Scale Paid Check
Should we put more money into paid ads?
Check whether the customers you win stay, segment by segment, before you scale.
For a founder or CEO, CMO, performance marketing head or finance head. Ask your marketing operations person to prepare the customer list.
Run the check in its ChatGPT Site
Choose a measure, set your decision lines and read a result calculated from your inputs. This is a one way review for your paid budget decision.
Pick the measure you need
- CAC and ARR payback: give paid acquisition cost, average ARR and the longest payback you accept. Gross margin adds payback after margin. No upload.
- Do customers stay past payback? add your customer list and set the share that must still pay at month 12. See the keep checks, cohorts, segment split and payback checkpoints.
- Does lifetime value justify the cost? for companies that track expansion. Add one time fees and current recurring fees, gross margin and the value to cost ratio you require. No ratio is chosen for you.
Read the rows before the verdict
Check rows received, used and rejected before approving a budget. Then read the whole list, each segment and each activity tag. A pass on fewer than 15 customers is a lead, not proof. Without paid cost and margin, a passing group cannot earn Scale.
Use a code or random name for each account. Remove real names and contact details. The file is parsed in the browser and refused if a cell looks like an email or phone number. The route calculates once and does not store or log your inputs.
What to do next
Choose founder or CEO, CMO, performance marketing head or finance head for a fixed next step for each verdict. Hold the increase for a failing group. Keep a small test within an agreed cap. Review the customer counts and money inputs before any increase.
This check does not decide where the money should go instead. Book 45 minutes with Shashwat to discuss reaching the segment that stays through ABM, hyper personalised email or spending the budget you have. The Site prepares a note with verdicts and counts only when you tick attach my result. Nothing personal goes in a URL.
Why come back?
Run the check again when younger cohorts reach month 12, paused customers return, a retention change has had time to work, or a fixed test gives you audited paid costs and win rates. The same inputs and check date give the same result.
Method and author
Method source: Guide 04: checking customer staying power before scaling paid.
Shashwat Ghosh, Co Founder and Fractional CMO, Helix GTM Consulting. About Shashwat.
Questions before you start
What can I measure?
Choose CAC and ARR payback without a customer list, check whether customers stay past payback, or compare lifetime value with paid cost if you track expansion. Only the third measure uses lifetime value.
Who is this for?
A founder or CEO, CMO, performance marketing head or finance head. A marketing operations person prepares the customer list.
What should I remove from the file?
Remove customer names, company names, contact names, emails and phone numbers. Use random account codes. The Site checks all sheets for email and phone details before sending any rows.
Are the example decision lines benchmarks?
No. The 80% keep line at month 12 and 12 month payback are Shashwat's example lines. Set your own before running. The value to cost ratio has no default.
What does the result tell me?
Check rows received, used and rejected first. Then read the whole list and each group. Groups earn Scale, Small capped test, Hold or Not enough data yet. A small sample is a lead, not proof.
Does this tell me where the budget should go instead?
No. Book 45 minutes with Shashwat to discuss ABM, hyper personalised email or how to spend the available budget. Attach only verdicts and counts if you choose to.