diff --git a/src/metric.cpp b/src/metric.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0689aca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/metric.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#include "metric.hpp"
+#include <mutex>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <thread>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace metric {
+struct Counter::State {};
+struct Gauge::State {};
+struct Histogram::State {};
+struct Metric {
+
+  static std::mutex mutex;
+
+  struct MetricKey {
+    std::string_view name;
+    std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>> labels;
+  };
+
+  struct PerThreadState {
+    std::unordered_map<MetricKey, Counter::State> counters;
+    std::unordered_map<MetricKey, Histogram::State> histograms;
+  };
+
+  static std::unordered_map<std::thread::id, PerThreadState> perThreadState;
+
+  struct ThreadInit {
+    ThreadInit() {
+      std::unique_lock<std::mutex> _{mutex};
+      perThreadState[std::this_thread::get_id()] = {};
+    }
+    ~ThreadInit() {
+      std::unique_lock<std::mutex> _{mutex};
+      perThreadState.erase(std::this_thread::get_id());
+    }
+  };
+  static thread_local ThreadInit thread_init;
+};
+
+void Counter::inc(double x) {}
+void Gauge::inc(double x) {}
+void Gauge::dec(double x) {}
+void Gauge::set(double x) {}
+void Histogram::observe(double x) {}
+
+template <>
+Counter Family<Counter>::create(
+    std::initializer_list<std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view>>) {}
+template <>
+Gauge Family<Gauge>::create(
+    std::initializer_list<std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view>>) {}
+template <>
+Histogram Family<Histogram>::create(
+    std::initializer_list<std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view>>) {}
+
+Family<Counter> create_counter(std::string_view name, std::string_view help) {}
+Family<Gauge> create_gauge(std::string_view name, std::string_view help) {}
+Family<Histogram> create_histogram(std::string_view name, std::string_view help,
+                                   std::initializer_list<double> buckets) {}
+
+std::span<std::string_view> render(ArenaAllocator &) {}
+
+} // namespace metric
diff --git a/src/metric.hpp b/src/metric.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25ae7fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/metric.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "arena_allocator.hpp"
+#include <initializer_list>
+#include <span>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <type_traits>
+
+namespace metric {
+
+struct Counter {
+  void inc(double = 1.0);
+
+private:
+  Counter();
+  friend struct Metric;
+  struct State;
+  State *p;
+};
+
+struct Gauge {
+  void inc(double = 1.0);
+  void dec(double = 1.0);
+  void set(double);
+
+private:
+  Gauge();
+  friend struct Metric;
+  struct State;
+  State *p;
+};
+
+struct Histogram {
+  void observe(double);
+
+private:
+  Histogram();
+  friend struct Metric;
+  struct State;
+  State *p;
+};
+
+template <class T> struct Family {
+  static_assert(std::is_same_v<T, Counter> || std::is_same_v<T, Gauge> ||
+                std::is_same_v<T, Histogram>);
+  T create(
+      std::initializer_list<std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view>>);
+
+private:
+  friend struct Metric;
+  std::string_view name;
+  std::string_view help;
+};
+
+// All std::string_view's should point to static memory
+Family<Counter> create_counter(std::string_view name, std::string_view help);
+Family<Gauge> create_gauge(std::string_view name, std::string_view help);
+Family<Histogram> create_histogram(std::string_view name, std::string_view help,
+                                   std::initializer_list<double> buckets);
+
+std::span<std::string_view> render(ArenaAllocator &);
+
+} // namespace metric