Peak Margin

How do I calculate my first margin with Peak Margin?

Pick a template (product, retainer, project, SaaS, job or blank), enter the price and the costs you know. You can leave unknown fields empty: they count as 0 for now and are flagged. You'll then see contribution margin, margin ratio, the biggest cost driver and a guardrail such as maximum CAC.

1. 01Open Peak Margin and choose “New calculation”.
2. 02Choose a template and unit, and optionally link a product.
3. 03Enter the price and say whether it's gross or net.
4. 04Enter costs or use an example as an estimate, then click “Show result”.

How do I find the price for my target margin?

Open a calculation and switch to “Reverse”. Enter the target margin, a contribution in euros or a contribution per hour. For each lever separately, Peak shows which value meets the target: price, maximum discount, maximum cost per block, maximum CAC and volume. Percentage fees grow with the price. You apply the target price with one click.

How do I compare scenarios without changing my calculation?

Under “Scenarios” you create typical cases with one click (price +5%, supplier +10%, CAC +20%, return rate −2 pp) or type “Price +7%, CAC +10%”. A scenario only stores the deviations; the base stays unchanged. All scenarios appear side by side with contribution, margin and guardrails.

How do I compare several calculations side by side?

Under “Calculations”, check up to four calculations. Peak places them side by side in a table and highlights the best value per metric. From an open calculation, you can also use “More” → “Compare (C)”.

1. 01Open Peak Margin → “Calculations”.
2. 02Check the calculations on the left of the table, four at most.
3. 03Read the comparison of the selected calculations below.
4. 04Use “Sort” to order the list, for example by “Highest margin” or “Largest leak”.

How do I set target margin and discount limits for all calculations?

Under “Rules”, you set defaults and guardrails once; they apply to all calculations in the current space. A single calculation can still have its own target margin. The rules are your settings; Peak doesn't insert industry figures.

1. 01Open Peak Margin → “Rules”.
2. 02Under “Defaults”, enter the “Target margin (CM III)” and the “Default tax rate”.
3. 03Under “Guardrails”, set for example “Discount: warning from”, “Discount: approval from”, “CAC at most” or “Return rate: alert from”.
4. 04On the right, you immediately see which calculations violate a rule.

How do I save a calculation as a template for new calculations?

Open the calculation and choose “More” → “Save as template”. The template takes over the cost blocks, for example tax, payment, shipping and return rate. You'll find it under “Rules” at “Custom templates”, where you start a new calculation with “Use”.

1. 01Open the calculation and click “More” at the top.
2. 02Choose “Save as template”.
3. 03Under “Rules” → “Custom templates”, click “Use” to calculate from it.

How do I export a calculation?

In the calculation, under “More” → “Export CSV”, you download all values as a CSV. For the “Profit Waterfall”, “Copy table” copies the table for Excel or Sheets.

How do I mark whether I want to scale, hold or stop a product?

Every calculation has a “Portfolio status”: Scale, Hold, Fix, Review or Stop. Peak makes a suggestion from your rules; you decide. Under “Calculations”, the “Board” layout shows all calculations sorted by this status.

1. 01Open the calculation and switch to “History”.
2. 02Under “What are you doing with it?”, choose a status.
3. 03Under “Calculations”, switch “Layout” to “Board”.

How do I delete a calculation?

Open the calculation, choose “More” → “Delete” and confirm. The calculation disappears from Peak Margin; its history stays in your account, and tasks in Peak Work remain.

What's the difference between CM I, CM II and CM III?

CM I is net revenue minus variable product and delivery costs (goods, shipping, fees, returns). CM II also subtracts acquisition (CAC, advertising). CM III subtracts operational variable costs (support, usage, buffer) and is your contribution margin. Allocated fixed costs are shown separately below as “fully loaded”, so contribution margin and profit are never confused.

How does Peak Margin calculate break-even ROAS and maximum CAC?

Break-even CAC is the contribution before acquisition: CM III plus the acquisition costs you entered. Break-even ROAS is net revenue divided by that contribution. If your ROAS is below it, the ads cost more than the sale contributes before marketing. Target ROAS additionally takes out your target margin. You can open every formula with the “?” next to each metric.

What keyboard shortcuts are there in Peak Margin?

In an open calculation: N creates a new calculation, D duplicates, C opens the comparison, R jumps to “Reverse”. Under “Scenarios”, S saves. The shortcuts don't apply while you're typing in an input field.

I calculated without an account. How do I save my calculation?

Without an account, the calculation only lives in this browser. Sign in in the same browser: Peak Margin then moves the calculation into your account. In a different browser, or after clearing site data, it's gone.

Why does my calculation say “incomplete” or “partly estimated”?

The “Data” column shows how reliable a calculation is. “○ incomplete” means the price is missing, no costs have been entered yet, or more cost blocks are unknown than your “‘Incomplete’ from” rule allows. “◐ partly estimated” means individual blocks are missing or more than a fifth of the costs are estimated.

1. 01Open the calculation and enter the price if it's missing.
2. 02Replace estimated or empty cost blocks with real values.
3. 03If needed, adjust the “‘Incomplete’ from” limit under “Rules”.

Can I share a calculation as a link, PDF or Excel file?

Not yet. Read-only share links, a PDF export and XLSX are planned but not built. Today you export the calculation as a CSV or copy the table.