Calculate cash burn rate, runway projections, and zero-cash date with hiring and revenue modeling
This calculator provides comprehensive runway projections by modeling your current cash position against projected expenses and revenue. Unlike simple "cash divided by burn" calculations, it accounts for growth variables that significantly impact actual runway.
At its simplest, runway equals your current cash divided by net monthly burn rate:
For example, if you have $600,000 in the bank, spend $80,000/month, and generate $20,000 in revenue, your net burn is $60,000 and runway is 10 months.
The calculator models expense changes over time:
The calculator projects revenue growth scenarios:
Revenue growth dramatically impacts runway. A company with $50K MRR growing 20% monthly will have very different runway than one growing 5% monthly, even with identical burn rates.
The calculator determines your projected zero-cash date by simulating month-by-month cash flow. This accounts for compound effects: if expenses grow 10% monthly while revenue grows 15%, the gap narrows over time, extending effective runway beyond simple calculations.
Model multiple scenarios to stress-test your runway:
This calculator provides estimates based on your inputs. Actual runway depends on many factors including payment timing, unexpected expenses, and market conditions. Review projections monthly and adjust assumptions based on actual performance. Most startups should maintain at least a 20% cash buffer beyond calculated runway for unexpected needs.
The most critical use case is determining when to start your next fundraise. Conventional wisdom says start fundraising with 12-15 months of runway remaining. In difficult markets, add 3-6 months to that timeline. This calculator helps you identify the optimal fundraising window and determine how much to raise based on your target runway post-close (typically 18-24 months).
Before making hiring commitments, model the runway impact. A single senior engineer at $200K fully-loaded costs $16,667/month - potentially reducing 12-month runway to 10 months. Use this calculator to determine: How many hires can we afford? When should hiring start/pause? What's the runway impact of accelerating our hiring plan?
Boards expect runway updates at every meeting. This calculator generates the projections and visualizations needed for professional board reporting. Include current runway, projected runway assuming current trajectory, and scenario analysis showing impact of key decisions.
Annual and quarterly budget planning requires understanding runway implications. Model different spending scenarios: What happens if we double marketing spend? Can we afford that office upgrade? Should we build in-house or buy? Use runway as the ultimate constraint in budgeting decisions.
When considering a pivot, runway becomes critical. Pivots typically reduce revenue (at least initially) while maintaining or increasing costs. Calculate: How much runway do we need for the pivot to work? Do we have enough cash to execute? Should we raise before or after pivoting?
Runway significantly impacts M&A discussions. Acquirers know your cash position and will use it in negotiations. Understanding your true runway helps you negotiate from a position of knowledge, time conversations appropriately, and avoid fire-sale situations.
When runway drops below 6 months, it's emergency territory. Use this calculator to model different survival scenarios: What's runway if we cut 30% of costs? If we pause all hiring? If we negotiate 60-day payment terms? Having these numbers ready enables faster decision-making in crisis situations.
Monthly investor updates should include runway projections. This calculator provides the data for transparent communication about cash position, burn rate trends, and projected runway under current assumptions.
Understanding the difference is fundamental:
Salary is just the beginning. Fully-loaded cost includes:
Rule of thumb: Multiply base salary by 1.25-1.35 for fully-loaded cost. A $150,000 salary becomes $187,500-$202,500 annually, or $15,625-$16,875 monthly.
What's considered healthy runway varies by stage:
Paul Graham's framework for evaluating startup health:
Most startups are default dead - that's okay if you have sufficient runway to either become default alive or raise more capital. The danger is being default dead with insufficient runway.
For runway purposes, cash is king:
Understanding fundraising duration is critical for runway planning:
Start fundraising with enough runway to complete the process plus 3-6 months buffer. Running out of runway during fundraising destroys negotiating leverage.
For growth-stage startups, the Rule of 40 helps contextualize burn:
Revenue Growth Rate (%) + Profit Margin (%) should exceed 40%
A company growing 60% with -30% margin scores 30 (below threshold). One growing 80% with -35% margin scores 45 (healthy). This helps justify burn rate in context of growth.
The most common calculation error is dividing cash by gross burn when you have revenue. If you have $600K cash, $80K monthly expenses, and $30K revenue, your runway is NOT 7.5 months ($600K/$80K). It's 12 months ($600K/$50K net burn). This error can lead to premature panic or unnecessary cost-cutting.
Runway calculations often miss committed but not-yet-incurred costs:
Always include committed expenses in forward projections, even if they haven't hit the P&L yet.
