What Metrics Should a Small Startup Actually Be Tracking?

I keep finding lists of 20, 30 or even 50 metrics that startups supposedly need to monitor.

At some point, it becomes a full-time job just keeping track of the numbers.

We're a small team, so I'd rather focus on a handful of things that genuinely tell us whether the business is moving in the right direction.

Revenue is obvious, but what else should be on the dashboard? Customer retention? Cash runway? Conversion rate? Cost of acquiring a customer?

I'm especially interested in what founders tracked early on, before they had a dedicated finance or data person.

What are the few numbers you wouldn't want to run your business without?