Geckoboard Dashboards:

1. Typically, I’ve found that using Geckoboard is the best way to propel your startup to hitting OKRs or KPIs in rapid fashion. You can get started using the Geckboard free plan. To do that, start a trial here, and then downgrade the instance to their free plan.
2. We can do a workshop as a group where I walk through exactly how I like to set up Google Sheets to power the Geckoboard dashboards in the early stages of refining OKRs or KPIs, and you can then replace them with automation.
3. You’ll need a spare computer monitor or TV for Geckoboard. You can buy this on Craigslist for about $100.

Required Reading On Setting Up Your KPIs and OKRs, Specfically As It Relates To Sales & Fundraising

1. OKRs: OKRs are objectives and key results, and unless you are using them or some type of metric to manage your sales and fundraising goals, it’s pretty unlikely that you are going to hit those goals in any timebound manner. The simplest and most straightforward book I know is Wodtke’s Radical Focus. The first half of the book is a simple parable about a tea company. Even if you prefer to use KPIs, I recommend that you read at least the first half of this book. It’s a quick and engaging read. Read the next point too, because there’s something in it called W3, that you’re going to want to know about.
2. KPIs (and W3): Amos Schwartzfarb is the guy who leads Techstars Austin and I’ve worked with him for a couple of years now. His 2nd book, Levers, contains an absolutely great chapter on KPIs that he wrote with his buddy Trevor Boehm. The book is worth buying for this chapter alone. Best and most straightforward chapter I’ve read yet regarding KPIs. Also, the first chapter of the book focuses on a concept called W3, which is essentially why customers buy your product. It’s really critical that you understand this. You can read about W3 right here in the sample of the book on Amazon. If any of the founders in our group would like to do a short workshop on W3, we can do it in one of two ways - (1) we can meet with the Techstars Austin founders in our cohort or (2) we can ask Trevor Boehm or Amos Schwartzfarb from Techstars to join us for an hour to teach us the W3 method.
3. Key Customer KPIs
   1. LTV - Customer lifetime value
   2. CAC - Customer acquisition cost
   3. Payback Time (or payback period)
   4. Quick writeup:
      • How much you acquire people for = CAC
      • How much you make from them = LTV
      • How long it takes to cover the cost of the CAC and recycle the money = Payback time
      • Here’s a REALLY good breakdown of each of them.

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