Founders consistently overestimate revenue trajectory. When modeling runway:
It's better to be pleasantly surprised by extra runway than caught short by missed revenue targets.
The most dangerous runway mistake is waiting too long to fundraise. Red flags:
Start fundraising at 12-15 months runway minimum. In tough markets, add 3-6 months to that threshold.
A $150,000 salary does NOT cost $150,000:
That $150K hire actually costs $185K-$220K fully loaded. Multiply salary by 1.3-1.45 for realistic planning.
Calculated runway should not equal actual runway target. Always maintain buffer for:
If calculations show 18 months, plan as if you have 15. The buffer provides options.
Runway isn't a fixed number - it changes monthly based on:
Recalculate runway monthly with actuals. Set alerts for runway dropping below thresholds (e.g., below 12 months triggers fundraising prep).
Revenue recognized is not cash received. Enterprise customers often pay net-60 or net-90. A $100K deal signed in January may not become cash until April. For runway purposes, use cash collection timing, not revenue recognition.
The healthiest way to extend runway is growing revenue faster than expenses:
When runway is tight, evaluate all expenses critically:
When runway is critically short and a full round isn't feasible:
Bridge financing buys time but comes with costs (dilution, interest, covenants). Use strategically, not as default.
Maximize proceeds while minimizing timeline:
Optimize cash cycle without changing business model:
When runway drops below 6 months without clear path to funding:
The best runway strategy is never getting into trouble. Maintain 18+ month runway at all times by:
Use these complementary tools for comprehensive startup financial planning:
Key metrics to contextualize your burn rate:
Foundational content on runway and startup finance:
Tools and content for when runway signals it's time to raise:
When runway is critical, legal structure matters:
Complex runway situations benefit from expert guidance:
Comprehensive answers to common questions about startup runway, burn rate, and cash management.
Startup runway is the amount of time a company can continue operating before running out of cash, assuming no additional funding. It's calculated by dividing current cash reserves by the monthly burn rate. For example, with $500,000 in the bank and $50,000 monthly net burn, you have 10 months of runway. Runway is the single most important metric for startup survival - when it hits zero, the company must either raise capital, become profitable, or shut down. Sophisticated runway calculations account for changing burn rates, revenue growth, and planned expenses.
Most VCs recommend maintaining 18-24 months of runway. Under 12 months is considered dangerous territory requiring immediate action. 12-18 months means you should start fundraising process. The ideal runway depends on stage and market conditions: seed-stage startups should aim for 18+ months to allow time for product-market fit iteration, while Series A+ companies often target 24+ months for scaling stability. In difficult fundraising environments, add 3-6 months to standard targets. Being "default alive" (able to reach profitability with current cash) provides additional safety.
Burn rate is your net monthly cash outflow. There are two types: Gross burn is total monthly expenses regardless of revenue. Net burn is expenses minus revenue, representing actual cash depletion. Calculate net burn as: Monthly Operating Expenses - Monthly Revenue = Net Burn Rate. If you spend $100,000/month on payroll, rent, and tools, and generate $30,000 in revenue, your gross burn is $100,000 and net burn is $70,000. Always use net burn for runway calculations. Track burn rate monthly and investigate significant changes promptly.
Gross burn rate is your total monthly operating expenses regardless of revenue - what you'd spend if you had zero income. Net burn rate is gross burn minus revenue, representing actual cash depletion each month. Example: $100,000 monthly expenses (gross burn) - $40,000 revenue = $60,000 net burn. The distinction matters because: 1) Use net burn for runway calculations to avoid overstating cash depletion, 2) Gross burn shows operational scale and fixed cost base, 3) The ratio between them indicates progress toward profitability. A company with $100K gross burn and $90K revenue (10K net burn) is nearly sustainable.
Start fundraising when you have 12-15 months of runway remaining. The math: fundraising typically takes 4-6 months (longer in difficult markets or for later stages), and you want to close while still in a position of strength with 6-9 months remaining. Never start fundraising with less than 9 months runway - investors sense desperation and terms suffer significantly. In 2024-2025 market conditions, consider starting even earlier (15-18 months) due to longer fundraising timelines. The ideal situation is having multiple term sheets while still in position of strength.
