How to build CMGR growth dashboards in Google Sheets

Every ambitious founder or agency owner has lived this scene: it’s the last week of the month, you’re juggling client calls, and you’re still copy‑pasting numbers into Google Sheets to figure out whether your growth is actually accelerating.CMGR (Compound Monthly Growth Rate) is the metric you *should* be staring at—but the workflow to calculate it across products, channels, and clients quickly becomes a time sink.Let’s walk through three levels of sophistication, from fully manual to fully automated with an AI computer agent.### 1. Manual CMGR workflows in Google SheetsThese methods are ideal when you’re just starting out or validating a new funnel.**1.1. Basic CMGR formula in a single sheet**1. In Google Sheets, create columns: - A: Month (e.g. Jan‑24, Feb‑24…) - B: Metric (e.g. MRR, signups, pipeline value).2. Put your first month’s value in `B2` and your last month’s value in `B7` (for example).3. Count the number of months between them (excluding the first month). If you have Jan to Jul, that’s 6 months.4. In a separate cell (say `D2`), enter the CMGR formula: ``` =((B7/B2)^(1/6))-1 ```5. Format `D2` as a percentage (Format → Number → Percent).You now have the average monthly compounding growth over that period.Official Sheets docs on formulas and functions:- Functions list: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093281- Calculation & formulas: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093440**1.2. Dynamic CMGR using cell references**Hard‑coding `6` months gets messy when your data range changes. Instead:1. Assume data runs from `B2:B` with no gaps.2. Use this formula for dynamic CMGR: ``` =((INDEX(B:B, COUNTA(B:B)) / B2) ^ (1/(COUNTA(B:B)-1))) - 1 ``` - `INDEX(B:B, COUNTA(B:B))` gets the last non‑empty metric. - `COUNTA(B:B)-1` gives you the number of intervals.3. Put this into a cell labeled `CMGR` and format as percent.Now, every time you add a new month’s data, CMGR updates automatically.**1.3. CMGR per segment (e.g. per channel or client)**If you’re a marketer or agency tracking multiple channels or clients:1. Structure your sheet as a table: - A: Month - B: Channel/Client - C: Metric (e.g. revenue, SQLs).2. Create a summary tab.3. For a given channel (e.g. “Google Ads”), use `FILTER` to extract its series: ``` =LET( data, FILTER(C:C, B:B="Google Ads"), months, ROWS(data)-1, (INDEX(data, ROWS(data)) / INDEX(data, 1))^(1/months) - 1 ) ``` (If `LET` isn’t available in your workspace, do the same using helper ranges.)This gives you CMGR by channel without copying data.**1.4. Check CMGR with LOG/EXP (for power users)**Sometimes numerical stability matters. An equivalent formulation is:``` =EXP(LN(Ending/Starting)/Months) - 1```In Sheets:``` =EXP(LN(B7/B2)/(COUNTA(B:B)-1)) - 1```This is handy when working with very large or very small numbers.Official docs on functions like `LN` and `EXP`:- https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093580### 2. No‑code automation around CMGR in Google SheetsOnce you have working formulas, the next pain point is *feeding* the sheet reliably.**2.1. Use data validation and named ranges**Prevent broken CMGR calculations:1. Define a named range for your metric column (Data → Named ranges).2. Use Data validation to restrict the metric column to numbers only.3. Reference the named range inside your CMGR formula instead of hard‑coded ranges.This reduces errors from accidental text entries or misplaced rows.**2.2. Automate imports with built‑in connectors and IMPORT functions**For many sales and marketing teams, data already lives in Google Analytics, CSV exports, or other sheets.1. Use `IMPORTRANGE` to pull metrics from a source sheet into your CMGR sheet: ``` =IMPORTRANGE("", "Metrics!A:C") ```2. If your data lives on the web (e.g. a published CSV), use `IMPORTDATA`: ``` =IMPORTDATA("https://example.com/mrr.csv") ```3. Point your CMGR formulas at the imported range instead of manually pasted data.Docs:- IMPORTRANGE: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093340- IMPORTDATA & other import functions: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093335**2.3. Record simple macros for repeated CMGR reports**If you find yourself re‑formatting, sorting, and copying the same CMGR output for clients:1. In Sheets, go to Extensions → Macros → Record macro.2. Perform the steps you usually do (duplicate tab, adjust date range, apply filters, export as PDF).3. Stop recording and save the macro.4. Next month, run the macro instead of repeating all steps.Docs on macros:- https://support.google.com/docs/answer/1631177**Pros of no‑code automation**- Keeps everything in a familiar tool (Google Sheets).- Reduces manual errors and busywork.- Easy to share with non‑technical teammates.**Cons**- Still requires you to manage data sources and timing.- Breaks when upstream sheets or URLs change.- Limited ability to orchestrate multi‑app workflows (e.g. CRM → Sheets → Slack).### 3. Scaling CMGR with Simular AI computer agentsWhen you manage multiple brands, markets, or clients, even clever Sheets automation hits a ceiling. This is where a Simular AI computer agent becomes your growth analyst.Simular Pro agents can operate across your desktop, browser, and cloud apps like a human assistant: logging into CRMs, downloading CSVs, opening Google Sheets, and updating formulas—at production‑grade reliability.**3.1. Agent‑driven CMGR refresh from all your tools**Imagine your weekly growth ritual becomes:- You trigger a Simular Pro agent via webhook.- The agent: - Logs into your CRM and ad platforms. - Exports MRR, signups, and campaign metrics. - Opens your Google Sheets CMGR workbook. - Pastes or imports the fresh data into the right tabs. - Verifies that CMGR formulas recalculate without errors. - Writes a short narrative summary of trends directly into a Notes tab.You review the results, not the plumbing.Learn about Simular Pro’s capabilities:- https://www.simular.ai/simular-pro- https://www.simular.ai/about**3.2. Scheduled CMGR monitoring and alerts**With Simular, you can have agents run CMGR checks daily or weekly:- If CMGR drops below a threshold for any channel or client, the agent posts a message in Slack or email with a link to the affected Google Sheet.- Because every action is transparent and inspectable, you can see exactly how the agent navigated, which file it opened, and what changed.**3.3. Pros and cons of AI‑driven CMGR automation***Pros*- **End‑to‑end:** Handles the whole workflow, not just formulas.- **Scalable:** Works across dozens of clients or brands without extra headcount.- **Transparent:** Every step is visible and modifiable—no black‑box scripts.*Cons*- Requires initial onboarding: giving the agent safe access to your tools.- Best suited once your CMGR definitions and Sheets structure are stable.For sales, marketing teams, and agencies, the pattern is simple:- Start manual to understand CMGR.- Layer in Sheets automation as you mature.- Then let a Simular AI agent own the recurring work, so humans can own the decisions.