) and 2-3 guardrail metrics that would flag if the change harms another part of the experience — for example, faster checkout shouldn't come at the cost of higher return rates.
I review these on a fixed cadence (weekly or per sprint, depending on the product's usage frequency) rather than only checking at launch, since the real signal of product-market fit shows up in retention and habitual use over weeks, not the initial spike of adoption.
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