One of the most commonly scrutinised areas is revenue growth or usage growth. For revenue-generating businesses investors examine the rate and consistency of revenue expansion over time. This includes not only month-over-month or year-over-year growth, but also the stability of revenue streams and the sources driving that growth.

For ventures which are not yet fully monetised, strong usage or engagement growth can serve as a proxy, provided there is a credible path to revenue.

In both cases, investors are looking for evidence that demand is increasing in a repeatable and predictable way.