GTM Glossary · Metrics
Time to Value (TTV)
The elapsed time between a customer signing or signing up and their first real experience of the promised value.
[01]What It Means
Measured to a defined milestone, not to go-live: the first report a client actually uses, the first meeting the engine books, the first workflow that runs without help. In enterprise deployments it is counted in days and weeks; in self-serve products, in minutes.
[02]Why It Matters
It is the strongest leading indicator of retention there is. Every week between signature and first value is a week in which the sponsor who bought you has to defend the decision internally without evidence.
[03]Where It Goes Wrong
Measuring to technical deployment rather than to value the buyer recognises.Optimising onboarding speed while leaving the value milestone undefined.Assuming the milestone is identical across markets and segments.
[04]Related Terms