Startup metrics

Metrics cheat sheet

A single-page quick reference with every B2B SaaS metric formula, benchmark range, and key insight. Bookmark this page.

Every formula and benchmark from this guide on one page. Bookmark this for quick reference.

Revenue metrics

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
MRR	Sum of monthly subscription fees	15–20% MoM growth (early)
ARR	MRR × 12	Used for $1M+ companies
Net new MRR	New + Expansion − Churned − Contraction	Positive and growing
ARPU	Total MRR ÷ Paying customers	$50–$500 (SMB), $500–$5K (mid)
MoM growth rate	(This month − Last month) ÷ Last month × 100	8–20% depending on stage
NRR	(Start MRR + Expand − Churn − Contract) ÷ Start MRR × 100	> 110%
GRR	(Start MRR − Churn − Contract) ÷ Start MRR × 100	> 90%

Full revenue metrics guide →

Unit economics

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
CAC	Total S&M costs ÷ New customers	$100–$500 (SMB), $2K–$15K (enterprise)
LTV	ARPU × Gross margin ÷ Monthly churn rate	> 3× CAC
LTV:CAC ratio	LTV ÷ CAC	3:1 to 5:1
CAC payback	CAC ÷ (ARPU × Gross margin %)	< 12 months
Gross margin	(Revenue − COGS) ÷ Revenue × 100	> 80% for SaaS

Full unit economics guide →

Product metrics

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
DAU / WAU / MAU	Unique users with meaningful actions in 1/7/30 days	Depends on product type
DAU/MAU ratio	DAU ÷ MAU	0.15–0.25 for B2B
Activation rate	Users completing key actions ÷ New signups × 100	40–60%
Time to value	Median time from signup to first value	< 24 hrs (simple), < 1 week (complex)
Feature adoption	Users who used feature ÷ Eligible users × 100	60–80% (core features)
Session frequency	Sessions per user per week	4–8 (daily-use tools)

Full product metrics guide →

Growth metrics

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
User acquisition rate	New users ÷ Time period	20–50% MoM (early-stage)
Viral coefficient (K)	Referrals per user × Referral conversion rate	> 0.5
Organic/paid mix	Organic signups ÷ Total signups	40–60% organic at growth stage
Market penetration	Your customers ÷ Total addressable customers × 100	Varies by market

Full growth metrics guide →

Retention and churn

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
Customer retention	(End customers − New) ÷ Start customers × 100	> 95% monthly
Churn rate	Customers lost ÷ Start customers × 100	< 2% monthly (B2B SaaS)
NRR	(Start + Expand − Churn − Contract) ÷ Start × 100	> 110%
GRR	(Start − Churn − Contract) ÷ Start × 100	> 90%

Monthly churn compounding:

Monthly churn	Annual churn	Customers left (of 100)
1%	~11%	89
2%	~22%	78
5%	~46%	54

Full retention guide →

Sales and marketing

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
MQL → SQL rate	SQLs ÷ MQLs × 100	20–30%
Lead → Customer	Customers ÷ Total leads × 100	2–5%
Win rate	Won deals ÷ Qualified opportunities × 100	20–30%
Pipeline coverage	Pipeline value ÷ Quota	3–5×
Pipeline velocity	(Opps × Deal size × Win rate) ÷ Cycle length	Higher = better
CPL	Channel spend ÷ Leads generated	Varies by channel
CPA	Full channel cost ÷ Customers acquired	< CAC target

Full sales and marketing guide →

Operational metrics

Metric	Formula	Good benchmark
Gross burn rate	Total monthly expenses	Context-dependent
Net burn rate	Monthly expenses − Monthly revenue	Decreasing over time
Runway	Cash ÷ Monthly net burn	> 12 months post-raise
Burn multiple	Net burn ÷ Net new ARR	< 1.5× (efficient)
Revenue per employee	Annual revenue ÷ Employees	$200K–$400K (growth stage)
Rule of 40	Growth rate % + Profit margin %	> 40%

Full operational metrics guide →

Metrics by stage — quick reference

Stage	Primary KPI	ARR range	Key focus
Pre-PMF	WAU	< $100K	Engagement, activation, learning speed
Early PMF	MRR	$100K – $1M	Unit economics, repeatable sales
Scaling	MRR (efficiency)	$1M – $10M	NRR, burn multiple, gross margin
Late stage	ARR + Rule of 40	$10M+	Profitable growth, market leadership

Full stage breakdown →

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