How are you tracking burn rate and runway right now?
I'm curious how founders here track their burn rate and runway.
Spreadsheet? Accounting software? CFO? Just bank balance?
I've spoken to a few founders who said they only realise cash is getting tight when it's already a problem.
How are you currently forecasting cash and making sure you don't run out unexpectedly?
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A spreadsheet is usually enough at the beginning, but only if it is reviewed weekly.
What I find most helpful is a simple 13-week cash forecast: cash in bank, expected collections, payroll, vendor payments, and a couple of scenarios.
The key is turning it into a weekly decision habit, not just a one-time model.
One practical metric to add: lead-to-paid conversion by channel each week. Small conversion lifts can buy more runway than cost cuts, and you can decide spend with way better confidence.
That’s a really interesting point about conversion extending runway — I hadn’t thought about runway from the revenue improvement side as much as cost cuts.
When you review runway weekly, do you mostly adjust burn assumptions, or do you also model revenue/conversion changes regularly?
+1 to keeping it weekly. A simple add-on: track conversion-to-paid beside burn. For most early teams, improving onboarding conversion by 15–20% extends runway faster than cutting random tools.
One lightweight approach that helps: review cash, net burn, and 3-case runway every Monday with pre-set cut triggers. The discipline is usually more important than the tool.
I keep it boring and weekly: cash on hand, net burn, and a 3-case runway forecast (base, upside, downside). Biggest unlock was setting pre-committed trigger points so spend cuts happen before panic.
I like the idea of pre-committed trigger points — that probably makes decisions much easier under pressure.
Do you update the 3 scenarios manually each week in a spreadsheet, or do you have something that updates the runway automatically?
Also curious — what usually changes the most in your downside scenario? Revenue drop or increased burn?
Simple version that’s worked for me:
Most teams fail because they only log history. The useful habit is a weekly forward-looking snapshot + pre-committed cut rules.
If useful, I can run a quick conversion leak check on your pricing/landing path too (often easiest way to extend runway without cutting team): https://roastmysite.io/go.php?src=ih_burnrunway_hv_close_cycle_20260324_0340_hv
This is a really clear framework — especially the weekly runway board and trigger rule.
Do you update all of this manually in a spreadsheet every week, or do you have something pulling the numbers automatically?
Also, how long does your weekly update usually take?
I think a lot of founders don’t have a tracking problem, they have a visibility habit problem.
Even with spreadsheets or tools, if you’re not checking consistently, it still becomes reactive instead of proactive.
I’ve seen people rely on bank balance more than anything which works… until it doesn’t.
Do you think it’s more about tools, or discipline?
That’s a really good point. I’m starting to think it’s both — the numbers might exist, but if they’re not visible regularly or tied to decisions, people still react too late.
Do you think something like a weekly automatic runway snapshot or alerts when runway drops below a certain level would help, or do founders still ignore it?
Yeah, I think alerts help but only if they’re tied to action.
A notification saying “you have 4 months runway left” sounds useful, but if it doesn’t push a decision, it just becomes background noise.
Founders don’t ignore data because it’s missing… they ignore it because it’s not forcing a shift.
So maybe the real value isn’t just visibility, but decision-triggered visibility. what action would you want a founder to take the moment that alert shows up?
That’s a really good point — alerts without actions probably get ignored.
I think the alert would need to be tied to specific decisions like hiring freeze, spend cuts, or pricing changes.
Do you usually have predefined rules tied to runway levels?
That makes sense tying it to specific decisions makes it real.
I’ve noticed most founders don’t actually have predefined rules, which is why they hesitate even when they see the numbers.
It’s less “we hit 4 months runway → do X”
and more “we should probably do something…”
That delay is where things slip.
Feels like the real value could be helping founders decide faster, not just see earlier.
would you lean more toward fixed rules, or more flexible guidance based on the situation?
Honestly for the longest time I just had a spreadsheet that tracked expenses month by month — classic rearview mirror stuff. What changed things for me was flipping it to a forward-looking "months of runway" number that I check every Monday morning.
Super simple: current cash balance ÷ average monthly burn over last 3 months. When that number dips below 6 I start cutting, below 3 is panic mode. Most founders track where money went instead of where it's going — that's the gap.
That’s actually really interesting — especially checking runway weekly instead of just looking at monthly reports.
Do you calculate runway manually each week or do you have something that updates it automatically?
Also, do you ever forecast how runway changes if you hire someone or increase spending?
Spreadsheet honestly, nothing fancy. I update cash position weekly and it auto-calculates months remaining based on current burn. For the forecasting part — i just duplicate the row and manually adjust the expense line. Works well enough until you're past like 5-6 people, then it gets messy.
That makes a lot of sense — I can see how it gets messy once headcount and expenses start changing more often.
What part becomes messy first — forecasting expenses, running scenarios, or just keeping everything updated each week?