Drowning in metrics is its own failure mode. Watch these five and ignore most of the rest.
1. MRR & growth rate
Monthly recurring revenue and how fast it compounds. The heartbeat of the business.
2. Gross margin
What's left after the direct cost of serving customers. Below 70% and something is structurally wrong for software.
3. Net revenue retention (NRR)
Does your existing customer base spend more or less over time? Above 100% is a growth flywheel.
4. CAC payback period
How many months of gross profit it takes to recoup the cost of acquiring a customer. Under 12 months is healthy; under 6 is excellent.
5. Churn
The silent killer. Even great acquisition can't outrun high churn. Track logo churn and revenue churn separately.
Putting it together
If MRR is growing, margin is high, NRR is over 100%, CAC pays back fast, and churn is low, you are building a profitable SaaS, full stop.