Startup Metrics Framework

Track, calculate, and optimize key performance metrics for different startup business models from seed through Series B+.

Installation

OpenClaw / Moltbot / Clawbot

npx clawhub@latest install startup-metrics

NEVER Do

• Focus on vanity metrics (total users without retention, page views without engagement, downloads without activation)
• Track 50 metrics loosely instead of 5-7 core metrics intensely
• Ignore unit economics at any stage — CAC and LTV matter even at seed
• Present metrics without context (benchmark, target, or trend)
• Optimize dashboard numbers instead of real business outcomes
• Skip segmentation — always break down by customer segment, channel, and cohort

Data

The data/metrics.csv file contains 42 metrics with formulas, benchmarks by stage, interpretation guidance, and related metrics. Use it for lookups and cross-referencing.

How to Use This Skill

1. Identify business model — SaaS, marketplace, consumer/mobile, or B2B
2. Determine stage — Pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B+
3. Select 5-7 core metrics based on model and stage
4. Apply formulas and benchmarks from the sections below
5. Recommend tracking cadence and reporting format

Universal Metrics (All Models)

Revenue

Unit Economics

Cash Management

SaaS-Specific Metrics

Revenue Composition

Net New MRR = New MRR + Expansion MRR - Contraction MRR - Churned MRR

Retention

Efficiency

Marketplace Metrics

Consumer / Mobile Metrics

B2B Sales Metrics

Pipeline Conversion Rates

Metrics by Stage

Pre-Seed (Product-Market Fit)

Focus: Active users growth, user retention (D7/D30), core engagement, qualitative feedback (NPS, interviews).

Ignore for now: Revenue, CAC, unit economics.

Seed ($500K-$2M ARR)

Focus: MRR growth (15-20% MoM), CAC and LTV baselines, gross retention (>85%), product engagement.

Start tracking: Sales efficiency, burn rate, runway.

Series A ($2M-$10M ARR)

Focus: ARR growth (3-5x YoY), unit economics (LTV:CAC >3, payback <18mo), NDR (>100%), burn multiple (<2.0), magic number (>0.5).

Mature tracking: Rule of 40, sales efficiency, pipeline coverage.

Series B+ ($10M+ ARR)

Focus: Rule of 40 (>40%), efficient growth, path to profitability, market leadership.

Tracking Best Practices

Reporting Cadence

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

Always include: current value, growth rate/trend, context (target or benchmark).

What VCs Want to See

Data Infrastructure

Requirements

• Single source of truth (analytics platform)
• Real-time or daily updates for core metrics
• Automated calculations (no manual spreadsheets for recurring metrics)
• Historical tracking for trend analysis and cohort comparisons

Recommended Tools

Common Mistakes

1. Vanity metrics — Focus on actionable metrics tied to value, not totals without context
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 dashboard numbers

Metric Calculation Examples

LTV Calculation

ARPU: $200/month
Gross Margin: 80%
Monthly Churn: 3%

LTV = $200 × 0.80 × (1/0.03) = $5,333

Burn Multiple

Net Burn: $150K/month
Net New ARR (quarter): $300K

Burn Multiple = ($150K × 3) / $300K = 1.5

Interpretation: Spending $1.50 to generate each $1 of new ARR — acceptable efficiency.

Magic Number

Net New ARR (Q2): $400K
S&M Spend (Q1): $500K

Magic Number = $400K / $500K = 0.80

Interpretation: Above 0.75 threshold — efficient, ready to scale S&M investment.

Quick Ratio

New MRR: $40K
Expansion MRR: $15K
Churned MRR: $8K
Contraction MRR: $4K

Quick Ratio = ($40K + $15K) / ($8K + $4K) = 4.58

Interpretation: Above 4.0 — healthy growth significantly outpacing churn.

Investor Metric Presentation

Present metrics with three components:

1. Current value — the number itself
2. Growth rate or trend — direction and velocity
3. Context — benchmark, target, or peer comparison

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
Burn Multiple: 1.8x | Magic Number: 0.65

Quick Start

To implement this framework:

1. Identify business model — SaaS, marketplace, consumer, B2B
2. Choose 5-7 core metrics — based on stage and model
3. Establish tracking — set up analytics and dashboards
4. Calculate unit economics — CAC, LTV, payback
5. Set targets — use benchmarks from this skill
6. Review regularly — weekly for core metrics, monthly for full suite
7. Share with team — align on goals and progress
8. Update investors — monthly or quarterly reporting

Data Reference

The data/metrics.csv file contains 42 metrics with:

• Unique ID and category classification
• Formulas for calculation
• Benchmarks by stage (seed, Series A, Series B)
• Interpretation guidance for each metric
• Related metrics for cross-referencing and dependency tracking