AUG Score
AUG Score is a 0-100 composite metric measuring SaaS growth health across 7 factors. It's designed to be a single shareable number — like NPS for customer love, LCP for page performance, or MRR for revenue. One number, one conversation, one north star for solo SaaS founders.
The formula
AUG = 100 × Acq × Act × Eng × Ret × Adv × Mon × Perf ÷ 10⁷Each of the 7 factors is scored 1-10 (per the AUG v3 rubric at /method/scoring/). The composite is computed via multiplicative formula, so a zero in any factor near-zeros the whole. You cannot acquire your way out of a retention hole. You cannot retain your way out of a monetization hole. Every factor compounds.
The 7 factors
- Acquisition — Are real people finding your product?
- Activation — Do first-time visitors get value in ≤10 seconds?
- Engagement — Depth of session: pages, time, scroll, events.
- Retention — D1/D7/D30 cohort return rates.
- Advocacy — k-factor, shares, viral loops.
- Monetization — Pricing conversion, RPM, math floor.
- Performance — Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS, TTFB).
Tier classifications
| AUG Score | Tier | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50+ | Fleet champion | Top-decile growth health. Multiple factors at 9-10. | Scale horizontally; ship next product. |
| 30-50 | Thriving | Healthy product; some factors maxed. | Weekly iteration; invest in weakest factor. |
| 15-30 | Healthy | Compounding starts here. All factors functional. | Per-factor improvement queue. |
| 5-15 | Needs focus | One or two factors are dragging the whole. | Halt new features; one-stage focus sprint. |
| 1-5 | Critical | Multiple factors below 3. Math floor binding. | Rollback recent ships; triage immediately. |
| <1 | Zombie | Factors near zero. Compound mechanism dead. | 90-day kill-criteria; rebrand or sunset. |
Why multiplicative (not additive)?
Most growth frameworks add factor scores. AUG multiplies them. The difference matters:
- Additive: a site with Acquisition 10 + Monetization 1 averages 5.5. Looks “mid-tier.” Reality: it has 10× the traffic of competitors AND can't earn from any of it.
- Multiplicative: same site scores 10 × 1 × ... × ... = product near zero. AUG Score <1. Correctly classified as zombie — because mathematically the weakest factor caps the whole.
AUG's multiplicative posture is an opinion: you cannot fix one factor and compensate for failure in another. The flywheel needs every leg.
How AUG Score compares to other metrics
| Metric | What it measures | Comparable to AUG? |
|---|---|---|
| NPS (Net Promoter Score) | Single-question customer-love signal | No — NPS is one signal. AUG is 7-factor composite. Use NPS quarterly + AUG weekly. |
| MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) | Subscription revenue per month | No — MRR is outcome. AUG is health diagnostic. AUG predicts MRR trajectory. |
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | Page load performance milestone | Partial — LCP is one component of AUG's Performance factor. |
| PMF Survey (Sean Ellis 40%) | Single-question PMF signal | No — PMF is binary check. AUG decomposes growth across 7 dimensions. Full comparison. |
| AARRR Pirate Metrics | 5-factor funnel breakdown | Closest comparable — AUG extends AARRR with Engagement + Performance + multiplicative composite. Full comparison. |
| CAC, LTV | Unit-economics ratios | Complementary — AUG is health; CAC/LTV is unit economics. Both matter; different questions. |
Real AUG Scores (audited)
Real public audits of well-known SaaS — see the full catalog:
- Figma — AUG 62 (Fleet champion) — quadruple-10 on Acquisition + Engagement + Retention + Advocacy
- Stripe — AUG 52 (Fleet champion) — multi-factor compounding across every dimension
- Supabase — AUG 50 (Fleet champion) — open-source + multi-product compound
- Cloudflare — AUG 45 (Fleet champion) — free-tier-as-acquisition-engine archetype
- Linear — AUG 38 (Thriving) — multi-factor depth in a niche
- Resend — AUG 35 (Thriving) — OSS companion drives paid funnel
- PostHog — AUG 33 (Thriving) — radical transparency Advocacy machine
- Vercel — AUG 31 (Thriving) — framework-platform compound
- Beehiiv — AUG 30 (Thriving) — structural innovation in contested category
- Notion — AUG 27 (Healthy) — Templates + Advocacy at 10 outweigh Performance at 6
- Substack — AUG 26 (Healthy) — cross-recommend network compounds
- Framer — AUG 28 (Healthy/Thriving) — AI-as-Activation-friction-remover
- Lemon Squeezy — AUG 21 (Healthy) — “unsexy compliance moat” play
- Plausible — AUG 14 (Healthy) — bounded by privacy-conscious slice
- ConvertKit — AUG 12 (Healthy) — creator-niche focus survives Mailchimp dominance
- Webflow — AUG 10 (Healthy edge) — Activation friction lets Framer eat share
- Mailchimp — AUG 9 (Needs focus) — category-leader in multi-factor decay
- Buffer — AUG 7 (Needs focus) — single-feature tools have ~6-year half-life
- Gumroad — AUG 5 (Needs focus) — 2022 fee changes hurt Advocacy
- Patreon — AUG 4 (Zombie) — late-stage SaaS decay, creators exodusing
How to compute your own AUG Score
60 seconds. Free. No signup. Same rubric used to compute every audit above:
Frequently asked questions
Who created AUG Score?
The AUG v3 framework was developed by Paulo de Vries over 18 months of dogfooding against a portfolio of 30+ live SaaS products. The methodology is open + free (research evidence base) and the audit tool is self-serve (no signup).
Why “AUG”?
AUG = Audit Under Growth, AcePilot UserGrowth, or just “the 7-factor audit” depending on who you ask. The acronym matters less than the metric. Like NPS — most people don't remember what NPS stands for (Net Promoter Score). They just know the number.
Can I use AUG Score in my own content?
Yes. Both the methodology and all audit data are CC-BY 4.0 licensed. Cite freely. Just include a link back to growthfriction.com so readers can verify the methodology + run their own audits.
Is AUG Score weighted by industry / archetype?
Not in the composite formula — every factor counts equally. But individual factor rubrics calibrate per archetype: a B2B SaaS Acquisition score of 8 means different traffic targets than a content-site Acquisition 8. See archetype-specific landings at B2B, consumer, marketplace, publisher, and API-only.
How often should I re-audit?
Weekly for active development. Monthly for stable products. Quarterly minimum to track cohort effects (Retention factors compound over 30-90 days).
The compound thesis
AUG Score is designed to compound the way NPS, MRR, LCP, K-factor compounded — as single numbers operators say in conversation:
- “What's your NPS?” → “What's your AUG?”
- “Our LCP is sub-1.5s” → “Our AUG just crossed 30”
- “MRR hit $10k” → “AUG hit 50”
When the metric becomes the noun, the brand wins permanently. AUG Score is the home of that conversation for SaaS growth health.
Get your AUG Score
Same 7-factor rubric, scored on your own product in 60 seconds. Free, no signup.