Startup Metrics Framework
Comprehensive guide to tracking, calculating, and optimizing key performance metrics for different startup business models from seed through Series A.
Installation
OpenClaw / Moltbot / Clawbot
npx clawhub@latest install startup-metricsWHAT This Skill Does
Provides formulas, benchmarks, and guidance for:
- Revenue metrics (MRR, ARR, growth rates)
- Unit economics (CAC, LTV, payback period)
- Cash efficiency (burn rate, runway, burn multiple)
- SaaS-specific metrics (NDR, magic number, Rule of 40)
- Marketplace and consumer metrics
- Stage-appropriate focus areas
WHEN To Use
- Setting up startup analytics and dashboards
- Calculating CAC, LTV, or unit economics
- Preparing investor updates or pitch materials
- Evaluating business health and efficiency
- Understanding what metrics matter at each stage
KEYWORDS
startup metrics, saas metrics, cac, ltv, arr, mrr, burn rate, burn multiple, rule of 40, net dollar retention, magic number, unit economics, marketplace gmv, dau mau
Universal Startup Metrics
Revenue Metrics
MRR = Σ (Active Subscriptions × Monthly Price)
ARR = MRR × 12
MoM Growth = (This Month MRR - Last Month MRR) / Last Month MRR
YoY Growth = (This Year ARR - Last Year ARR) / Last Year ARRBenchmarks:
| Stage | Growth Target |
|---|---|
| Seed | 15-20% MoM |
| Series A | 10-15% MoM, 3-5x YoY |
| Series B+ | 100%+ YoY (Rule of 40) |
Unit Economics
CAC = Total S&M Spend / New Customers Acquired
LTV = ARPU × Gross Margin% × (1 / Churn Rate)
LTV:CAC Ratio = LTV / CAC
CAC Payback = CAC / (ARPU × Gross Margin%)Benchmarks:
| Metric | Excellent | Good | Concerning |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTV:CAC | > 3.0 | 1.0-3.0 | < 1.0 |
| CAC Payback | < 12 months | 12-18 months | > 24 months |
Cash Efficiency
Monthly Burn = Monthly Revenue - Monthly Expenses
Runway (months) = Cash Balance / Monthly Burn Rate
Burn Multiple = Net Burn / Net New ARRBurn Multiple Benchmarks:
| Score | Assessment |
|---|---|
| < 1.0 | Exceptional efficiency |
| 1.0-1.5 | Good |
| 1.5-2.0 | Acceptable |
| > 2.0 | Inefficient |
Target: Always maintain 12-18 months runway.
SaaS Metrics
Revenue Composition
Net New MRR = New MRR + Expansion MRR - Contraction MRR - Churned MRRRetention Metrics
NDR (Net Dollar Retention) = (ARR Start + Expansion - Contraction - Churn) / ARR Start
Gross Retention = (ARR Start - Churn - Contraction) / ARR Start
Logo Retention = (Customers End - New Customers) / Customers StartNDR Benchmarks:
| Range | Assessment |
|---|---|
| > 120% | Best-in-class |
| 100-120% | Good |
| < 100% | Needs work |
Efficiency Metrics
Magic Number = Net New ARR (quarter) / S&M Spend (prior quarter)
Rule of 40 = Revenue Growth Rate% + Profit Margin%
Quick Ratio = (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Churned MRR + Contraction MRR)Magic Number:
- 0.75 = Efficient, ready to scale
- 0.5-0.75 = Moderate efficiency
- < 0.5 = Inefficient, don't scale yet
Marketplace Metrics
GMV = Σ (Transaction Value)
Take Rate = Net Revenue / GMVTypical Take Rates:
| Type | Range |
|---|---|
| Payment processors | 2-3% |
| E-commerce marketplaces | 10-20% |
| Service marketplaces | 15-25% |
| High-value B2B | 5-15% |
Liquidity Indicators:
- Fill rate > 80% = Strong liquidity
- Repeat rate > 60% = Strong retention
Consumer/Mobile Metrics
DAU/MAU Ratio = DAU / MAU
K-Factor = Invites per User × Invite Conversion RateDAU/MAU Benchmarks:
| Ratio | Assessment |
|---|---|
| > 50% | Exceptional (daily habit) |
| 20-50% | Good |
| < 20% | Weak engagement |
Retention Benchmarks (Day 30):
| Rate | Assessment |
|---|---|
| > 40% | Excellent |
| 25-40% | Good |
| < 25% | Weak |
B2B Sales Metrics
Win Rate = Deals Won / Total Opportunities
Pipeline Coverage = Total Pipeline Value / Quota (target: 3-5x)
ACV = Total Contract Value / Contract Length (years)Sales Cycle Benchmarks:
| Segment | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| SMB | 30-60 days |
| Mid-market | 60-120 days |
| Enterprise | 120-270 days |
Metrics by Stage
Pre-Seed (Product-Market Fit)
Focus: Active users, retention (Day 7/30), engagement, qualitative feedback
Don't worry about: Revenue, CAC, unit economics
Seed ($500K-$2M ARR)
Focus:
- MRR growth rate (15-20% MoM)
- CAC and LTV baselines
- Gross retention (> 85%)
- Core product engagement
Start tracking: Sales efficiency, burn rate, runway
Series A ($2M-$10M ARR)
Focus:
- ARR growth (3-5x YoY)
- LTV:CAC > 3, payback < 18 months
- NDR > 100%
- Burn multiple < 2.0
- Magic number > 0.5
What Investors Want to See
Seed Round
- MRR growth rate
- User retention
- Early unit economics
- Product engagement
Series A
- ARR and growth rate
- CAC payback < 18 months
- LTV:CAC > 3.0
- NDR > 100%
- Burn multiple < 2.0
Series B+
- Rule of 40 > 40%
- Efficient growth (magic number)
- Path to profitability
Dashboard Format:
Current MRR: $250K (↑ 18% MoM)
ARR: $3.0M (↑ 280% YoY)
CAC: $1,200 | LTV: $4,800 | LTV:CAC = 4.0x
NDR: 112% | Logo Retention: 92%
Burn: $180K/mo | Runway: 18 monthsCommon Mistakes
- Vanity Metrics — Focus on actionable metrics, not total users or page views
- Too Many Metrics — Track 5-7 core metrics intensely, not 50 loosely
- Ignoring Unit Economics — CAC and LTV matter even at seed stage
- Not Segmenting — Break down by customer segment, channel, cohort
- Gaming Metrics — Optimize for real business outcomes, not dashboards
NEVER Do
- NEVER ignore unit economics at any stage — CAC and LTV are always critical
- NEVER track vanity metrics (total users, page views) without retention context
- NEVER report growth rates without absolute numbers — 100% growth from $1K is different from $1M
- NEVER skip segmentation — aggregate metrics hide important patterns
- NEVER confuse correlation with causation — investigate before concluding
- NEVER set targets without understanding your stage benchmarks
- NEVER present metrics without trend context — current value + growth rate + benchmark
- NEVER optimize for the metric instead of the underlying business outcome