Outcome
Outcome Metrics
A result you set targets for. If this misses, someone has a hard conversation.
Test: "Is there a target on this in a board deck or comp plan?"
72 metrics across 12 departments.
Core (20)
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
The total predictable revenue from active subscriptions, normalized to a monthly value.
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
The annualized value of recurring revenue. ARR represents the yearly run rate of subscription revenue.
ARPA (Average Revenue Per Account)
Average monthly recurring revenue per customer.
MRR Growth Rate
The month-over-month percentage change in MRR.
New MRR
MRR generated from brand new customers acquired in the period.
Expansion MRR
Additional MRR from existing customers through upgrades, add-ons, seat increases or price increases.
Churned MRR
MRR lost from customers who cancelled their subscriptions.
Contraction MRR
MRR reduction from existing customers who downgraded but didn't churn.
Reactivation MRR
MRR regained from customers who had churned and signed up again in the period.
Carry MRR
The part of beginning MRR that existing customers kept paying in the period: beginning MRR less churned and contraction MRR, before any expansion.
Net New MRR
The net change in MRR after accounting for all movements.
Total Customers
The number of active customers at the end of the period.
New Customers
The number of customers acquired in the period: customers whose first paid subscription started in the period.
Churned Customers
The number of customers lost in the period: customers whose last active subscription ended.
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
The percentage of revenue retained from existing customers over a period, including expansion, contraction and churn. Also known as Net Dollar Retention (NDR).
Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)
The percentage of revenue retained from existing customers, excluding expansion revenue. Also known as Gross Dollar Retention.
Logo Churn Rate (Customer Churn)
The percentage of customers lost in a period. Also called customer churn or logo churn.
Revenue Churn Rate
The percentage of MRR lost to churn and contraction in a period. Also called MRR Churn Rate.
Gross Margin
Revenue minus cost of goods sold (COGS), as a percentage of revenue. Measures profitability after direct delivery costs.
Rule of 40
A heuristic that balances growth and profitability. A healthy SaaS company's growth rate plus profit margin should equal 40% or more.
Customer Success (5)
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
The percentage of revenue retained from existing customers over a period, including expansion, contraction and churn. Also known as Net Dollar Retention (NDR).
Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)
The percentage of revenue retained from existing customers, excluding expansion revenue. Also known as Gross Dollar Retention.
Logo Retention Rate
The percentage of customers retained over a period.
Expansion Revenue Rate
Expansion MRR as a percentage of beginning MRR.
Renewal Rate
The percentage of subscriptions whose term ended in the period that renewed.
Engineering (2)
Finance (12)
Revenue (GAAP)
Recognized revenue according to accounting standards.
Bookings
Total contract value signed in a period.
Billings
Amounts invoiced in a period.
ARR / MRR
The total predictable revenue from active subscriptions, normalized to a monthly value.
Revenue per Employee
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) divided by total headcount.
Gross Margin
Revenue minus cost of goods sold (COGS), as a percentage of revenue. Measures profitability after direct delivery costs.
Operating Margin (EBIT Margin)
Operating income as a percentage of revenue.
EBITDA Margin
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization as a percentage of revenue.
Net Income Margin
Net income as a percentage of revenue.
Rule of 40
A heuristic that balances growth and profitability. A healthy SaaS company's growth rate plus profit margin should equal 40% or more.
Free Cash Flow (FCF)
Cash generated from operations minus capital expenditures.
Free Cash Flow Margin
FCF as a percentage of revenue.
Marketing (1)
Onboarding (5)
Onboarding Completion Rate
Percentage of customers who complete the onboarding program.
Onboarding CSAT
Customer satisfaction with the onboarding experience.
Onboarding-to-Active Rate (Activation Rate)
Percentage of onboarded customers who become actively engaged.
30-Day Retention (Post-Onboarding)
Percentage of customers still active 30 days after onboarding completion.
Onboarding Cohort Churn
Churn rate segmented by onboarding characteristics.
Partnerships (7)
Partner Churn Rate
Percentage of partners who leave or become inactive.
Partner-Sourced Revenue
Revenue from deals originated by partners.
Partner-Influenced Revenue
Revenue from deals where partners were involved (but may not have originated).
Channel Revenue Percentage
Partner-sourced revenue as a percentage of total recognised (GAAP) revenue.
Partner Revenue Growth
Year-over-year growth in partner-sourced revenue.
Average Partner Revenue
Average revenue per active partner.
Marketplace Revenue
Revenue transacted through marketplace (AWS, Azure, etc.).
People (6)
Revenue per Employee
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) divided by total headcount.
Employee Turnover Rate
Percentage of employees who left in a period.
Voluntary Turnover Rate
Turnover due to employee choice (resignations).
Regrettable Turnover
Voluntary departures of high performers, as a share of the high performers employed at the start of the period.
Diversity Representation
Percentage of workforce from underrepresented groups.
Diversity in Leadership
Representation at manager+ levels.
Product (4)
Activation Rate
Percentage of users who signed up in the period that reached the activation milestone.
User Retention (Day N)
Percentage of users who return on day N after signup.
Cohort Retention
Retention tracked by signup cohort over time. The canonical formula reports week 8 for the period's signup cohort.
Roadmap Completion
Percentage of roadmap items completed in the period.
Professional Services (5)
Services Revenue
Revenue from professional services (implementation, consulting, training).
Services Gross Margin
Services revenue minus direct delivery costs.
On-Time Delivery
Percentage of projects delivered by committed date.
On-Budget Delivery
Percentage of projects completed in the period within their budgeted hours.
Project CSAT
Customer satisfaction with services engagement.