Article · 14 min read

The First Three Slides of a SaaS Board Deck, with Company Key Metrics

Dave Kellogg · Kellblog Free Advanced

A former SaaS CEO showing exactly which metrics belong on which slide, in trailing nine quarter format. This is the closest thing to a standard board package and you can copy it as is.

  • Slide one is the good, the bad, and the ugly, owned by the relevant exec, before any metrics appear.
  • Slide two is key operating metrics on a trailing nine-quarter view, led by the SaaS leaky bucket (starting ARR plus new ARR minus churn equals ending ARR).
  • Calculate gross churn against available-to-renew only, not total ARR, or the number flatters you.
  • Slide three is P&L and cash: services at 10 to 20 percent of revenue, subscription gross margin 70 to 80 percent, plus Rule of 40 and CAC payback.
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The question it answers

  1. What should I actually put in front of the board every quarter, and in what shape?

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