Time to First Value (TTFV)
Also known as: Time to Wow, Activation Time
The number of days from contract signing to the customer achieving their first defined success milestone. Unlike Time to Value which may include full go-live, TTFV focuses on the earliest meaningful moment of value realization.
Formula
Date of first success milestone achieved - Contract start date (in days)Who Is This Metric For?
Track for each new customer to ensure first value milestones are hit within target timelines.
Benchmark TTFV across the team and identify bottlenecks in the onboarding process.
Report as a leading indicator: faster TTFV strongly correlates with better first-year retention.
Priority by Stage
Define what 'first value' means for your product. Even a rough milestone is better than no milestone.
Track TTFV by segment and optimize your onboarding to hit it faster. Faster TTFV = better first-year retention.
TTFV should be a leading KPI with segment-specific targets. Automate milestone tracking and alert on delays.
Benchmarks
| Segment | Good | Great | World Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Complexity | Under 7 days | Under 3 days | Under 1 day |
| Moderate Complexity | Under 30 days | Under 14 days | Under 7 days |
| High Complexity | Under 60 days | Under 30 days | Under 14 days |
Common Mistakes
- Confusing TTFV with go-live date. Going live doesn’t mean value was achieved
- Using the same TTFV target across all segments. Enterprise vs. SMB have wildly different timelines
- Not connecting TTFV to downstream retention metrics to prove ROI of onboarding improvements
- Measuring TTFV without defining clear, customer-validated success milestones