Kpi Framework

Once chosen, define the north star rigorously (see definition template below).

Metric Definition Template

Every KPI needs a complete definition:

# Metric: Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

## One-Liner
The total predictable, recurring revenue normalized to a monthly basis.

## Calculation

MRR = SUM( CASE subscription_interval WHEN 'monthly' THEN plan_amount_usd WHEN 'annual' THEN plan_amount_usd / 12 WHEN 'quarterly' THEN plan_amount_usd / 3 END ) WHERE subscription_status = 'active' AND subscription_start_date <= LAST_DAY(reporting_month) AND (subscription_end_date IS NULL OR subscription_end_date > LAST_DAY(reporting_month))

## Source
- **dbt model**: `marts.finance.fct_subscriptions_monthly`
- **Source table**: `stripe.subscriptions` (via Fivetran)

## Grain
One row per subscription per month. Report at monthly grain.

## Filters / Exclusions
- Excludes trial subscriptions (plan_type != 'trial')
- Excludes internal test accounts (customer_segment != 'internal')
- Includes paused subscriptions (counts toward MRR while paused)

## Owner
- **Business owner**: CFO / VP Finance
- **Technical owner**: Finance Analytics team

## Segments
MRR can be sliced by:
- Customer Segment (Enterprise / Mid-market / SMB)
- Plan Type (Starter / Growth / Enterprise)
- Geography (Region / Country)
- Acquisition Channel

## Related Metrics
- **New MRR**: MRR from new subscriptions started this month
- **Expansion MRR**: MRR increase from existing customers (upsells)
- **Churned MRR**: MRR lost from cancellations
- **Net Revenue Retention (NRR)**: (MRR_end - Churned_MRR) / MRR_start

## Change History
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|------|--------|-------------|
| 2024-01-01 | Annual subscriptions now divided by 12 (previously counted at full amount) | CFO |
| 2023-06-01 | Paused subscriptions included | Finance Analytics |

## Common Misunderstandings
- "Bookings" ≠ MRR. Bookings = contract signed; MRR = active, billing
- Annual plans are normalized to monthly (not counted as full amount in month 1)
- MRR is based on subscription data, not payment data (invoices can lag)

KPI Hierarchy Framework

Structure metrics in a hierarchy so teams know how each metric relates:

COMPANY NORTH STAR
└── MRR ($2.1M)

BUSINESS DRIVERS (explain the north star)
├── New MRR (+$180k)       — from new customers
├── Expansion MRR (+$45k)  — from existing customers upgrading
├── Churned MRR (-$38k)    — from cancellations/downgrades
└── Net Revenue Retention (NRR): 112%

DEPARTMENTAL METRICS (each team owns their drivers)
├── Sales
│   ├── Qualified Pipeline ($8M)
│   ├── Win Rate (23%)
│   └── Average Contract Value ($12k)
│
├── Customer Success
│   ├── Gross Retention Rate (96%)
│   ├── Net Promoter Score (NPS: 42)
│   └── Time to Value (avg 14 days)
│
└── Product
    ├── Feature Adoption Rate (activation features: 67%)
    ├── Daily Active Users (DAU: 4,200)
    └── Support Ticket Volume (98 open)

OPERATIONAL METRICS (real-time, for team managers)
├── Trials started today
├── Demos booked this week
└── Tickets resolved today

Metrics Dictionary

Build a central metrics dictionary (markdown or dedicated tool):

# Metrics Dictionary

## Revenue Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Owner | Source model | Dashboard |
|--------|-----------|-------|-------------|-----------|
| MRR | Monthly recurring revenue from active subscriptions | Finance | fct_subscriptions_monthly | Revenue Overview |
| ARR | MRR × 12 | Finance | fct_subscriptions_monthly | Revenue Overview |
| New MRR | MRR from subscriptions starting this month | Finance | fct_mrr_movements | Revenue Overview |
| Churned MRR | MRR lost from cancellations this month | Finance | fct_mrr_movements | Churn Analysis |
| NRR | (MRR_end - Churned) / MRR_start, by cohort | Finance | fct_net_revenue_retention | Retention Dashboard |

