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Operations KPIs

Cross-functional operational metrics. 1 KPI in this domain — 1 anchored to third-party standards.

Cross-functional operational metrics

Industry-backed KPIs (1)

KPIRogue IDTypeSource
Rule of 40operations.rule_of_40PercentageSaaS Metrics Standards Board

Machine-readable

Venture Debt Drawn

Principal currently drawn from venture debt facilities (e.g. Silicon Valley Bank, Hercules Capital, Trinity Capital, Western Alliance, Bridge Bank facilities). Venture debt typically extends runway 6–12 months alongside the equity round — used well, it dilution-efficiently bridges to the next equity event; used poorly, it concentrates default risk into a single covenant covenant trip. Common pitfall: drawn debt creates interest expense and a repayment schedule that compresses runway in 18–24 months even though it extends runway today (per the Battery Ventures venture-debt primer and the Bessemer "venture debt playbook" series). — Fundraising KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).

Rule of 40

Composite SaaS health score that sums the company's revenue growth rate and a profitability proxy (commonly EBITDA margin or free-cash-flow margin) into a single percentage. Originally articulated by Brad Feld in 2015 and codified by the SaaS Metrics Standards Board, the rule frames the growth-vs-profitability tradeoff: a company growing at 60% with a −20% margin scores 40, equal to a company growing at 20% with a +20% margin. The board reads it to sanity-check whether growth is being bought at unhealthy burn or whether margin discipline is constraining growth too far. Common pitfall: which profitability proxy is used materially changes the score (FCF margin is the strictest, EBITDA more flattering, "operating margin" inconsistently defined), so pick one and disclose it next to the number. — Operations KPI anchored to SaaS Metrics Standards Board.

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