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D2C Unit Economics: The Exact Formulas for CAC, LTV & Payback Period

FireAI Free Beginner India

Spells out the exact CAC, LTV and payback period formulas with an India lens, the most direct answer we found to 'how do I actually calculate this for my brand' rather than just defining the terms.

  • Exact CAC, LTV and payback period formulas
  • Worked through with Indian D2C context
  • Payback period framed as a target metric, not an afterthought

It answers 3 questions

  1. What ROAS should I actually be targeting, and how do I use benchmarks correctly?
  2. How do I calculate my true CAC, not just what the ad platform reports?
  3. What LTV:CAC ratio should my Indian D2C brand actually be targeting?

Read with it

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  4. A clean, no-nonsense glossary covering ROAS, CAC, MER, AOV and CPA in one place, the right first read before diving into any... Triple Whale Help Center Article A Guide to Ecommerce Metrics Triple Whale
  5. Resets unrealistic expectations with real 2025 benchmark data by vertical, useful for checking your ROAS against your actual... Triple Whale Article What Is a Good ROAS? 2025 Industry Benchmarks and Strategies Triple Whale
  6. Names the specific dashboard and metric stack Indian D2C brands actually use day to day, useful for founders deciding what to... FireAI Article D2C Analytics India: What Top Brands Actually Track FireAI
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