Who This Helps
You’re a founder operator. Revenue looks fine, but cash feels tight. You need to find the real problem fast, not guess. This is for you if you want to make faster decisions with compact evidence.
Mini Case
Meet Ben. His startup’s revenue grew 12% last month, but cash stayed flat. He spent 3 hours digging into reports and still couldn’t explain why. Using the Founder Finance Basics Mission Pack, he ran a Unit Economics Snapshot in one session. He found his CAC payback period jumped from 7 days to 14 days. That was the hidden leak. Ben fixed it in a week.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Grab your last 3 months of revenue and cash data. You need just two numbers: total revenue and cash balance. Write them down.
- Calculate your unit economics. Take your average customer revenue and subtract direct costs. That’s your unit profit. If it’s negative, you found a big clue.
- Check your CAC payback period. Divide customer acquisition cost by monthly profit per customer. If it’s over 12 months, you’re spending too fast.
- Look at your runway. Divide cash by monthly burn. If it’s under 6 months, you need a decision this week.
- Write a one-page truth card. List your unit profit, CAC payback, and runway. Share it with your co-founder. That’s your diagnosis.
Avoid These Traps
- Don’t look at revenue alone. Revenue can grow while cash dies. Always pair it with cash.
- Don’t guess your CAC. Use real numbers from your payment system. Guessing hides problems.
- Don’t skip unit economics. If you don’t know profit per customer, you’re flying blind.
- Don’t wait for a perfect report. A rough number today beats a perfect number next week.
- Don’t forget to check your pricing. A small price change can fix a big leak.
- Don’t ignore your team’s gut. If your ops person says something feels off, listen.
- Don’t overcomplicate. Three numbers (unit profit, CAC payback, runway) are enough.
- Don’t panic. A drop is a signal, not a failure. You can fix it.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you’ll have a one-page unit economics snapshot card. You’ll know your CAC payback period, runway, and unit profit. You’ll be able to explain your cash situation in 30 seconds. That’s calm founder decisions, not panic. And hey, you might even have time for a coffee break.