How can you create a winning startup dashboard for investors?

Firstly, the truth is that if you don't have recurring revenue, you're unlikely to attract investors. Metrics that matter: MRR & ARR: Monthly / Annual Recurring Revenue - Total revenue generated from recurring transactions. CAC: Customer Acquisition Cost - The cost of acquiring a customer LTV: Lifetime Value - Total revenue customer generates over lifetime Churn Rate: Rate at which customers cancel - # of customers lost in billing cycle TAM: Total Addressable Market - Revenue opportunity at 100% market share ARPU: Average revenue per user. NPS: Net promoter score. A measure of your customer’s willingness to rate and recommend Retention rate: % of customers kept vs lost Payback period: Time to reach cash-flow break even.

Question I have been asked several times: What is your North star metric? My answer always: Growth! Growth has to be the one key metric that a startup needs to showcase to generate interest from investors. It can take different forms and shape based on what stage the company is: - Early on would be pure simple growth (Adoption) - Later stages would be profitable growth (Retention) - Eventually would be sustainable growth (LTV/CAC) A winning dashboard should bring out your growth story clearly!

Choose the metrics that matter. There is no point showcasing a random funnel to an investor who just wants to get an update on the overall business. For every startup, there are certain metrics that need to be tracked regularly, for eg: for a community based startup, you need to track acquisition, retention and engagement numbers regularly; for a D2C brand it's super important to track CAC, LTV etc There are a few metrics that we track on a regular basis at Mave: - NPS (primary metric) - Retention (D-10,20,30,90) - Active users (DAU, MAU) - CAC - Revenue - Burn rate

Impress Investors Visually! 📊👀 Creating a winning startup dashboard for investors; I'd carefully choose metrics that reflect our performance and potential. Defining clear benchmarks and targets provides context for our progress. Effective data visualization brings this information to life, making it easily digestible. The dashboard should tell our startup's story, showcasing growth, resilience, and future possibilities. This strategic presentation informs and engages investors, highlighting our startup's value and vision.

You don't want to mislead your investors with meaningless or false KPIs or bombard them with data. Rather, you should concentrate on the metrics—such as customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, retention rate, revenue, and profitability—that show your traction, growth, and unit economics.

Some key pointers that should help you out - 1. Key Summary: Provide a snapshot of essential metrics such as revenue, user growth etc 2. Financial Health: Highlight key financial indicators like burn rate, runway, and working capital. 3. User Engagement: Showcase user engagement metrics. 4. Market Traction: Demonstrate market traction with data on customer acquisition, partnerships etc 5. Product Development Progress: Briefly outline the status of current and upcoming product features. 6. Team Performance: Showcase the achievements and growth of your team. 7. Competitive Landscape: Provide insights with SWOT 8. Future Projections: Include realistic projections for key metrics, demonstrating your vision for future growth.

Creating a winning startup dashboard for investors hinges on choosing your metrics wisely. Focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) that directly reflect your startup’s health and growth potential. These might include revenue growth, customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and churn rate. Prioritize metrics that align with your business model and industry, ensuring they provide clear insights into your progress and strategy. Avoid overwhelming investors with too much data; instead, highlight the metrics that tell your story effectively. Ensure your dashboard is updated in real-time, visually clear, and focused on the metrics that matter most to your investors.

To create an effective startup dashboard, start by selecting the most relevant metrics for your business model, stage, and goals. Avoid overwhelming investors with unnecessary data or vanity metrics. Instead, focus on key metrics like customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, retention rate, revenue, and profitability—these showcase your traction and growth. Align your metrics with key milestones and hypotheses, demonstrating how you're testing and validating them. A clear, focused dashboard highlights your progress and helps investors understand your business’s potential without confusion.

This is good advice, but something critical is missing in the list of metrics provided. This is the current cash position. Without cash, a business dies; any dashboard should include metrics that show performance against previous cash forecasts and show cash forecasts for the future.

