Metrics
Scale Stage | $5-15M ARR | 30-80 headcount
Main challenge: Adding capacity without chaos. Process debt and tool sprawl.
Metrics to Measure
Principle: Measure what matters for scaling — pipeline predictability, forecasting accuracy, and efficiency. Data maturity increases; more metrics become reliable.
Core Metrics at Scale
| Metric | Why It Matters | Target |
|---|---|---|
| ARR/MRR | Business health | Growth rate matters more than absolute |
| Pipeline production | Future revenue | 3-4x coverage minimum |
| Pipeline conversion | Funnel efficiency | Track stage-to-stage |
| Forecast accuracy | Predictability | Within 10% of commit |
| Sales cycle length | Efficiency | Trend and segment split |
| Win rate | Effectiveness | By segment, source, rep |
| CAC | Acquisition efficiency | By channel, segment |
| GRR | Base retention | >85-90% |
| NRR | Growth from customers | >100-110% |
What's New at Scale (vs. Stabilize)
| Metric | Why It Emerges |
|---|---|
| Forecast accuracy | Enough pipeline to forecast meaningfully |
| Pipeline coverage ratio | Team size requires coverage discipline |
| Rep productivity | Multiple reps need benchmarking |
| Marketing-sourced % | Marketing now accountable for pipeline |
| Sales cycle by segment | Segmentation makes this meaningful |
| CAC payback | Efficiency matters with scale investment |
Metrics by Function
Sales:
| Metric | What to Track |
|---|---|
| Pipeline production | By rep, segment, source |
| Pipeline velocity | Dollar × conversion ÷ cycle time |
| Forecast vs. actual | Weekly/monthly accuracy |
| Rep attainment | % of quota, trend |
| Activity metrics | Leading indicators |
Marketing:
| Metric | What to Track |
|---|---|
| MQL production | Volume and trend |
| MQL→SQL conversion | Lead quality |
| Marketing-sourced pipeline | Attribution |
| CAC by channel | Efficiency |
| Content performance | Engagement, conversion |
Customer Success:
| Metric | What to Track |
|---|---|
| GRR and NRR | Retention health |
| Health score distribution | Portfolio health |
| Onboarding completion | Time to value |
| Expansion pipeline | Growth opportunity |
| Support metrics | CSAT, response time |
What NOT to Measure Yet
- LTV:CAC ratio — requires mature cohort data (Optimize stage metric)
- Magic number — requires consistent quarters of data
- Segment-level unit economics — wait until segments are stable
Series B benchmark ranges (from LeanScale Growth Model):
| Metric | Strategic (Ent) | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| ACV | $300K | $50K |
| SQL→CW Conversion | 5% | 6% |
| Sales Cycle | 2 quarters | 1 quarter |
| Quota/Rep | $1.2M | $800K |
| CSM Capacity | $4M ARR | $2M ARR |
| Net Retention | 105% | 105% |
| Cost per SQL | $5,000 | $5,000 |
Note: Series B typically $15-45M ARR, with Enterprise + Commercial segments.
Playbook reference: → Growth Model, Executive Reporting Suite