Hello Lykkers, let's have a real talk about something every leader thinks about: the avalanche of numbers. As a CEO, you're buried in data. But staring at every single figure is a surefire way to miss the forest for the trees.

It's time to build your CEO's Dashboard—a shortlist of the few metrics that tell you if you're steering toward growth or heading for the rocks. Let’s break down the five you need to watch every single quarter.

1. Cash Runway: Your Oxygen Supply

Forget profit for a second. The first question is survival: How long can we operate if all income stopped today?

Your Cash Runway is calculated as: Cash & Equivalents ÷ Monthly Burn Rate.

This isn’t just a startup metric. It’s your freedom metric. It tells you how long you have to make corrections, pursue opportunities, or absorb volatility. Watching this quarterly helps ensure you’re never forced into rushed decisions.

2. Gross Profit Margin: The Health of Your Core Engine

Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity. But before net profit, look at Gross Profit Margin: (Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold) ÷ Revenue.

This metric answers: are you fundamentally efficient at making and delivering what you sell? A shrinking gross margin—even as revenue grows—is a warning sign. It can signal rising input costs, supplier issues, discounting pressure, or weaker pricing power. Track this first, because it reflects the strength of the business model at its core.

3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Payback Period: Your Growth Efficiency Score

You're spending money to get customers. How long until you earn that money back?

The CAC Payback Period is: CAC ÷ (Monthly Gross Margin per New Customer).

A shorter payback period (often around a year, depending on your model) means growth is efficient and can increasingly fund itself. A lengthening payback period means you’re burning too much cash per new customer, which can become unsustainable.

David Skok, an investor and entrepreneur, writes, “My own rule says that startups need to recover their cost of customer acquisition in less than 12 months.”

4. Net Revenue Retention (NRR): The Flywheel of Loyalty

This is the magic number for subscription or recurring revenue businesses. NRR measures revenue from your existing customers over time, factoring in expansions, downgrades, and cancellations.

An NRR above 100% means your existing customer base is growing without you spending a dime on new acquisition. It’s a powerful sign that customers are sticking around and finding more value over time.

Sarah Tavel, an investor, writes, “Net revenue retention is not a perfect measure of happiness, but it’s the best single measure I’ve seen.”

5. Debt-to-Equity Ratio: Your Balance Sheet's Stress Test

Finally, zoom out to your foundation. The Debt-to-Equity Ratio (Total Liabilities ÷ Shareholders’ Equity) shows how you’re funding the company: borrowed capital versus owners’ capital.

A moderate ratio can reflect smart leverage for expansion. A rapidly climbing ratio can signal rising risk and greater sensitivity to rate changes. It’s a key number boards and investors watch to gauge financial stability.

Your Quarterly Routine

Your job isn’t to run the calculations—it’s to demand these five numbers and ask “why?” behind every movement. This dashboard cuts through the noise, giving you clarity on Survival (Runway), Core Health (Gross Margin), Growth Efficiency (CAC Payback), Loyalty (NRR), and Stability (Debt-to-Equity).

Study this dashboard each quarter. It turns you from a manager of details into a true pilot of the business. Lead with clarity—and keep your focus on what actually moves the company forward.