You need to think about the metrics you choose in relation to your business model. For example, if you are B2C selling a consumer staple then monthly revenue and growth in revenue would be very relevant. If you are a B2B selling big ticket items then you might have good months and less good. You might want to measure partnerships formed, etc.

Research Benchmarks: Study industry standards, competitor performance, and best practices for each metric. This provides context for your own performance. Set Realistic Targets: Based on your strategy and assumptions, establish specific, achievable, and time-bound targets for each metric. These should reflect your growth and business objectives. Align with Strategy: Ensure that your targets align with your overall business strategy and support your long-term goals. Benchmark Comparison: Compare your current performance to industry benchmarks. Highlight where you excel and areas needing improvement. Regularly Update: Continuously monitor and update benchmarks and targets to reflect changing market conditions and business needs.

The next step is to define benchmarks and set targets for each metric. Benchmarks are industry standards that help you compare your performance against competitors. Targets are specific, realistic goals based on your strategy and assumptions. Show investors how you're performing against both, demonstrating how you measure success and plan to achieve your objectives. This approach not only provides context for your progress but also builds investor confidence in your ability to hit key milestones and grow the business strategically.

Think of benchmarks as the scorecard everyone's using, showing how you measure up in the game. Your targets? They're the personal goals you set for a winning strategy. When you share this playbook with investors, it's not just about numbers—it's saying, "Here's our game plan, here's how we're scoring, and here's where we're heading for victory." It's making the business journey a bit more like a shared adventure.

Establish clear benchmarks and targets for each metric to track your progress and measure success. Set realistic yet ambitious goals that demonstrate your startup's potential for growth and scalability. Benchmark your performance against industry standards and competitors to gain context and identify areas for improvement.

1. Set Clear Benchmarks: Identify industry standards or competitor performance metrics that you can use as benchmarks. This provides context for your startup’s performance and helps investors compare your progress to the market. 2. Establish Realistic Targets: Define specific, achievable goals for each metric (e.g., "Increase MRR by 20% over the next quarter"). These targets should be ambitious but attainable, showing investors you have a clear path to growth. 3. Track Progress Over Time: Regularly update your dashboard with progress against these benchmarks and targets. Demonstrating consistent progress reassures investors that your startup is on track to meet its goals.

Benchmarks and targets provide context for your metrics, showing investors where you currently stand and what you aim to achieve. Set realistic benchmarks by comparing industry averages or historical data, and define short- and long-term targets that reflect a growth trajectory. For instance, setting a target for reducing CAC or increasing MRR over time gives investors confidence in your strategic planning. Clearly defined benchmarks and goals allow investors to see your startup's progress, assess potential risks, and gauge your team’s ambition and capability for scaling.

• Industry Standards: Use them for realistic benchmarks. • Historical Data: Leverage it for setting informed targets. • Regular Reviews: Adjust benchmarks and targets based on business evolution and market dynamics.

Setting defined standards and milestones is critical for guiding your startup to success. Benchmarks allow you to situate your performance within the larger industry context, providing a reality check versus peers and exposing opportunities for development or innovation. Targets, on the other hand, are your ambitions reduced to measurable goals that provide focus and drive for your team. Articulating these standards and targets effectively to investors not only demonstrates your business knowledge, but also emphasizes your dedication to growth and excellence. It's about painting a picture of where you are now and plotting a route for where you want to go, supported with a sound plan and metrics to track progress.

Establish industry-standard benchmarks and set realistic targets for each key metric. This contextualizes your performance against competitors and industry averages, providing a clearer picture of where your startup stands. Targets should be ambitious yet achievable, reflecting your strategic objectives and growth trajectory.

Você precisa entender que todo fundo possui uma tese de investimento, geralmente atrelada a um estágio, segmento de mercado, modelo de negócios, perfil de empreendedores e por ai vai. A partir disso, precisa ter claro os principais objetivos da sua startup, geralmente um grande objetivo atrelado a satisfação de clientes, outro tamanho e relevância de base de clientes, outro a receita e alguns que mensurem sobre o uso do produto ou o próprio engajamento e desenvolvimento do time. Com esses 4-5 pilares bem definidos, você consegue dar um overview geral para os fundos que tiverem fit com as teses.

