SaaS Metrics Glossary

What is Magic Number?

Definition

Magic Number measures sales efficiency by comparing net new ARR to sales & marketing spend. It shows how much ARR you generate per dollar spent.

Formula

Magic Number = (Current Quarter Net New ARR × 4) / Prior Quarter S&M Spend

Example:

Q2 Net New ARR: $250K | Q1 S&M: $1M

Magic Number = ($250K × 4) / $1M = 1.0

Benchmarks

Above 1.0 - Excellent, scale aggressively

0.75 - 1.0 - Good, continue investing

0.5 - 0.75 - Acceptable

Below 0.5 - Poor efficiency

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