Metrics That Matter: Proving Efficacy and Implementing the Right KPIs with Susan Cates
Notes and takeaways from our session
Thank you for joining us for a great session with Susan Cates on metrics that matter and proving efficacy with the right KPIs.
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Below are clips and the full video recording of the session, along with a list of takeaways for those who couldn’t make it.
Thank you for joining us for our first season! Here, you can check out the notes and replays from all six fall sessions. Please forward to other founders and operators who might find these insights valuable.
Stay tuned for what is to come in Spring!
— Avalanche & ECMC EIF
Takeaways
Key Metrics to Track:
Demand: Bookings, revenues, growth rate, net/gross dollar retention, and expansion. These metrics help prove product-market fit and willingness to pay.
Sustainability: Focus on unit economics (gross margin, CAC), cash cycle, and profitability path. These metrics will help guide your financial strategy and ensure you can improve capital efficiency.
Efficacy: In sectors like education/workforce, value is tied to tangible outcomes like completion rates, wage increases, and job placements. Find the metrics that demonstrate your value proposition most directly.
Qualitative Metrics: Remember qualitative metrics (e.g., customer satisfaction and learner confidence). These metrics are essential for understanding and building context around quantitative outcomes.
Industry Benchmarks: Use comparable benchmarks (look to companies with similar products, GTM, and industry) to measure yourself against.
Adaptability and Goal Setting: Be flexible to market shifts and demands (e.g., investor focus from growth to profitability). Revisit goals regularly and structure incentives to reflect evolving priorities.
Experimentation and Accountability: Stay experiment-driven to test your hypotheses and the effectiveness of your initiatives. Encourage innovation within the team while holding them accountable to key goals. Find ways to align incentives like compensation and bonuses to your North Star metrics.