Q14 / OPERATIONS
Problem 10
What metrics should I track?
Fly with your instruments on.
Most founders track too much or nothing at all. Track the few numbers that matter at your stage.
- Time: 10 MIN
- Who: SOLO
- Stage: ALL STAGES
- Access: FREE
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The short answer
What metrics should an early-stage SaaS track? Start with cash, burn and runway (cash / burn = months left), product value (are customers actually using it?) and your funnel: See, Try, Buy, Churn. Add lead velocity and customer health as you grow. Don't calculate CAC or LTV until Stage 3 - with under 10 customers, the maths lies.
How it works
- Tell us your stage.
- Get the metrics that matter now - and the ones to ignore.
- Enter your numbers and see what needs attention.
Worked example
A Stage 1 founder tracks pageviews, LTV and NPS. None of them matter yet. What matters: runway (7 months - close to the 6-month line where you stop hiring and start selling) and whether the first 6 customers actually use the product.
FAQ
Why not track LTV early?
With fewer than 10 customers, your sample is too small and the number will mislead you.
What's product value?
The one action that proves a customer gets value - not logins.
What's the runway rule?
Below 6 months, stop hiring and start selling.
From the book
Problem 10 - What metrics should I track?
Use this next
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