If you run a DTC brand and you’re celebrating record revenue months, take a beat. Revenue feels good — it’s big, loud, and easy to screenshot. But here’s the truth: revenue is a vanity metric.
What actually matters? Profit. Cash. Repeatable margin. Not the top line. The bottom one.
Revenue gets all the glory because it’s easy to understand and even easier to grow. Run more ads, discount more, push more volume — and your revenue chart climbs. But at what cost?
A $500k month isn’t impressive if your:
Revenue doesn’t show any of that. It hides it.
If you want to run a real business — not just a hype machine — shift your metrics. Here’s what matters:
Profit after COGS, shipping, merchant fees, and variable costs — but before fixed overhead.
This tells you if your core unit economics are sound. Are you making money on each order? Most brands don’t know. You should.
What did it cost you — across all channels — to acquire a customer?
ROAS can look great in-platform, but it doesn’t include fees, returns, or organic traffic. Blended CAC tells the truth.
Revenue doesn’t hit your bank. Cash does.
Between delayed payouts, rising ad costs, and slow-moving inventory, your cash position is often far worse than you think. Track it daily.
The DTC landscape has shifted. Capital is tighter. Acquisition is harder. Smart brands are building leaner, more profitable operations.
And that starts with tracking the right things — in one place, without spreadsheets or stress.
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