The Top 20 KPIs Every First-Time Startup Founder Should Know (And How to Calculate Them)

As a first-time startup founder, navigating the world of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be overwhelming. But understanding and tracking the right KPIs can be the difference between success and stagnation. Here’s a guide to the top 20 KPIs you should be aware of and how to calculate them:

1. Monthly Active Users (MAU):

How to Calculate: Count the unique users who engage with your product in a month.

2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):

How to Calculate: Divide the total cost of acquiring customers (marketing and sales expenses) by the number of customers acquired in a given period.

3. Lifetime Value (LTV):

How to Calculate: Multiply the average purchase value by the average purchase frequency and then multiply that by the average customer lifespan.

4. Churn Rate:

How to Calculate: Divide the number of customers lost during a period by the number at the start of the period.

5. Net Promoter Score (NPS):

How to Calculate: Subtract the percentage of detractors (those who rate your product 6 or below) from the percentage of promoters (those who rate 9 or 10).

6. Conversion Rate:

How to Calculate: Divide the number of conversions by the total number of visitors and multiply by 100.

7. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU):

How to Calculate: Divide the total revenue by the number of users.

8. Burn Rate:

How to Calculate: Subtract the cash at the end of the month from the cash at the beginning of the month.

9. Customer Retention Rate:

How to Calculate: Subtract the number of new customers during a period from the total number of customers at the end of the period, then divide by the number of customers at the start of the period, and multiply by 100.

10. Cost Per Click (CPC):

How to Calculate: Divide the total cost of a campaign by the number of clicks generated.

11. Return on Investment (ROI):

How to Calculate: Subtract the cost of an investment from the gain of the investment, then divide by the cost of the investment.

12. Gross Margin:

How to Calculate: Subtract the cost of goods sold (COGS) from total revenue and divide by total revenue.

13. Revenue Growth Rate:

How to Calculate: Subtract the revenue of the previous period from the revenue of the current period, then divide by the revenue of the previous period.

14. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT):

How to Calculate: Average the responses from a customer satisfaction survey on a scale of 1-5.

15. Lead-to-Customer Rate:

How to Calculate: Divide the number of new customers by the number of leads, then multiply by 100.

16. Operating Margin:

How to Calculate: Subtract operating expenses from operating income and divide by total revenue.

17. Bounce Rate:

How to Calculate: Divide the number of single-page visits by the total number of visits.

18. Referral Rate:

How to Calculate: Divide the number of customers acquired through referrals by the total number of customers.

19. Revenue Per Employee:

How to Calculate: Divide total revenue by the total number of employees.

20. Product Return Rate:

How to Calculate: Divide the number of returned products by the total number of products sold.

Understanding these KPIs and their implications can provide invaluable insights into your startup’s health and areas for improvement. Regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics will ensure you’re on the right track to achieving your business goals.

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