Proof memo 2
LTV / CAC Misallocation
A synthetic proof memo showing how a clean executive number can hide logic risk until someone traces the metric from source, transformation, dashboard, forecast, and decision use.
Synthetic public proof. Not client confidential. Built to show the review pattern, not to expose client data.
One-page memo
What a Ledger-style finding should make clear.
The value is not a longer report. The value is forcing the visible claim, hidden defect, decision risk, and recommended action onto one page.
| Lens | Finding |
|---|---|
| Visible claim | Acquisition economics appeared attractive by channel. |
| Discovered defect | Customer cohorts, acquisition cost windows, payback period, retention curves, discounts, and account expansion were blended across incompatible time windows. |
| Executive risk | Capital can shift toward channels that look efficient only because cost and value are not matched to the same customer, period, and retention behavior. |
| Recommended action | Rebuild acquisition economics at a defensible cohort grain before using LTV / CAC for budget, hiring, growth targets, or investor narrative. |
| Likely paid path | Analytics Debt Ledger for one acquisition economics model, or Spend Rationalization Review if the issue spans channels, tools, reporting workflows, and finance ownership. |
Why this matters
The dangerous number is usually the number everyone has stopped questioning.
FIP reviews focus on decision use. The question is not whether a dashboard loads, a forecast calculates, or an AI summary reads well. The question is whether the number is safe enough for the board, budget, deal, hiring plan, or operating decision attached to it.
Typical review tests
- Definition, owner, and decision use
- Source system and transformation logic
- Grain, joins, filters, status handling, and exclusions
- Manual edits, stale assumptions, and undocumented overrides
- Financial-risk framing and next action
Paid proof path
When the issue is real, the smallest useful review is the Ledger.
The Analytics Debt Ledger turns hidden metric, dashboard, SQL, forecast, workflow, AI, or reporting risk into a severity-ranked executive memo.