startup-metrics

Startup Metrics

For unfamiliar placeholders or to check connected tools, see CONNECTORS.md.

Provides core startup metrics framework by business model and stage-specific benchmarks. Delivers metric sets optimized for SaaS, Marketplace, Consumer, and B2B models, with target numbers by funding stage (Pre-seed through Series B).

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    STARTUP METRICS FRAMEWORK                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Core Features (Standalone)                                      │
│  ✓ Auto-detect business model (SaaS/Marketplace/Consumer/B2B)   │
│  ✓ Model-specific metric sets (North Star + supporting metrics)  │
│  ✓ Stage benchmarks by round (Pre-seed ~ Series B)               │
│  ✓ Investor-ready metrics dashboard generation                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Enhanced Mode (With Connectors)                                 │
│  + ~~analytics: Auto-collect real-time metric data               │
│  + ~~spreadsheet: Cohort analysis and trend charts               │
│  + ~~knowledge base: Extract benchmarks from past reports        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Getting Started

1. Identify business model: "What are the key metrics for our SaaS product?"
2. Compare benchmarks: "How do we compare to Pre-seed SaaS benchmarks?"
3. Investor reporting: "Create a monthly metrics dashboard for investors"
4. Improve metrics: "Which metrics should we focus on to improve NRR?"

Core Metrics by Business Model

1. SaaS (Software as a Service)

North Star Metric

• ARR/MRR (Annual/Monthly Recurring Revenue)

Core Metrics (8)

Metric	Definition	Target	Calculation
MRR Growth	Monthly recurring revenue growth rate	10-20%/mo (early)	(MRR_this_month - MRR_last_month) / MRR_last_month
NRR	Net Revenue Retention	>100% (strong: >120%)	(Start ARR + Expansion - Contraction - Churn) / Start ARR
CAC	Customer Acquisition Cost	< LTV/3	Total Marketing+Sales / New Customers
LTV	Lifetime Value	> CAC × 3	ARPA × Gross Margin % / Churn Rate
CAC Payback	Payback period	< 12mo (strong: < 6mo)	CAC / (ARPA × Gross Margin %)
Burn Multiple	Burn vs revenue growth	< 1.5x (strong: < 1.0x)	Net Burn / Net New ARR
Rule of 40	Growth + profitability	> 40%	ARR Growth % + EBITDA Margin %
Magic Number	S&M efficiency	> 0.75 (strong: > 1.0)	Net New ARR / Prior Quarter S&M Spend

Supporting Metrics

• Quick Ratio: (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churn MRR) — Target > 4x
• Gross Margin: Target > 70% (mature SaaS > 80%)
• Churn Rate: <2%/mo (<20%/yr), Logo Churn < Revenue Churn
• Expansion MRR %: Expansion revenue as % of total MRR — Target > 10%

2. Marketplace

North Star Metric

• GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) or Net Revenue

Core Metrics (7)

Metric	Definition	Target	Calculation
GMV Growth	Total transaction volume growth rate	15-30%/mo (early)	(GMV_this_month - GMV_last_month) / GMV_last_month
Take Rate	Commission rate	10-30% (varies by category)	Net Revenue / GMV
Liquidity	Supply-demand balance	> 80% match rate	Completed Transactions / Total Requests
Buyer Retention	Buyer repeat purchase rate	>30%/mo, >60%/yr	Repeat Buyers This Month / Total Buyers
Seller Retention	Seller retention rate	>70%/mo, >50%/yr	Active Sellers This Month / Prior Month
Repeat Tx %	Repeat transaction share	> 40% (mature > 60%)	Repeat GMV / Total GMV
Supply Utilization	Supply utilization	> 60%	Sellers with Transactions / Total Sellers

Supporting Metrics

• Average Order Value (AOV): Avg amount per transaction
• Frequency: Avg monthly transactions per customer
• Contribution Margin: (Net Revenue - Variable Costs) / Net Revenue — Target > 20%
• Time to Liquidity: Time for new category to reach 80% match rate

