Learn / Startup metrics and unit economics Go to Overview 1. Revenue, ARR, bookings, and cash 2. Gross margin by business model, Pro 3. CAC: paid, blended, and fully loaded, Pro 4. LTV and payback, done properly, Pro 5. Retention: NRR, GRR, cohorts, and engagement, Pro 6. Burn, efficiency, and dressed up metrics, Pro Flashcards, 0 of 18 reviewed Basic quiz Advanced quiz Terms Startup metrics and unit economics
0 of 6 lessons
0 of 18 cards Read a startup's numbers the way a partner does: what counts as revenue, what margin each model earns, what a customer really costs and returns, and which efficiency metrics survive scrutiny.
B Basic3 lessons 1 Revenue, ARR, bookings, and cash One signed contract shows up as four different numbers. Knowing which is which is the first test of whether a founder's revenue line means what it says. 9 min 2 Gross margin by business model Gross margin decides how much of each revenue dollar can pay for growth, and it differs sharply between software, marketplaces, fintech, AI products, and hardware. 10 min 3 CAC: paid, blended, and fully loaded Customer acquisition cost has three common versions, and founders pick the flattering one. The one that matters is what the next customer will cost. 8 min Q Basic quiz 10 questions, 80% passes A Advanced3 lessons 4 LTV and payback, done properly The textbook LTV formula assumes constant churn forever and money that never loses value. Real cohorts churn early, flatten later, and pay back slower than the naive math says. 11 min 5 Retention: NRR, GRR, cohorts, and engagement Retention is the metric that most often separates a company with product market fit from one buying growth. Read it in revenue, in logos, and in daily use. 10 min 6 Burn, efficiency, and dressed up metrics How fast a company spends, how much growth each dollar buys, and the habits that make a weak set of numbers look strong. 11 min Q Advanced quiz 10 questions, 80% passes