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Understanding Churn: A Guide for Investors

Updated: Feb 11, 2024



In the realm of business analytics, few metrics are as essential, yet potentially misleading, as churn. For investors, understanding churn is critical in assessing the health and future prospects of a business, especially in industries where customer retention is paramount.



What is Churn?


Churn refers to the percentage of subscribers or users who stop using a company's product or service during a particular time frame. It's a measure of customer attrition and typically expressed as a percentage.


Why is Churn Important?


  • Revenue: A high churn rate can indicate that a company's product or service isn't sticking with customers, which can lead to decreased revenue.

  • Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC): Acquiring new customers is often more expensive than retaining existing ones. A high churn rate can increase CAC, thus eating into profits.

  • Company Valuation: Predictable and recurring revenue (especially for SaaS companies) can significantly boost a company's valuation. High churn can undermine this predictability.

  • Feedback Mechanism: A high churn rate can signal product, service, or market issues that need addressing.


Churn Calculation


The most basic formula to calculate churn is:


Churn Rate = (Number of Customers at Beginning of Period - Number of Customers at End of Period) / Number of Customers at Beginning of Period x 100%


However, depending on the industry and the nuances of the business, there can be variations of this formula.


Examples of Churn


  • Streaming Services (e.g., Netflix): If 1,000 subscribers begin the month, but 50 of them cancel by the end, the churn rate is 5%.

  • Telecommunications: Consider a mobile phone service provider. If they start the month with 10,000 subscribers and end with 9,800, the monthly churn rate is 2%.

  • Software as a Service (SaaS): Let's say a SaaS business starts the quarter with 5,000 users. By the end of the quarter, 200 have left. The quarterly churn is 4%.


Types of Churn


  • Customer Churn: Focuses on the number of customers lost.

  • Revenue Churn: This looks at the revenue lost due to customers leaving, upgrading, or downgrading their packages. This can sometimes be more insightful than customer churn, especially for businesses with varied pricing tiers.

  • Gross and Net Churn: Gross churn is the total lost revenue, while net churn takes into account new revenue from existing customers (e.g., upsells).


Reducing Churn


Understanding churn is one part of the equation; the next step is reducing it:


  • Enhance Customer Service: Addressing concerns promptly and efficiently can reduce churn significantly.

  • Feedback Loop: Regularly seek feedback and make noticeable improvements.

  • Engagement Strategies: Utilize regular check-ins, webinars, and training sessions to keep users engaged and informed.

  • Loyalty Programs: Rewarding long-term customers can incentivize them to stay.


Considerations for Investors


  • Industry Norms: A 5% monthly churn might be acceptable in one industry but disastrous in another. It's essential to understand industry benchmarks.

  • Cohort Analysis: Instead of just looking at churn as an aggregate number, cohort analysis breaks down customers by when they were acquired. This can provide deeper insights into churn patterns.

  • Lifetime Value (LTV) vs. CAC: A company might have a high churn rate, but if the lifetime value of each customer far exceeds the cost to acquire them, the business model might still be sustainable.

  • Reasons for Churn: Understanding why customers are leaving can be more valuable than the churn rate itself. Is it due to a strong competitor, price, or product issues?


For investors, churn offers invaluable insights into a company's health and its relationship with its customers. By understanding and evaluating churn in its proper context, investors can make more informed decisions about where to place their capital.

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