Creating a standout startup dashboard for investors is all about making your data pop. Keep it simple, yet comprehensive. Think clean charts, clear labels, and a logical flow. Highlight key metrics that reflect your growth and potential. Make it easy for investors to see the big picture and understand where your startup is headed. Remember, clarity is key – you want your dashboard to tell a compelling story at a glance.

The final step is to visualize your data in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You want to make it easy for your investors to understand your key metrics, benchmarks, and targets at a glance. Use charts, graphs, tables, or dashboards to highlight trends, patterns, and insights. Avoid clutter or unnecessary details, and focus on the most important information that tells your story. A well-designed visualization can help you communicate your progress, performance, and plans effectively, and make a stronger impression on your investors.

To create compelling data visualizations: Audience Understanding: Tailor visuals to your audience's expertise and needs. Chart Selection: Choose suitable chart types (e.g., bar, line, pie) for each data point or trend. Simplicity: Prioritize key insights, omitting unnecessary details for clarity. Design Consistency: Maintain uniformity in colors, fonts, and labels for a polished appearance. Highlight Key Data: Use visual cues to emphasize crucial information. Tools Utilization: Consider user-friendly tools like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Power BI. Usability Testing: Gather feedback to refine your dashboard's user experience. Iterate Continuously: Refine visualizations based on feedback and evolving data needs.

You would be an absolute beast if you had visualized everything in your PowerPoint 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀. It shows consistency and professionalism, and it just gives a subconscious feeling in the investor's mind that 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼 (And in case you didn't know, that's very important, wink wink.).

Think of data like a puzzle. The key is to put it together so everyone can see the picture. Use charts, graphs, and tables to show the important stuff, and keep things clean—no unnecessary extras. Make sure everything looks clean with the right colors, fonts, and labels, and always double-check that your data is spot on. Tools like Power BI, Google Data Studio, and Tableau can help you create a dashboard that paints the perfect data picture.

Keep it simple! Most founders overthink this. Investors are here for the data, not the design! Many of the best founders use a Google Sheet or other basic software.

• Clarity: Use clear, easy-to-understand visualizations. • Consistency: Apply a uniform design for easy comparison. • Highlight Key Data: Emphasize important metrics for quick insight.

Think of your data like a story—step three is about telling it well. Use charts and graphs that are like the illustrations in a book, emphasizing the important parts. Skip the unnecessary extras; they're like doodles in the margin. Keep it real with colors and fonts that speak your language. And, of course, make sure your data is as up-to-date as your friend's weekend plans. Tools like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Power BI? They're like your artistic tools, helping you paint a vivid picture.

Here is a conclusion regarding the effective visualization of your data: Charts and graphs are ideal for capturing investors' attention to key metrics. You can utilize pie or line charts to enhance the visualization of trends, comparisons, and competition. Some experts employ color coding to emphasize desired goals. For example, red tones can signify negative metrics, while green ones denote positive statistics.

Focus on the data that matters most to investors. Highlight traction through active users, conversion rates, and revenue growth. Share progress on product rollouts and feature development. Be transparent about burn rate and cash runway projections. Provide benchmarks against competitors. Showcase customer and revenue cohorts over time. Visualize growth channels and acquisition costs. Outline milestones achieved and upcoming targets. Balance data presentation with qualitative insights. Regularly update the dashboard and create alerts for significant changes. A robust, investor-focused dashboard builds trust through transparency and demonstrates your startup's momentum and potential.

