How to Build a Revenue-Centric Dashboard: The 4 Metrics That Matter to Your CEO

You have a dashboard. It's probably colorful. It probably has charts that move. It might even be displayed on a screen in your office.

But here's the real question: when your CEO looks at it, do they actually understand what's happening with the business? Or does it just show that everyone is... busy?

Most dashboards are like a car dashboard that shows you how fast the windshield wipers are moving, but not how much gas is in the tank. You see a lot of activity, but you have no idea if you're about to run out of fuel.

The truth is, your CEO doesn't care about vanity metrics. They don't care about opens, clicks, or "likes." They care about one thing: Is this business growing in a healthy, predictable way?

Let's cut through the noise. If you want to build a dashboard that actually gets used to make decisions, you only need these four metrics.

1. Revenue Run Rate: Are We on Track to Hit Our Number?

   
   What it is: Your annual revenue, based on your current monthly performance. If you did $50,000 in revenue this month, your run rate is $600,000 for the year ($50,000 x 12).

   
   Why it's the only growth metric that matters:
   Website traffic can be a fluke. Lead volume can be misleading. But cash in the bank doesn't lie. This is the simplest, most honest answer to the question, "Are we growing?"

   
   

   What it tells you: Are we on, above, or below plan? Is our growth steady, accelerating, or slowing down?
   The CEO's Question: "If we continue at this exact pace, will we hit our annual target?"
   
   

2. Pipeline Velocity: How Fast is Deal-Money Moving?

   
   What it is: How quickly (and how much) potential revenue moves through your sales pipeline. It's the engine of your future revenue. Think of it like this: Pipeline Velocity = (Number of Deals x Average Deal Size x Win Rate) / Sales Cycle Length

   
   Why it's a crystal ball:
   Two companies can have the same amount of pipeline, but the one with faster velocity will win every time. A high velocity means your marketing is attracting the right people, your sales process is efficient, and your product is a good fit.

   
   

   What it tells you: Is our sales process getting more efficient? Are we attracting better-quality leads?
   The CEO's Question: "Is our revenue engine speeding up or slowing down?"
   
   

3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Are Our Customers Worth What We Pay for Them?

   
   What it is: The total cost of sales and marketing efforts needed to acquire a new customer. Add up all your marketing and sales salaries and expenses for a period, and divide by the number of new customers acquired.

   
   

   Why it's a reality check:
   You can be growing fast and still be on a path to bankruptcy if it costs you $10,000 to acquire a customer who only pays you $5,000. This metric keeps you honest.

   
   

   What it tells you: Is our growth sustainable? Are we spending our money wisely?
   The CEO's Question: "Are we buying customers profitably, or just buying revenue?"

   
   

4. Lifetime Value to CAC Ratio (LTV:CAC): Is This Business Built to Last?

   
   What it is: A simple comparison. How much is a customer worth to us over their entire lifetime (LTV) versus what we paid to acquire them (CAC).
   Why it's the ultimate health metric:

   
   This single number tells you the long-term viability of your business model.
   LTV:CAC < 1:1? You're losing money on every customer. This is a five-alarm fire.
   LTV:CAC = 3:1? This is the sweet spot. You're growing efficiently and profitably.
   LTV:CAC > 5:1? You might be under-investing in growth. You could probably afford to be more aggressive!

   
   

   What it tells you: Is our business model fundamentally sound?
   The CEO's Question: "Are we building a valuable, long-term company?"

So, how do you actually build this?
Stop trying to track everything. Start by tracking what matters.
Your new, revenue-centric dashboard is not cluttered. It's clean. It has four clear numbers, with simple trend arrows.

When you walk into a leadership meeting with this dashboard, the conversation will change. It will no longer be about why a certain blog post didn't get many shares. It will be a strategic discussion about how to accelerate velocity, or how to improve customer lifetime value.

This is how you move from reporting on activity to driving impact.

Ready to build a dashboard that actually drives decisions, not just debate? At Malika Moir, we help you connect your data to tell the true story of your revenue. Let's build your command center together.