Some numbers matter more than others.
You can track CAC, ARR, runway… but unless those metrics reflect how your business actually works, they’re just numbers. The formula might be clean, but the signal is off. You end up spending more time explaining than analyzing.
So finance teams build their own.
Custom metrics, edge-case logic, team-specific definitions. Not because they want to be clever, but because they need the model to match reality.
And that’s where things slow down.
Most tools don’t flex. They lock you into templates. You have to pick between speed or specificity. So you go back to spreadsheets. You build what you need, by hand, every time. Until it breaks.
We built Runway to change that.
Your business isn’t generic. Your metrics shouldn’t be either.
Every company has its own logic: how revenue gets recognized, what counts as COGS, how costs flow through the org.
SaaS teams care about CAC and net retention by cohort. Marketplaces track take rate and supply–demand balance. Hardware companies model warranty costs and return rates. Agencies live and die by utilization and backlog burn.
Templates don’t cover these edge cases. And when your tool can’t model your business, you stop trusting it. Custom metrics solve that. You define the rules, the structure, the drivers. You decide what counts.
Operational vs. reported metrics
Finance often needs two views of the same metric.
Gross profit for the board might exclude payment fees. But the ops team needs to see the full picture—returns, chargebacks, contractor costs.
With Runway, you can build both. One for external reporting. One for internal strategy. No more rewriting formulas between decks.
Real metrics, not just renamed rows
Custom metrics in Runway aren’t just new labels on existing data.
You can build from raw transactions, apply formulas, and roll up results however you want. Use lookups, filters, logic gates. Then drill all the way back down to the data that drives them.
It’s your model, your rules.
Custom metric examples
Gross profit
Define what belongs in cost of goods sold for your model (e.g., services include contractor costs; ecommerce includes payment fees and returns; manufacturers focus on direct labor and materials). Maintain two views: reported gross profit for external stakeholders and operational gross profit for internal decisions.
Annual recurring revenue (ARR)
Set clear rules for what counts (subscription only vs. including services), and handle usage-based pricing, multi-year contracts, discounts, and proration. Track variants like new, expansion, churn, and net ARR to drive forecasting and retention strategy.
AR turnover ratio
Measure how fast you collect cash, adjusted for billing cycles, seasonality, and payment terms. Segment by customer, region, or product to spot bottlenecks and improve collections.
Build custom metrics using smart, intuitive formulas
Understanding formulas shouldn’t be hard. In Runway, formulas are human-readable—they feature driver names instead of cell references. No more hunting through tabs to find the right cell.
You can also search for drivers:
- Type “rev” and see all revenue drivers, grouped by hierarchy
- Select a metric, and it inserts the reference with correct syntax
- Point-and-click if you don’t want to type at all
You can build fast without breaking things.
Formula basics and editing features
In Runway, formulas have three main components:
- Operators for math and logic
- Functions for complex calculations
- Data references that connect your model
You can write formulas wherever you need. Use driver table blocks for focused calculations, or add default formulas to database columns. Override any rows when the numbers need extra context.
Split actuals and forecast logic
Forecasts don’t always follow history. That’s why formulas in Runway can treat actuals and forecasts differently.
Pull real data from your accounting system for actuals.
Use growth rates, assumptions, or lookups for forecasts.
And when the future shifts, you don’t overwrite the past.
Last close: bridging actuals and forecasts
Every model needs to know where actuals stop and forecasts begin. In Runway, that’s the last close.
- Update last close monthly after books close
- Move it forward to add real-time data mid-month
This flexibility lets you compare budget vs. actuals or track targets throughout the month. Actuals pull from accounting. Forecasts use the logic you define.
One model, clean split. No more duplicating sheets.
Advanced formula features
Recent upgrades to Runway’s formula editor make complex formulas easy.
- Draggable editor stays open as you work
- Point-and-click building ends typing mistakes
- Click drivers or data cells to add them instantly
- Expanded math functions for advanced calculations
- Color-coded parentheses for untangling deep logic
Building even the most advanced formulas now feels simple and visual.
Build once. Use everywhere.
With Runway’s smart formulas, your custom metrics flow through the entire model:
- Revenue forecasts reflect your real logic, not a template
- Expense planning mirrors your cost centers and rules
- Headcount models match your actual team and pay structures
- Board metrics match internal ops metrics—no translation needed
Other teams benefit too. Sales sees ARR calculated their way. Marketing sees CAC based on their campaigns. Everyone works off the same source of truth—just filtered through their lens.
And because Runway integrates with 750+ data sources, your metrics can combine accounting, CRM, and ops data—no manual patchwork required.
Model faster and smarter
In a perfect world, every metric would be standard.
But in the real world, finance is custom work. You build the numbers that matter. You define what’s true. You can’t wait for someone else to make a template for you.
That’s what Runway is for: custom metrics, smarter formulas, and a shared understanding of your business. No more spreadsheet chaos. Just a model that works the way your business works.
Want to see it live? Book a demo and we’ll walk you through it.