Concept · Startup & Growth Frameworks
DAU/MAU Ratio
Origin: Industry standard engagement metric
Biological Parallel
DAU/MAU ratio measures stickiness—what fraction of monthly users return daily. In biology, this is the 'philopatry ratio': what fraction of individuals return to the same resource site daily versus occasionally. Hummingbirds with high philopatry (DAU/MAU > 0.6) visit the same flower patch daily, defending it from competitors. Low philopatry species visit sporadically, indicating weak resource dependence. High-philopatry relationships signal essential resources; low-philopatry signals optional or substitutable ones. If users don't return daily, your product isn't essential—it's optional.