Who This Helps
You’re a founder operator. Revenue is up, but cash feels flat. You need one number you can explain to your co-founder or board without sweating. The Founder Finance Basics Mission Pack is built for exactly this moment.
Mini Case
Ben runs a SaaS startup. Revenue grew 20% last quarter, but his bank balance barely moved. He ran the Runway Forecast mission from the Founder Finance Basics Mission Pack. In 10 minutes, he built a one-page forecast card showing 14 months of runway at current burn. That number let him pause a hire and extend runway by 3 months. No spreadsheet panic. Just a decision.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Open your bank statement and last three months of expenses.
- List your fixed costs (salaries, tools, rent) and variable costs (ads, contractors).
- Subtract total monthly costs from your average monthly revenue. That’s your net burn.
- Divide your current cash balance by net burn. That’s your runway in months.
- Write that number on a sticky note. Share it with your co-founder today.
Avoid These Traps
- Don’t include one-time revenue spikes in your average. Use the median of the last 3 months.
- Don’t forget annual subscriptions paid upfront. Spread them monthly.
- Don’t assume revenue will grow next month. Plan for flat.
- Don’t hide a bad number. A low runway is a signal, not a failure.
- Don’t skip the sticky note. Seeing it daily changes your decisions.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you’ll have a runway forecast card you can explain in 30 seconds. You’ll know if you can hire, how long you can run, and what number to watch. That’s one less worry. And one more calm founder decision.