Know Your Numbers

If you’re not tracking your numbers, you’re not running a business.

You’re crossing your fingers.

And I get it—spreadsheets aren’t sexy.

Notion dashboards don’t go viral.

But revenue doesn’t care about aesthetics.

Whether you’re selling software, services, or selling the dream… your numbers tell the real story.

And the story doesn’t lie.

In the wise words of Jay Z.

“Numbers don’t lie, check the scoreboard.”

Now I’m going to have Tom Ford stuck in my head all day.

Why Knowing Your Numbers Actually Matters

You wouldn’t fly a plane without instruments.

So why are you building a company without feedback?

Your gut might be strong. But your gut won’t help you build a profitable business.

Numbers will.

Tracking weekly metrics gives you:

• Visibility – You know what’s working, what’s stalling, and what’s bleeding out.
• Leverage – You can make smarter, faster decisions—without guessing.
• Momentum – You get addicted to progress. Or, at least, clarity.
• Focus – You stop chasing ghosts and start optimizing what matters.

Most founders only check their Stripe account and vibes.

That’s not a strategy. That’s a prayer.

What Numbers to Track

What Numbers to Track Let’s split this into two categories:

1. Business Health and 2. Founder-Led Marketing Health.

General Business Metrics If you’re a first-time founder or building solo, track these weekly (yes, weekly).

This visual breaks it down nicely.

Here’s the TLDR:

• New Revenue Closed – From deals, invoices, etc. Easy to track. Hard to fake.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) – Total marketing + sales spend ÷ new customers.
• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) – Revenue per customer over time.
• Leads Generated (Inbound + Outbound) – Use your CRM, Apollo, or a Google Sheet.
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) – Revenue per $1 spent on ads.
• Churn Rate – % of customers who left. Brutal but necessary.
• Conversion Rate – % of leads that became customers.

Even if some numbers are ugly (they will be), you need the truth.

It’s the only way to get better.

Founder-Led Marketing Metrics

This is where most founders go blind.

You’re posting, emailing, podcasting—but not measuring.

That’s like lifting weights and never tracking reps.

If you’re doing founder-led content, here’s what to watch weekly:

• New followers/subscribers – Are you actually growing an audience?
• Engagement Rate – % of people interacting with what you post.
• Profile Views / Link Clicks – Silent interest = real leads.
• Inbound DMs / Replies – Are people reaching out because of your content?
• Top Performing Content – What’s driving saves, shares, or conversation?
• Warm Leads from Content – Anyone booking calls or asking about services?

I think you need to track BOTH business metrics and Founder-Led-Marketing metrics.

One tells you how your offer is doing.

The other tells you how your presence is doing.

Your Homework: Build a Weekly Dashboard

This doesn’t have to be fancy.

In fact, here’s the only rule:

If it’s not easy to update, you won’t stick with it.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Create a simple table in Google Sheets or Notion
• Columns: Metric | Target | Actual | Notes
• Update it every Friday morning
• Take 5 minutes. No skipping.

Not sure what to track first?

Start with 3 metrics from each list above.

Grow from there.