Concept · Startup & Growth Frameworks
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Origin: Fred Reichheld / Bain (2003)
Biological Parallel
Alarm calls in vervet monkeys function like NPS: individuals who spot predators can promote the troop's survival (promoters) by calling loudly, remain passive (passives), or actively detract by fleeing silently and leaving others vulnerable (detractors). Troops with high 'NPS'—many loud callers, few defectors—survive at higher rates. The metric reveals not just satisfaction but advocacy: whether individuals invest their own energy (or social capital) to benefit the collective.