To create a compelling story on a startup dashboard for investors: Narrative Structure: Start with a clear narrative that connects data with your vision. Competitive Edge: Showcase what sets you apart from competitors. Future Potential: Link current performance to long-term growth prospects. Adaptation: Demonstrate agility by sharing how you refine strategies based on data. Visuals: Use visuals, annotations, and summaries for clarity and impact. Alignment: Ensure your story aligns with your overall business strategy. Delivery: Practice articulating your story confidently for investor engagement. By this the startup dashboard becomes a persuasive tool for conveying your value, potential, and adaptability to investors.

The final step is to craft a story with your dashboard that aligns data with your narrative and vision. Use it to communicate your value proposition, competitive edge, and future potential to investors. Highlight achievements, challenges, and key learnings, showing how you're adapting based on data insights. Add context with captions, annotations, or summaries to make your story clear and compelling. A well-told story through your dashboard not only showcases progress but also builds confidence in your ability to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

Creating a winning startup dashboard for investors is like crafting a map that guides them through your journey. Start by painting a clear picture of your mission and vision. Then, highlight key metrics that showcase your progress and potential. Think of it as telling a compelling story: use graphs, charts, and visuals to illustrate your narrative. Keep it simple yet impactful, ensuring investors grasp the essence of your startup's growth trajectory at a glance. Remember, transparency and relevance are key ingredients in this storytelling process.

Every kickass brand has a kickass story behind it. Don't make yours boring; 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 everyone just wants to be a part of.

Imagine your dashboard is the grand finale of your story. It's not just numbers; it's the tale of your value, what sets you apart, and where you're headed. Think of it as a chat with investors, sharing wins, bumps in the road, and the lessons learned. Sprinkle in captions and annotations—it's like adding personal notes in the margins. Your dashboard is your story's mic drop, showing the real, evolving you through the lens of data.

Creating a winning startup dashboard for investors involves- Selecting key metrics —such as revenue growth, customer acquisition costs, and user engagement—each contribute to a cohesive picture of your startup's performance. Thread through your dashboard the compelling story of your vision and journey. Demonstrate how each metric aligns with milestones and bolsters your long-term strategy. Use Clear visualizations to showcase milestones and successes to make these accomplishments stand out vividly. Acknowledge hurdles and detail how data threads reveal challenges and your strategic adjustments to overcome them. Illustrate how insights act as guiding threads. Showcase adaptations based on data, enhancing resilience & strategic clarity.

In our experience, integrating storytelling into an investor dashboard can significantly enhance the perception of information and establish an emotional connection that may positively impact your ability to attract investments.

Ter um data room organizado e em tempo real para os investidores ou a própria gestão da startup é o cenário ideal. Vai subir a barra no nível de governança, transparência, organização, melhoria na tomada de decisão e muito mais. O ideal é monitorar no máximo cinco indicadores, um relacionado a receita, um relacionado a base de clientes, um relacionado a qualidade dessa base em relação a satisfação do produto, um relacionado ao engajamento e um relacionado ao quanto temos de caixa para queimar em meses ainda. O ideal é estruturar um projeto para tirar isso do papel em 3 meses. Caso ainda não tenha, minimamente fazer um fechamento mensal, de preferência atrelar com um rito de gestão de all-hands com todo o time para gerar pertencimento e foco

Create a winning startup dashboard for investors by focusing on key metrics aligned with your business goals, such as revenue growth, customer acquisition cost, and product performance. Use clear visualizations and concise summaries to highlight progress and potential areas for improvement. Provide insights into your strategy and future plans to demonstrate how investor support will contribute to the company's success. This approach ensures clarity, relevance, and impact, fostering confidence and understanding among investors.

The most powerful dashboards do more than show data—they tell a compelling story. Frame your metrics around a narrative that conveys your startup's journey, current position, and future potential. For example, start by showcasing growth metrics to demonstrate traction, followed by retention metrics to highlight customer loyalty, and conclude with revenue projections that signal scalability. Linking each data point to a broader story keeps investors engaged and helps them remember your pitch. A well-crafted narrative that flows through the dashboard builds confidence in your team’s vision and strategic direction.

