Traction Metrics That Matter to Investors
Show meaningful progress toward product-market fit with metrics that demonstrate real customer value and business momentum.
Metrics by Business Model
SaaS/Subscription
Growth Metrics:
- • Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
- • Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
- • Net Revenue Retention
- • Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Health Metrics:
- • Customer Churn Rate
- • Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
- • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- • LTV:CAC Ratio
Marketplace/Platform
Volume Metrics:
- • Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV)
- • Transaction Volume
- • Active Buyers/Sellers
- • Repeat Transaction Rate
Engagement Metrics:
- • Average Transaction Size
- • Frequency of Use
- • Supply/Demand Balance
- • Network Density
Metrics by Stage
Pre-Revenue/Early Stage
- • User signups and activation rates
- • Product usage and engagement
- • Customer feedback and NPS scores
- • Pilot customer commitments
Revenue Stage
- • Revenue growth rate
- • Customer acquisition and retention
- • Unit economics and profitability
- • Market expansion indicators
Presenting Your Metrics
Best Practices
- • Show trends: Include growth rates and trajectory, not just point-in-time numbers
- • Provide context: Compare to industry benchmarks where relevant
- • Be honest: Acknowledge limitations and areas for improvement
- • Focus on quality: Better to have fewer strong metrics than many weak ones