## Customer Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Owner | Source model |
|--------|-----------|-------|-------------|
| Active Customer | Customer with ≥1 purchase in last 90 days | Growth | fct_orders |
| Customer LTV | 12-month predicted revenue per customer | Analytics | fct_customer_ltv |
| CAC | Total sales+marketing spend / new customers acquired | Finance | mtr_cac_monthly |
| Payback Period | CAC / (MRR per customer × gross margin) | Finance | mtr_unit_economics |

## Engagement Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Owner | Source model |
|--------|-----------|-------|-------------|
| DAU | Unique users with ≥1 session in a calendar day | Product | fct_sessions_daily |
| WAU | Unique users in a rolling 7-day window | Product | fct_sessions_daily |
| Activation Rate | % of signups who complete onboarding step within 7 days | Product | fct_user_lifecycle |

SQL Implementations

-- MRR calculation
-- models/marts/finance/fct_subscriptions_monthly.sql

with month_spine as (
    {{ dbt_utils.date_spine(
        datepart="month",
        start_date="'2022-01-01'",
        end_date="current_date"
    ) }}
),

subscriptions as (
    select * from {{ ref('stg_stripe__subscriptions') }}
    where plan_type != 'trial'
      and customer_segment != 'internal'
),

-- Cross join subscriptions with months where they were active
sub_months as (

    select
        date_trunc('month', month_spine.date_month) as reporting_month,
        subscriptions.subscription_id,
        subscriptions.customer_id,
        subscriptions.customer_segment,
        subscriptions.plan_type,
        -- Normalize to monthly revenue
        case subscriptions.billing_interval
            when 'month' then subscriptions.plan_amount_usd
            when 'year' then subscriptions.plan_amount_usd / 12.0
            when 'quarter' then subscriptions.plan_amount_usd / 3.0
        end as mrr_usd

    from month_spine
    join subscriptions
        on subscriptions.subscription_start_date
                <= last_day(month_spine.date_month)
        and (
            subscriptions.subscription_end_date is null
            or subscriptions.subscription_end_date
                > last_day(month_spine.date_month)
        )

)

select
    reporting_month,
    sum(mrr_usd) as mrr_usd,
    count(distinct subscription_id) as active_subscription_count,
    count(distinct customer_id) as active_customer_count,
    sum(mrr_usd) * 12 as arr_usd

from sub_months
group by 1

Socialization Plan

After defining KPIs:

1. Present at all-hands: Walk through the metrics hierarchy, explain why each metric was chosen
2. Metrics Slack channel: #metrics-definitions for questions and change proposals
3. Change process: Any metric redefinition requires 2-week notice and Finance approval
4. Monthly metrics review: Finance + Analytics review top metrics for accuracy
5. Dashboard linking: Every dashboard shows metric name + link to definition

Common KPI Anti-Patterns

Verify Your Work

Do not present output from this skill as complete until every command below passes without error. If a command fails, consult "If Something Goes Wrong" before asking the user.

Run these commands after building your KPI models to confirm correctness:

# Compile all KPI models to catch SQL syntax errors early
dbt compile --select tag:kpi

# Run all data tests on KPI models (not_null, unique, accepted_values)
dbt test --select tag:kpi

# Build MRR model and confirm row count equals months × active subscriptions
dbt run --select fct_subscriptions_monthly

# Generate dbt docs to verify metric descriptions appear correctly
dbt docs generate

If Something Goes Wrong

• MRR double-counting subscriptions: If a subscription spans multiple billing intervals in the same month (e.g., upgraded mid-month), the cross-join with the month spine may produce duplicate rows. Add a unique test on (reporting_month, subscription_id) and deduplicate in the subscription staging model.
• date_spine generates no rows: Confirm dbt_utils is installed (dbt deps) and the start_date is earlier than the earliest subscription. An empty spine produces an empty model with no errors.
• ARR ≠ MRR × 12 for annual plans: Annual subscriptions are already normalized to monthly in mrr_usd, so arr_usd = sum(mrr_usd) * 12 is correct. If Finance reports a different ARR, check whether they are counting total contract value rather than normalized monthly revenue.
• Metric definitions drift from dbt models: When the SQL in a dbt model changes, the markdown definition in the metrics dictionary can become stale. Establish a change process: any PR touching a KPI model must include an update to the corresponding dictionary entry.
• last_day() function not available: BigQuery uses LAST_DAY(date, MONTH); Redshift uses LAST_DAY(date); Snowflake uses LAST_DAY(date). Adjust the function call to match your warehouse dialect.