Table 120 Aug 2026From “The LTV:CAC ratio hides the timing”

One LTV:CAC ratio, three cash paths

The ratio is identical. The funding risk and the evidence required are not.

Table 1One LTV:CAC ratio, three cash paths

Illustrative path	Forecast LTV	CAC	LTV:CAC	What the ratio hides
Fast recovery, early churn	300	100	3.0x	Most value arrives before a short life ends
Slow recovery, durable expansion	300	100	3.0x	Cash is tied up longer, but the relationship may be stronger
Mixed cohort, concentrated expansion	300	100	3.0x	A few expansions carry the average

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Source: Author's illustrative worksheet. The values are constructed to show why a ratio cannot stand in for timing.

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From the essay

Growth that compounds

The LTV:CAC ratio hides the timing

The LTV:CAC ratio compares a forecast with an acquisition cost, but not when cash returns. Put payback, margin and cohort risk beside the ratio.

20 Aug 2026

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APA 7

Isoglu, S. (2026). One LTV:CAC ratio, three cash paths [Table]. isoglu.com. https://isoglu.com/insights/exhibits/isoglu-2026-ltv-cac-ratio-hides-the-timing-fig01/

BibTeX

@misc{isoglu-2026-ltv-cac-ratio-hides-the-timing-fig01,
  author = {Isoglu, Sinan},
  title = {{One LTV:CAC ratio, three cash paths}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Table 1, isoglu.com},
  url = {https://isoglu.com/insights/exhibits/isoglu-2026-ltv-cac-ratio-hides-the-timing-fig01/},
  note = {From the essay {The LTV:CAC ratio hides the timing}}
}

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<figure>
  <a href="https://isoglu.com/insights/exhibits/isoglu-2026-ltv-cac-ratio-hides-the-timing-fig01/">
    <img src="https://isoglu.com/social/isoglu-2026-ltv-cac-ratio-hides-the-timing-fig01.png" alt="Table 1: One LTV:CAC ratio, three cash paths" width="3200" height="2400">
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  <figcaption>Table 1: One LTV:CAC ratio, three cash paths. Source: Author&#39;s illustrative worksheet. The values are constructed to show why a ratio cannot stand in for timing. <a href="https://isoglu.com/insights/exhibits/isoglu-2026-ltv-cac-ratio-hides-the-timing-fig01/">View exhibit</a>.</figcaption>
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