The trap
Most SME dashboards are designed by accountants, not operators. They show 40 metrics that all matter equally, which means none of them do. Founders glance, skip the meeting, and run the business by gut.
We believe in three numbers, every Monday, with three weeks of context. Here they are.
1. Pipeline coverage ratio
The number: Total open pipeline value ÷ next-quarter revenue target. Healthy is 3-4x for B2B services; 2-3x for SaaS with a short sales cycle.
Why it works: It's a leading indicator. If coverage is below 3x, you don't have a revenue problem yet — you have one in 90 days.
The conversation: If coverage dropped this week, why? Did deals slip out of the quarter? Did new leads dry up? Each cause has a different fix.
2. Net revenue churn (or rolling-90 customer concentration)
The number, for recurring businesses: Revenue lost from existing customers ÷ revenue at start of period. Healthy: <2% monthly for SMB; <1% for enterprise.
The number, for project businesses: % of trailing-90 revenue from your top-3 customers. Above 50% is a risk you don't want.
Why it works: Growth on top of a leaky bucket is theatre. Either fix the bucket or accept you're a constant-acquisition machine.
3. Cash runway in months
The number: Cash on hand ÷ trailing-3-month average burn (operating expenses minus collections).
Why it works: This is the only number that determines what's actually possible. Strategy at 18 months of runway is different from strategy at 4 months. Founders who pretend they have 12 when they have 6 make catastrophic decisions.
The conversation: If runway is dropping faster than expected, where's the leak? A renegotiated vendor? A delayed collection? A bad hire?
The Monday ritual
30 minutes. CEO + head of finance + head of sales. Same three numbers. Same three trends. Decision log written by lunch.
The magic isn't the dashboard. It's the ritual. The dashboard is just what you talk about.