FounderBrief.xyz

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

The total cost of sales and marketing to acquire one customer — ad spend, tools, and salaries included. A core SaaS metric evaluated alongside Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is a critical metric for any business, especially SaaS. It measures the resources required to attract and convert a prospect into a paying customer. To calculate CAC, divide the total costs associated with acquisition (marketing, sales, software, salaries) by the number of new customers acquired in the period.

Deep Dive: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Master the Founder Playbook

Get definitions, tactics, and mental models delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe Free →