Who This Helps
You're a product manager who needs to answer "How much runway do we have?" every week. You want to turn that question into a real decision, not a guessing game. The course Finance Basics for Operators shows you how to build a Runway Baseline that stays current without manual work.
Mini Case
Viktor runs a SaaS product with 12% monthly cash burn. He used to spend 3 hours every Monday updating his runway spreadsheet. One week he forgot, and the team approved a hire based on stale numbers. After he automated his Runway Baseline with AI, his report updates in 7 minutes. The team now sees the real cash position every morning.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Open your current cash balance and monthly burn rate.
- Ask AI to pull your latest bank statement and calculate days of runway.
- Set a weekly check-in: AI sends you a one-line summary every Monday.
- Compare the automated number to your manual spreadsheet once.
- If they match, delete the spreadsheet. If not, fix the data source.
Avoid These Traps
- Don't trust AI blindly. Verify the first automated report against your manual one.
- Don't skip the "why" behind the number. Runway is a signal, not a goal.
- Don't automate a broken process. Fix your data flow first.
- Don't forget to update assumptions when you raise prices or cut costs.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you'll have a live Runway Baseline that updates itself. You'll answer "Can we afford that feature?" in 30 seconds. And you'll free up 3 hours per week for actual product decisions. That's a win even Viktor would smile about.