Investors see hundreds of pitch decks per year. The ones that stand out present clear, honest metrics that demonstrate a real business. Here are the 15 metrics that matter most, organized by what they reveal about your startup.
Growth Metrics
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): The foundation of any subscription business. Investors want to see consistent month-over-month growth. MRR Growth Rate: The percentage increase in MRR each month. Top-quartile seed-stage startups grow 15-20% MoM. Annual Run Rate (ARR): MRR multiplied by 12. Useful for framing scale. Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV): For marketplaces, the total value of transactions on your platform.
Unit Economics
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The total cost to acquire a new customer, including marketing, sales, and onboarding. Lifetime Value (LTV): The total revenue a customer generates over their lifetime. LTV/CAC Ratio: Should be at least 3:1 for a healthy business. Below 3:1 means you are spending too much to acquire customers. Payback Period: How many months it takes to recover CAC from a customer's payments. Under 12 months is ideal.
Engagement Metrics
Daily Active Users / Monthly Active Users (DAU/MAU): This ratio reveals how often users return. Above 50% is excellent. Net Revenue Retention (NRR): Revenue from existing customers after accounting for churn, contraction, and expansion. Above 120% means your existing customers are growing faster than you are losing them. Churn Rate: The percentage of customers or revenue lost each month. Below 3% monthly churn for B2B is healthy.
Efficiency Metrics
Burn Multiple: Net burn divided by net new ARR. Below 2x is efficient, above 3x is concerning. Runway: Months of cash remaining at current burn rate. Always maintain at least 12 months. Gross Margin: Revenue minus cost of goods sold, divided by revenue. Software companies should target 70-85%.
Presenting Metrics to Investors
Always present metrics in context: show trends over time (not just snapshots), compare to industry benchmarks, and be honest about areas of weakness. Investors respect founders who understand their numbers deeply and can articulate what drives them.
