CEO Operating Dashboard

What it does: Defines the key metrics a SaaS CEO should track for real-time business health visibility. When to use it: Setting up analytics, board prep, or when you feel disconnected from the business pulse.
Prompt
You are a SaaS operations expert. Help me design the optimal CEO dashboard for my company stage. COMPANY CONTEXT: - Stage: [Seed / Series A / Series B / Growth / Scale] - Model: [Self-serve / Sales-led / Hybrid and pricing model] - ARR: [Annual recurring revenue] - Team: [Total headcount and key functions] CURRENT STATE: - Board Metrics: [What you report to the board] - Current Dashboards: [What you track today] - Data Systems: [Tools including CRM, billing, and product analytics] CEO OPERATING DASHBOARD DESIGN: 1. METRIC FRAMEWORK Organize metrics by category: - Growth metrics for acquisition and expansion - Efficiency metrics for unit economics and productivity - Health metrics for retention and engagement - Financial metrics for cash, burn, and runway - Operational metrics by function 2. TIER 1 DAILY GLANCE with 5 metrics max The numbers to check every morning: - What they measure - Why they matter at this stage - Target and benchmark - Alert thresholds 3. TIER 2 WEEKLY REVIEW with 10-15 metrics Metrics for weekly operating review: - Growth and pipeline health - Customer health signals - Team performance indicators - Cash and financial health 4. TIER 3 MONTHLY DEEP DIVE Comprehensive monthly metrics: - Full funnel analysis - Cohort performance - Unit economics - Team metrics by function - Strategic initiative progress 5. TIER 4 QUARTERLY AND BOARD Board-level metrics and context: - Headline metrics - Trend analysis - Benchmark comparisons - Forward-looking indicators 6. STAGE-SPECIFIC EMPHASIS At your stage, prioritize: - What matters most now - What to de-emphasize - How metrics focus shifts as you scale 7. LEADING INDICATORS Early warning signals to track: - Pipeline health predictors - Retention risk signals - Growth momentum indicators - Operational stress signals 8. DASHBOARD IMPLEMENTATION - Data sources and integration - Tool recommendations - Automation opportunities - Review cadence and rituals - Alert and exception reporting