The most important metrics for a SaaS Scaleup

The most important metrics for a SaaS Scaleup

Growing a SaaS company isn’t about more dashboards — it’s about tracking the few metrics that actually predict success.

The essentials:

  • ARR Growth: The simplest measure of momentum. Tells you if the market wants what you’re selling.
  • Net Retention (NRR): The real health indicator. If customers expand, you’re building something valuable.
  • Gross Retention (GRR): Shows whether the core product solves a must-have problem.
  • CAC Payback: How fast you recover your customer acquisition cost. Critical for capital efficiency.
  • Magic Number: Links sales and marketing spend to new ARR. Great for judging go-to-market performance.
  • Gross Margin: Determines whether the business can scale without burning cash.
  • Pipeline Coverage: A practical, weekly indicator for whether you will hit the quarter.

Nail these, and everything else becomes easier.