The MapOperations & IntelligenceCAC & LTV Analysis

CAC & LTV Analysis

Knowing what a customer is worth — and what it costs to get one.

Workflow

Step 1Acquisition Cost
ObjectiveDefine CAC precisely.
InputSpend, sales data
OutputCAC definition

Key activities

Define CAC components, attribution

Decision points

What really costs a customer?
Tools: Financial dataRoles: Finance · analytics

Success: CAC defined

Quality gate: Go: definition clear. Loop back: fuzzy.

Why it matters

  • Unit economics decide whether growth is a business or a leak. CAC/LTV analysis shows which channels deserve more money.

Best practices

  • Calculate CAC and LTV by channel and segment.
  • Track payback period — cash matters, not just ratio.
  • Compare profitability, not just growth.
  • Reallocate budget to the healthy channels.

Common mistakes

  • A blended CAC that hides bad channels.
  • LTV from assumptions, not data.
  • Chasing LTV while cash burns on long payback.

Key questions

  • Which channel is profitable at the margin?
  • How long until acquisition costs are paid back?

Agents that drive this

AttributionPipeline Auditor

Tools we use · alternates in [ ]

Metabase[ Looker Studio, Power BI, Grafana ]Supabase[ Postgres, Firebase ]