Metrics and KPIs
Startup metrics and KPIs that actually matter: north stars, cohort retention, magic number, and the dashboard an investor wants.
11 articles
Three Numbers That Tell You If You Are Financially Ready to Start a Company
Financial readiness reduces to three metrics: personal runway in months, monthly flex (minimum survival cost), and non-retirement net worth. Under 6 months runway means you are…
Telling Employees About the Sale: When, How, and What to Expect
Get communication wrong and key people leave during diligence. Get it right and they become champions. Legal constraints, timing, and retention strategies.
Investor Update Templates: What to Send, When, and the One Section You Are Missing
Monthly or quarterly investor updates keep stakeholders aligned. Key sections: progress, metrics, financials, ask.
Board Meetings: What Financial Data to Prepare and How to Frame Your Story
Board meetings require financial dashboards, progress against milestones, and forward-looking narratives.
How to Build a Metrics Dashboard That You Will Actually Use Every Week
Most startup dashboards are built once and abandoned within a month because they show too many metrics, require manual updates, or do not connect to the decisions the team…
The 10 KPIs Every Founder Should Track (And the 20 They Should Ignore)
Founders track too many metrics or the wrong ones. The result is dashboards with 30 numbers and no clarity about what actually matters. A seed-stage startup needs 8-12 KPIs. Not…
How to Build a Cohort Analysis That Actually Tells You Something
Cohort analysis is the most powerful tool for understanding whether a business is actually retaining and growing customers over time. A cohort is a group of customers who started…
Startup Board Meetings: Financial Reporting Templates and Best Practices
Master startup board meeting financial reporting: monthly metrics dashboards, variance analysis from plan, and executive narratives. Professional board reporting builds investor…
Startup Tax Planning: R&D Credits and Section 1202 QSBS Explained
Maximize startup tax planning with R&D tax credits worth 6-15% of payroll and Section 1202 QSBS gains exclusions. Strategic startup tax strategy can save founders millions in…
ARR vs MRR vs Revenue: Metrics That Actually Matter
Master SaaS metrics: ARR, MRR, and revenue. Calculate and benchmark these metrics to measure growth, fundraise, and assess unit economics.
Revenue Recognition for SaaS Startups: ASC 606 Basics
ASC 606 requires SaaS companies to recognize revenue when control of promised goods/services transfers to customers. For subscription businesses, this typically means recognizing…