Been tracking the usual suspects like DAU and conversion rates but wondering if I’m missing the bigger picture.
What metrics do you focus on that actually predict long-term success rather than just vanity numbers?
CAC vs LTV ratio - that’s what shows if your growth machine works or you’re just burning cash.
I’ve run campaigns with killer conversion rates where we’d spend $40 to get users worth $25. Looked amazing until we saw the bank account.
Track cohort retention at 30 and 180 days too. People bailing after month one means your product’s broken and no marketing will save it.
Monthly recurring revenue and churn rate. Everything else is noise.
Time to first value and repeat purchases matter most. Many apps fail because users do not understand what the app offers. I focus on the time it takes for new users to achieve that first meaningful action. Then I monitor if they return to do it again. Users who complete your core action twice in the first week are worth five times more long-term than others. These metrics provide a clearer picture of real growth than download numbers or app opens.
Feature adoption rates show whether people actually use what you built or just download and delete it.
Revenue per user and 90-day retention beat daily active users every time.
I focus on what people actually spend and if they stick around long enough to turn profitable. These two metrics tell you if your app can survive without burning cash on constant user acquisition.