3:1 LTV:CAC Minimum

Biological Parallel

Predators require minimum 3:1 energy return on hunt investment to survive—wolves expend roughly 3,000 calories pursuing elk that provide 10,000+ calories of meat. Below 3:1, metabolic costs of acquisition exceed gains, creating a death spiral where hunting depletes more energy than it replenishes. This isn't a guideline for optimization; it's the hard thermodynamic floor where energy economics become physically impossible. At 2:1, you're not inefficient—you're burning calories faster than replacing them, making extinction inevitable.