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Growth Marketer · Founder Finance Basics Mission Pack

How to Get Your Budget Approved for Growth Marketers

Stop presenting raw data. Show stakeholders the clear path from your analysis to real results. Get your plans funded.

Who This Helps

This is for the growth marketer who’s done the analysis but is stuck getting a ‘yes’ from finance or leadership. You know what needs to be done, but you need to translate your channel metrics into a story that gets your budget approved. The Founder Finance Basics Mission Pack helps you speak their language.

Mini Case

Your analysis shows shifting $5K from a tired channel to a new test could yield a 15% higher ROAS. You present a slide with 12 data points. The CFO asks, ‘What’s the net impact on cash flow in 90 days?’ Cue the awkward silence. Let’s fix that.

Do This Now (5 Steps)

  1. Start with the ‘So What’: Before any chart, state the one business goal your insight serves (e.g., ‘This moves us from 2% to 5% market share’).
  2. Bridge the Gap: Connect your channel metric (like CAC) directly to a financial metric they care about (like monthly burn rate).
  3. Frame the Choice: Present two clear options based on your data. ‘Option A keeps us flat. Option B requires $X upfront but improves efficiency by Y% in 8 weeks.’
  4. Show the Timeline: Map out the next 30, 60, and 90 days with specific milestones and checkpoints. No surprises.
  5. Ask for the Decision: Be explicit. ‘To test this, I need approval on this budget by Friday. Here’s the one-pager.’

Avoid These Traps

  • The Data Dump: Don’t show every spreadsheet. Synthesize it into 3 key points max.
  • Jargon Jumble: Avoid terms like ‘top-of-funnel velocity’ with non-marketers. Say ‘cost to get a new lead’.
  • The Perfect Plan: Don’t wait for 100% certainty. Present a smart test with a clear learning goal, not a guaranteed win.
  • Defensive Mode: If questioned, lean on your data. ‘That’s a great question. Based on our last 3 tests, the pattern shows…’

Your Win by Friday

Your win isn’t just a ‘yes.’ It’s a clear go-ahead with the resources you need. You move from talking about metrics to activating them. Take one insight from your pile right now and frame it using the steps above. Your next meeting will feel less like a defense and more like a collaboration. You’ve got this.