Subscription Economics
The math behind a subscription program. LTV, CAC payback, cohorts and how much you can afford to spend to win a subscriber.
11 articles. All articles
Subscription LTV for DTC Brands: How to Calculate It, Benchmarks and 5 Levers
How to calculate subscription LTV by cohort, why the simple churn formula overstates it, benchmarks by order number, and the 5 levers that move it.
Subscription Retention Agency vs Consultant: What Each Does and What Each Costs
What an email agency does next to a subscription retention specialist, published 2026 prices from $995 to $8,995 a month, and 10 questions to ask.
Product Performance Analysis: 4 Steps to Higher Profit
Gross margin hides which products lose money. Here is the four step analysis I use to find what to fix, trim and push.
Ecommerce Unit Economics: How to Calculate and Improve It
Put your P&L on a base of 100, see where each dollar goes, and test every lever before you commit. Worked DTC numbers and scenarios.
5 Shopify Retention Reports You Can Pull for Free
Five reports inside Shopify show when customers buy again and what they are worth. No paid tool needed. Here is what each one tells you.
12 Things I Believe About Subscription Growth
The deliverables are not the strategy. Twelve beliefs on ownership, 12-month LTV, payback, offers and habit that shape how we grow subscription revenue.
CAC Payback Period: How to Calculate It and 10 Ways to Shorten It
Fast payback beats a big LTV. What good CAC payback looks like for subscriptions, how to calculate it by cohort, and ten ways to pull the date in.
Payback, Not Lifetime: Why a $100 Subscription Can Lose Money
You can make money on a $40 subscription and lose money on a $100 one. Why payback period sets how fast you can grow, and six ways to move it.
LTV Math: How Churn Sets Your Maximum CAC
LTV is a budget number, not a trophy. The full math from churn to lifespan to max CAC, and how cutting churn from 15% to 5% triples it.
How to Read a Subscription Cohort Chart
A cohort chart needs three reads. Horizontal shows where the experience breaks, vertical which month paid off, diagonal what the calendar hides.
Your Subscription LTV Is Your Exit Multiple
Buyers skip your dashboards and go to three numbers: CLV to CAC, repeat rate and NRR. How retention moves your exit multiple.