negative churn

Advanced 🚀 Startup / VC

Definition

When expansion revenue from existing customers exceeds lost revenue from cancellations, the holy grail of SaaS metrics. It's losing customers but somehow making more money anyway.

Example Usage

Despite 10% customer churn, the company achieved negative churn through aggressive upselling to remaining accounts.

Source: SaaS metrics and subscription business models

Related Terms

Intermediate

ownership target

The percentage of a company a VC aims to own to make an investment worthwhile relative to their fund size. It's why large funds often can't invest in your seed round—they need bigger slices.

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outbound sales

A proactive sales approach where the company reaches out to potential customers rather than waiting for inbound interest. It's the difference between fishing with a net and hoping fish jump into your boat.

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Founder

The person who started a company and will remind you of this fact in every meeting, email signature, and LinkedIn post until the heat death of the universe. They wear the title like a crown, even when the kingdom is a WeWork desk and two interns.

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Incubator

A program that nurtures early-stage startups by providing office space, mentorship, and a false sense of security. It's called an incubator because, much like the medical device, it keeps fragile things alive that probably wouldn't survive in the real world.

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metrics that matter

The handful of key performance indicators that actually determine business health versus the vanity metrics founders cite in pitch meetings. Revenue and retention versus social media followers and press mentions.

🚀 Startup / VC
Beginner

inbound interest

When investors, customers, or acquirers proactively reach out to a startup rather than being solicited. It's the entrepreneurial equivalent of being asked to the dance instead of doing the asking.

🚀 Startup / VC

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