Purpose
Track and interpret SaaS revenue growth metrics — MRR components, expansion dynamics, net dollar retention, and growth efficiency — to understand not just how much you're growing but the quality and sustainability of that growth.
Application
MRR Waterfall Template
# Revenue Growth Report: [Period]
## MRR Waterfall
| Component | Amount | % of Starting MRR |
|-----------|--------|-------------------|
| Starting MRR | $[X] | — |
| + New MRR | $[X] | [%] |
| + Expansion MRR | $[X] | [%] |
| - Contraction MRR | -$[X] | [%] |
| - Churned MRR | -$[X] | [%] |
| **= Ending MRR** | **$[X]** | **[Net change %]** |
## Growth Quality Indicators
| Metric | Value | Benchmark | Health |
|--------|-------|-----------|--------|
| MRR Growth Rate | [%] | >10% MoM early, >3% mature | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
| Net Dollar Retention | [%] | >110% | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
| Gross Dollar Retention | [%] | >85% | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
| Quick Ratio | [#] | >4 | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
| Expansion % of new revenue | [%] | Increasing over time | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
## Revenue by Cohort
| Cohort | Month 0 | Month 3 | Month 6 | Month 12 |
|--------|---------|---------|---------|----------|
| [Q1] | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] |
| [Q2] | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] | — |
**Cohort expansion pattern:** [Revenue per cohort growing/flat/shrinking over time?]
## Growth Efficiency
| Metric | Value | What It Means |
|--------|-------|--------------|
| **CAC Payback** | [# months] | Time to recoup acquisition cost |
| **LTV/CAC** | [#]:1 | Return on acquisition investment |
| **Burn Multiple** | [#]x | Cash efficiency of growth |
| **Revenue per Employee** | $[X] | Operational efficiency |
## Key Insights
1. [Growth driver: what's working]
2. [Growth risk: what's concerning]
3. [Recommendation: what to do about it]
Quality Rubric
| Dimension | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRR Breakdown | Total MRR only | Components listed | Full waterfall with trends |
| Retention | Not tracked | GDR or NDR | Both GDR + NDR + Quick Ratio |
| Cohort | No cohort view | Monthly cohorts | Cohort revenue curves over time |
| Efficiency | Revenue number only | Growth rate | Rate + efficiency ratios |
References
Related Skills
skills/analytics/saas-economics-efficiency-metrics/SKILL.md— Unit economicsskills/analytics/finance-metrics-quickref/SKILL.md— Financial foundationsskills/growth/growth-model/SKILL.md— Revenue projections
External Frameworks
- Bessemer Cloud Index — SaaS benchmarks
- SaaS Capital, SaaS Metrics
Skill type: Component Domain: Analytics & Metrics