3. Consumer / Social

North Star Metric

• DAU (Daily Active Users) or Engagement

Core Metrics (6)

Metric	Definition	Target	Calculation
DAU / MAU	Daily / Monthly active user ratio	> 20% (strong: > 50%)	DAU / MAU
L7/L28	Weekly/monthly engagement	> 50%	Active Last 7 Days / Active Last 28 Days
D1/D7/D30 Retention	Post-signup return rate	D1 > 40%, D7 > 20%, D30 > 10%	Day N Active / Day 0 Signups
K-factor	Viral coefficient	> 1.0 (explosive growth)	(Invites × Conversion Rate) × Repeat
Session Length	Avg session duration	Category-dependent	Total Session Time / Session Count
Frequency	Weekly visit frequency	> 3x/week (habit formation)	Total Sessions / Weekly Active Users

Supporting Metrics

• Activation Rate: % reaching "Aha moment" post-signup — Target > 30%
• Retention Curves: Long-term cohort retention (identify plateau point)
• Resurrection Rate: Reactivated churned user %
• Stickiness: DAU / MAU × 100 (higher = stronger habit)

4. B2B (Enterprise / SMB)

North Star Metric

• ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) or Bookings

Core Metrics (8)

Metric	Definition	Target	Calculation
Win Rate	Sales close rate	20-40% (Ent), 10-20% (SMB)	Won Deals / Total Opportunities
Sales Cycle	Avg sales duration	SMB 30-60d, Mid 60-120d, Ent 120-270d	Avg (Close Date - Opp Create Date)
ACV	Average Contract Value	Ent >$100K, SMB $10K-50K	Total Contract Value / Contract Years
Pipeline Coverage	Pipeline coverage ratio	3-5x quota	Total Pipeline Value / Quarterly Quota
Lead Velocity Rate	Qualified lead growth	10-20%/month	(This Month Leads - Prior Month) / Prior
Conversion Rates	Stage conversion	Lead→Opp 10-20%, Demo→Prop 30-50%	Next Stage / Current Stage
Customer Concentration	Customer concentration	Top 5 < 50% ARR	Top 5 ARR / Total ARR
Expansion ARR	Existing customer expansion	> 30% of New ARR	Upsell + Cross-sell / Total New ARR

Supporting Metrics

• Sales Productivity: ARR per sales rep — Target > $500K (mature > $1M)
• NPS (Net Promoter Score): Target > 30 (strong: > 50)
• Time to Value: Time from contract to first value — Target < 30 days
• Implementation Time: Onboarding completion timeline

Metrics by Funding Stage

Pre-seed / Seed

Primary Goal: Validate Product-Market Fit

Stage	Core Metrics	Benchmarks
Pre-seed	• Activation Rate • D7/D30 Retention • Qualitative Feedback	• First value realization > 30% • D7 Retention > 20% • "Would be very disappointed" > 40%
Seed	• MRR/GMV Growth • Unit Economics (CAC/LTV) • Retention Curves	• 10-15%/mo growth • LTV:CAC > 1:1 (early acceptable) • Flattening curve

Series A

Primary Goal: Scalable Growth Engine

Core Metric	Benchmark
MRR/GMV Growth	8-12%/mo (2.5-3.5x/yr)
CAC Payback	< 18 months
LTV:CAC	> 3:1
NRR (SaaS)	> 100%
Burn Multiple	< 2.0x

Series B

Primary Goal: Efficient Growth + Path to Profitability

Core Metric	Benchmark
ARR/GMV Growth	5-8%/mo (1.8-2.5x/yr)
Rule of 40	> 30% (target > 40%)
CAC Payback	< 12 months
Gross Margin	> 70% (SaaS), > 30% (Marketplace)
Magic Number	> 0.75
Burn Multiple	< 1.5x

Detailed Benchmarks: See references/benchmarks-by-stage.md

Output Format

Metrics Dashboard (Investor-ready)

# [Company Name] Monthly Metrics Dashboard
**Reporting Period**: [YYYY-MM] | **Business Model**: [SaaS/Marketplace/Consumer/B2B]

