0 or more. The story, the vision, and the team get you in the door. Your metrics prove the machine works.
Investors scan hundreds of decks for proof, not prose. A single slide with clear, compelling metrics is the fastest way to get a second look.
This is your guide to the metrics that matter, what "good" actually looks like, and how to present them to get the next meeting.
The Two Decks You Actually Need
You don't have one pitch deck. You have two.
- The Send-Ahead Deck (The PDF): This must sell your company without you there to narrate. It needs more text, clear titles, and self-explanatory charts. An investor should grasp your business in a three-minute skim. Your metrics slides must be unambiguous.
- The Presentation Deck (The Live Version): This is your visual aid for a live pitch. Here, the slides are backdrops. Use big, simple charts and minimal text. You are the main event; the deck just supports your narrative.
The numbers and story must be identical. The send-ahead deck just has the "work shown" on the page.
The Metrics That Prove a Venture-Scale Business
You don’t need twenty charts. For most software startups, these 5-6 metrics are the entire game. Get these right, and you're ahead of 90% of founders.
1. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) Growth
This is the heartbeat of your business. It must be a clean, upward-trending bar or line chart showing at least 12-18 months of history.
What’s "good"? For a seed-stage company, 10-20% month-over-month (MoM) growth is the target. Anything less suggests you haven't found a repeatable growth playbook yet. For Series A, investors want to see that growth rate holding steady or accelerating as you cross the
M ARR threshold ($83k MRR).
The Non-Obvious Insight: Don't just show a single line. Break down your MRR growth into its core components. This demonstrates you truly understand your business dynamics.
MRR Growth Breakdown:
- New MRR: From brand new customers.
- Expansion MRR: From existing customers upgrading plans or adding seats. This is the best kind of revenue.
- Churned MRR: From customers who cancelled or downgraded.
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