Question 1

What marketing KPIs should I show the board?

Accepted Answer

Board-layer metrics that tie marketing to money: marketing-sourced and influenced revenue, CAC, CAC payback, LTV:CAC, pipeline contribution, and attainment against plan. Keep activity metrics like lead volume and cost-per-lead for managing the engine day to day, not the board deck.

Question 2

What is a good CAC payback period for a startup?

Accepted Answer

David Skok's rule is that profitability becomes anemic once CAC payback runs beyond 12 months. Bessemer's guidance is to aim under 12 months for SMB-focused companies, under 18 for mid-market and under 24 for enterprise. So the right line depends on who you sell to, and the trend matters as much as the level.

Question 3

Does the KPI board report work in Google Sheets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It's an Excel workbook (.xlsx) that opens in Google Sheets via File → Import, with the KPI calculations, trend arrows, reference flags, funnel conversions, and the auto-written headline intact.

Question 4

Is new-revenue-to-spend the same as marketing ROI?

Accepted Answer

No. It's an efficiency ratio, not ROI, because revenue lags the spend that created it (especially with long B2B sales cycles) and attribution is imperfect. The report presents it as a ratio with that caveat so you don't over-claim a return the data can't support.

The Marketing KPI Board Report

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