## 📊 North Star Metric
- **[ARR/MRR/GMV/DAU]**: $X.XM (+Y% vs prior month)
- **Goal Achievement**: Z% (monthly target $X.XM)

## 🎯 Core Metrics (MoM)

| Metric | Current | Prior Month | Change | Benchmark | Status |
|--------|---------|-------------|--------|-----------|--------|
| MRR Growth | 12% | 10% | +2%p | 10-15% | 🟢 |
| NRR | 108% | 105% | +3%p | >100% | 🟢 |
| CAC Payback | 14mo | 16mo | -2mo | <18mo | 🟡 |
| Burn Multiple | 1.8x | 2.1x | -0.3x | <2.0x | 🟢 |

🟢 = Target met/exceeded  |  🟡 = Caution  |  🔴 = Needs improvement

## 📈 Cohort Analysis (Retention)
[Monthly cohort table or chart]

## 💡 Insights
- **Positive**: [2-3 key wins]
- **Concerns**: [1-2 areas needing improvement]
- **Next Month Focus**: [Key metrics and targets]

Execution Flow

1. Detect Model: Auto-classify as SaaS/Marketplace/Consumer/B2B from description
2. Identify Stage: Determine Pre-seed/Seed/Series A/B (explicit or traction-based)
3. Select Metrics: Choose 5-8 metrics optimized for model + stage
4. Collect Data:
   • Basic: User input or file upload
   • Enhanced: Auto-collect from ~~analytics tools
5. Compare to Benchmarks: Assess current metrics vs stage targets
6. Generate Dashboard: Investor-ready format or internal monitoring
7. Provide Insights: Prioritized improvements and action recommendations

Metrics-Specific Improvement Strategies

Improve NRR (SaaS)

1. Strengthen Expansion: Build upsell/cross-sell motions
2. Reduce Churn: Early identify at-risk customers (Health Score)
3. Prevent Downsells: Transition from usage-based to feature-based pricing

Improve Liquidity (Marketplace)

1. Acquire Supply: Seller onboarding incentives, exclusive inventory
2. Activate Demand: Buyer acquisition campaigns, repeat loops
3. Optimize Matching: Search/recommendation algorithms, category refinement

Improve Retention (Consumer)

1. Strengthen Activation: Shorten time to "Aha moment", optimize onboarding
2. Build Habit: Push notifications, email reminders, streak systems
3. Enable Network Effects: Social features, viral loops, community

Improve Win Rate (B2B)

1. Refine ICP: Focus on highest-win-rate segments
2. Enable Sales: Battlecards, demo environments, ROI calculators
3. Handle Objections: Standardized responses to common concerns

Connectable Tools

Tool Category	Placeholder	Purpose	Example Tools
Analytics Platform	~~analytics	Auto-collect real-time metric data	Mixpanel, Amplitude, Segment
Spreadsheet	~~spreadsheet	Cohort analysis, trend charts	Google Sheets, Excel
Knowledge Base	~~knowledge base	Extract benchmarks from past reports	Notion, Confluence
BI Tool	(~~analytics)	Dashboard visualization	Looker, Tableau, Metabase

Related Skills

• financial-modeling — Integrate metrics into financial models
• fundraise-comms — Include metrics in investor updates
• market-sizing — Reverse-engineer metrics for TAM/SAM achievement
• gtm-strategy — Select key metrics by GTM motion

Tips

• Less is More: Focus on 5-8 core metrics. Tracking 30 kills execution
• Stage-specific Focus: Pre-seed emphasizes Retention, Seed emphasizes Unit Economics, Series A+ emphasizes efficiency
• Cohort Analysis Required: Averages mislead. Cohort analysis reveals true trends
• Benchmarks as Reference Only: Vary by industry/region/model. Compare vs your own history first
• Leading vs Lagging: CAC/LTV are lagging; Pipeline Coverage/Lead Velocity are leading
• Investor Perspective: Rule of 40, Burn Multiple, CAC Payback are most VC-watched
• Consistency Matters: Definition of same metric varies by company. Once defined, maintain consistently