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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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?
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?