Creating a stellar startup dashboard for investors is about clarity and impact. Start by outlining key metrics like revenue growth, customer acquisition cost, and churn rate. Make it visually appealing with graphs and charts for easy digestion. Highlight your unique selling proposition and market traction. Keep it concise, focusing on what matters most. Lastly, ensure it tells a compelling story about your business's potential. Remember, simplicity is key to making a lasting impression on investors.

Zeit ist eine der Ressourcen, die in einem Startup üblicherweise äußerst limitiert ist. Gleichzeitig ist es wichtig, die wichtigsten KPIs für sich selbst als Gründer, als auch für Investoren klar zu definieren und regelmäßig zu überwachen. Ein Dashboard für Investoren sollte folgende Themen abdecken: 1. Die wichtigsten KPIs (DAU, MAU, LTV, MRR, ARR,...), je nach Branche und Startup 2. Erläuterung zu diesen KPIS (Investoren sollen auf einen Blick verstehen, was die KPIs bedeuten, und WARUM diese wichtig sind) 3. Ziele: Wohin und bis wann sollen sich diese KPIs entwickeln und wie möchte man dort hin kommen. 4. Wie ist man im Plan zum Ziel?

One of the best ways to do this is with a forecast v. actual report, or variance report. You let them know what your goals are ahead of time. Then report back on your progress. Sounds simple, but 70% of startups won’t do it because it takes time. Doing this will set you apart and connect you to your numbers more than ever. Using this to update investors will be an even greater step, keeping them in the loop and able to offer advice on any current challenges.

The dashboard for investors is quite similar to what a CEO or any top executive should see. I suggest having ONE SOURCE OF TRUTH. If you create too many dashboards with different tools and measurements, it can get really confusing after a while.

Creating an investor-friendly startup dashboard goes beyond just showcasing numbers. ✅ Tailor to Investor Interests: Understand your investors' focus areas. Are they more concerned with growth metrics, financial health, or user engagement? Customizing your dashboard to reflect their interests and expectations. ✅ Incorporate Predictive Analytics: While historical data is vital, incorporating predictive analytics can set you apart. It shows investors that you’re not just tracking but also anticipating future trends and challenges. ✅ Embed Storytelling Elements: Numbers tell a story. Use your dashboard to narrate the journey of your startup – challenges overcome, milestones achieved, and future aspirations.

Don't share your dashboard too early in the fundraising process. Especially if it has metrics that you'd like to keep private. Reach out to VCs, and have a meeting, once they have shown genuine interest in investing and started actually digging into the company, you can share the dashboard. Don't just do it in cold emails or before your first meeting.

• Regular Updates: Ensure data remains current and relevant. • Customization: Tailor the dashboard to your audience. • Security and Accessibility: Keep data secure and easily accessible. • Actionability: Offer insights and suggestions based on data. • Feedback Loop: Encourage and incorporate investor feedback.

You can use some tools for that, such as FounderSuite, and there is a interesting way to prospect investors and Venture Capital funds

How to craft a startup dashboard that investors can’t ignore? Easy. You mix a little brains, a lot of guts, and the kind of storytelling that slaps them awake. Here’s how it goes: Metrics? Don’t just pick numbers; choose the ones that scream your success louder than their skepticism. Benchmarks? Make them sharp enough to cut through the noise. Targets? High enough to keep their jaws off the floor.

PRETOTYPE AND TEST LIKE TESLA As innovation facilitator of 100+ projects, I like to share how Tesla interested buyers for their first car. In 2003, the founders of Tesla had an ambitious idea (an all-electric 2-door sports car). In order to convince potential buyers to order its car, Tesla created a pretotype of what the car would look like. Lotus supplied Tesla with a ‘glider’ Elise - which was filled with models of key components. This was not a prototype, because the vehicle didn’t function. Tesla was able to show buyers a close proxy for the final design. Tesla asked “Will you put down a $5,000 deposit to have it built to order? From this test Tesla secured several hundred deposits, a non-trivial result to reassure their Investors