Published on August 8, 2025
How focusing on a few key numbers keeps our team aligned, our product improving, and our growth compounding.
In SaaS, it’s easy to drown in dashboards. Daily active users, churn rate, MRR growth, feature adoption, NPS — all valuable, but not all equally important.
North Star Metrics are the small set of numbers that best capture the core value your product delivers to customers and your business. They act as a compass:
At Vortex IQ, we’ve boiled it down to five core metrics that tell us if we’re winning.
Definition: % of new merchants who set up at least 3 AI agents in their first 30 days.
Why it matters: Our data shows that merchants who activate 3+ agents early have 2–3x higher retention. How we drive it:
Goal: Keep activation rate above 65%.
Definition: How long it takes a new merchant to see their first measurable result.
Why it matters: The faster merchants experience value, the more likely they are to stay. How we drive it:
Goal: Reduce TTFV to under 1 day
Definition: The percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers, including expansion.
Why it matters: NRR over 100% means existing customers are spending more over time — the holy grail of SaaS growth. How we drive it:
Goal: Maintain NRR at 130%+
Definition: How long it takes to recover the cost of acquiring a customer.
Why it matters: A short payback period means we can reinvest in growth faster without burning capital. How we drive it:
Goal: Keep CAC payback under 90 days.
Definition: The % of all deployed AI agents that run at least once per week.
Why it matters: Active agents = ongoing value delivery, which drives retention and upsell. How we drive it:
Goal: Keep weekly active agents above 80%.
It’s a self‑reinforcing system — the kind that scales.
For us, success isn’t just MRR growth — it’s sustainable growth powered by happy, active merchants. By keeping the team focused on these North Star Metrics, we know we’re not just growing — we’re building a product merchants can’t imagine working without.
The future of e-commerce optimisation—and beyond—is bright with Vortex IQ. As we continue to develop our Agentic Framework and expand into new sectors, we’re excited to bring the power of AI-powered insights and automation to businesses around the world. Join us on this journey as we build a future where data not only informs decisions but drives them, making businesses smarter, more efficient, and ready for whatever comes next.