Skill: wpank/startup-metrics (version 1.0.0)

--- name: startup-metrics model: fast version: 1.0.0 description: > Track, calculate, and optimize key performance metrics for startups from seed through Series A. Covers unit economics, growth efficiency, and business models. tags: [startup, metrics, saas, kpis, unit-economics, growth, fundraising] --- # 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 ```bash npx clawhub@latest install startup-metrics ``` ## WHAT 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 ARR ``` **Benchmarks:** | 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 ARR ``` **Burn 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 MRR ``` ### Retention 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 Start ``` **NDR 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 / GMV ``` **Typical 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 Rate ``` **DAU/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 months ``` ## Common Mistakes 1. **Vanity Metrics** — Focus on actionable metrics, not total users or page views 2. **Too Many Metrics** — Track 5-7 core metrics intensely, not 50 loosely 3. **Ignoring Unit Economics** — CAC and LTV matter even at seed stage 4. **Not Segmenting** — Break down by customer segment, channel, cohort 5. **Gaming Metrics** — Optimize for real business outcomes, not dashboards ## NEVER Do 1. **NEVER ignore** unit economics at any stage — CAC and LTV are always critical 2. **NEVER track** vanity metrics (total users, page views) without retention context 3. **NEVER report** growth rates without absolute numbers — 100% growth from $1K is different from $1M 4. **NEVER skip** segmentation — aggregate metrics hide important patterns 5. **NEVER confuse** correlation with causation — investigate before concluding 6. **NEVER set** targets without understanding your stage benchmarks 7. **NEVER present** metrics without trend context — current value + growth rate + benchmark 8. **NEVER optimize** for the metric instead of the underlying business outcome


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)