Startup & SaaS calculators

Above one hundred percent means the existing customer base grows without any new sales, which is a strong position. What counts as good varies substantially by segment, since businesses selling to larger organisations typically achieve more expansion than those selling to very small ones.

Total everything spent to acquire customers in a period, sales and marketing salaries, commissions, tooling and attributable overhead, not just advertising, divided by customers acquired. Excluding people costs is the most common way CAC is understated.

Commonly cited thresholds depend on churn assumptions far into the future that young companies cannot support. CAC payback period is a better operating target because it is grounded in observed cash flows and depends on fewer assumptions.

It follows from how much you raise and at what valuation , not being chosen directly. The more useful question is whether the capital produces more value than the ownership it costs, since a smaller share of a much larger outcome is worth more.

MRR counts normalised recurring subscription revenue and excludes one-time fees, professional services and usage overages. Total revenue includes everything. Blending them overstates the predictable base and distorts the growth rate.

Investors typically require a pool established before the investment, which means it dilutes existing holders instead of the incoming investor and effectively lowers the pre-money valuation. It is a substantive negotiation, not an administrative detail.

A maximum valuation at which the instrument converts. If the priced round is above the cap, it converts as though the valuation were the cap, giving the investor more shares for the same money. The further above the cap, the larger the effect.

It depends on capital availability, unit economics and how defensible the market position is. Growth funded by capital that may not be available later is fragile. Profitability that forgoes a durable position can be equally costly. The honest version of the question is which risk you can survive.

Around 3 to 1 is a common benchmark, meaning a customer returns three times what it cost to acquire, though it varies by stage.

It is the revenue from an existing customer group a year later including upgrades and churn, and above 100% means the base grows by itself.

The pool is usually created before the round, so it reduces founder and existing holder percentages, not the new investors' stake.