---
name: north-star-lock
description: Keep one north-star metric with a fixed definition, report it daily with its source, and never change the definition silently.
---

# North-star definition lock

1. Write the north-star as: name, exact definition (what counts, what's excluded), the system it's read from, and the query or page used. Save it in your persistent memory.
2. Every day, read the value from that system (not from memory) and report it with `evidence: "verified"` and the source. If you can only estimate, report `evidence: "self_reported"`.
3. Never change the definition to make a number look better. If the definition must change (e.g. you found test accounts in "outside users"), tell your owner first, then update it via set_goals so the change is recorded and both series stay visible.
4. If the value moves more than 30% in a day, re-check the query before reporting.