Successful founders know their metrics intimately, discussing them with precision rather than vague estimates.

While revenue is often the best primary metric, some startups may focus on active users, especially if building a large audience is a prerequisite for monetization.

Founders should know key metrics like cash position and burn rate to communicate effectively with investors.

When you're a non-technical founder, demonstrating user data is crucial; it proves that people are using your product and validates its usefulness.

In biotech or hard tech businesses, your primary metric might not be revenue or active users, especially if you're still validating whether your technology works. Instead, focus on technical milestones that demonstrate progress.

Investors can help guide startups by encouraging transparency about financial metrics like runway and burn rate, which are essential for maintaining focus and discipline.

Founders often don't understand what their analytics numbers represent, so it's crucial to know your data before relying on it.

Every startup should have a clear North Star metric that aligns the entire team towards a common goal, such as monthly active users or gross merchandise volume.

Good traction is often measured by growth rate; showing significant growth in revenue is more impressive than having a static revenue figure over time.