Learn which metrics matter most for early-stage B2B SaaS startups and how to focus on what drives growth
Most startup founders drown in metrics. They track everything from website visitors to social media followers, mistaking activity for progress. The truth is simpler: focus on one primary metric that directly reflects your business health, then use a handful of secondary metrics to understand the drivers behind it.
Your startup should have one primary KPI that everyone on your team knows and cares about. For most B2B SaaS startups, this is either:
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) - if you have paying customers
Weekly Active Users (WAU) - if you’re pre-revenue but have product usage
Everything else is secondary. This doesn’t mean other metrics aren’t important—they help you understand why your primary metric is moving—but they shouldn’t distract from the main goal.
Tracking too many things: More metrics don’t mean better insights. Start with 3-5 total metrics.Focusing on absolute numbers over rates: Growth rate matters more than absolute size for startups.Ignoring cohort analysis: Understanding how different customer groups behave over time is crucial.Measuring outputs instead of outcomes: Track the business impact, not just the activity.
Choose your primary KPI based on your current stage and business model
Identify 2-3 secondary metrics that drive your primary KPI
Set up proper tracking to measure these consistently
Review weekly with your team to drive alignment
Iterate monthly on which metrics to focus on as you learn
The rest of this guide will walk you through each category of metrics, how to calculate them, and most importantly, how to act on them. Remember: the goal isn’t to track everything—it’s to track the right things that help you build a successful business.
Next steps
Start with metrics by stage to understand what to focus on at your current startup phase, or jump into product metrics if you’re ready to dive into specifics.