Target 18-24 months of runway post-close at the burn rate you plan to reach, not your current burn. Most founders undersize raises by calculating runway at current burn, then hiring aggressively. Calculate: (Current Burn + Planned Hiring + Growth Expenses) x 24 months = Target Raise. If you're at $80K/month burn but plan to hire 5 people ($75K additional burn), your post-raise burn will be $155K/month. You'd need $3.7M for 24 months at that rate, not $1.9M at current burn. Add 15-20% buffer for unexpected expenses.
With short runway and no funding in sight, act decisively: 1) Cut to minimum viable team immediately (painful but necessary), 2) Pursue bridge financing from existing investors, 3) Explore revenue-based financing if you have predictable revenue, 4) Accelerate any revenue opportunities even at lower margins, 5) Start acquisition conversations early - acqui-hire outcomes are better than running out of cash, 6) If possible, cut deep enough to reach profitability at small scale. The worst outcome is slow decline - make decisive moves while you still have options and leverage.
Each new hire directly impacts burn rate. A $150,000/year employee costs approximately $180,000-$200,000 fully loaded (salary + benefits + payroll taxes + equipment + software + office space). This adds roughly $15,000-$17,000 to monthly burn. Hire 5 engineers and you've increased burn by $75,000-$85,000/month, potentially cutting runway in half. Before hiring, calculate: Current runway = X months. Post-hire runway = Cash / (Current Burn + New Hire Costs). If this drops runway below 12 months, reconsider the timing or pace of hiring.
Fully-loaded cost includes everything beyond base salary: employer payroll taxes (7.65% FICA minimum), health insurance ($500-2,000/month per employee), 401(k) match (often 3-4% of salary), equipment and setup ($3,000-5,000 one-time), software licenses ($200-500/month), office space allocation ($500-1,500/month in expensive markets), and miscellaneous (recruiting, training, management overhead). Rule of thumb: multiply base salary by 1.25-1.35 for fully loaded cost. A $150K salary becomes $187K-$202K fully loaded, or $15,600-$16,850 monthly impact on burn rate.
The fastest burn reduction levers in order of impact: 1) Hiring freeze - immediate effect, no morale impact, 2) Contractor/consultant cuts - can end immediately, no severance, 3) SaaS audit - most startups have 15-25% unused or redundant subscriptions, 4) Renegotiate contracts - vendors prefer discounts over losing customers, 5) Office space - sublease or go remote, 6) Headcount reduction - last resort but sometimes necessary. For each dollar of monthly savings, you gain one dollar of runway per month. A $50K/month reduction extends 6-month runway to 8 months immediately.
Burn multiple = Net Burn / Net New ARR. It measures how efficiently you're converting cash into growth. Benchmarks: Under 1x is exceptional (rarely achieved), 1-1.5x is efficient, 1.5-2x is acceptable for high-growth companies, 2-3x is concerning and needs improvement, Over 3x is inefficient and unsustainable. Example: If you burn $500K/month net and add $200K in new ARR, your burn multiple is 2.5x. This metric helps contextualize burn - high burn is acceptable if you're adding proportional revenue. Track monthly and aim to improve over time.
Calculate runway monthly at minimum, weekly if under 12 months. Monthly calculation should use actual numbers (not projections) for: cash balance from bank statement, total expenses from accounting, revenue collected (not recognized). Update projections quarterly with fresh assumptions. Set up automated alerts: under 18 months triggers fundraising preparation, under 12 months triggers active fundraising, under 6 months triggers emergency measures. Many founders track a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast for granular visibility into near-term runway.
No - use actual cash, not receivables. AR represents revenue recognized but not collected. Until customers pay, that money doesn't extend runway. Enterprise customers often pay net-60 or net-90, meaning a $100K deal closed in January may not become cash until March or April. For runway calculations, use cash in bank accounts only. You can model expected AR collection in projections, but apply a discount (assume 80-90% collection rate) and delay timing by your actual average collection period. The most conservative approach: cash only, receivables are bonus if/when collected.
Build three scenarios minimum: 1) Best case - hit revenue targets, controlled hiring, everything goes right. Use this for motivation but not planning. 2) Base case - 70-80% of revenue targets, planned hiring executes as expected. This is your primary planning scenario. 3) Worst case - 50% of revenue, full hiring commitments, unexpected expenses. Plan to survive this scenario. For each, project month-by-month cash flow for 18-24 months. Key inputs: starting cash, monthly expenses (with growth rate), revenue (with growth rate), one-time costs, planned hiring. The delta between scenarios shows your risk exposure.
Paul Graham's framework for startup health: "Default alive" means if you stopped all growth investment and cut to minimum viable team, revenue would eventually exceed expenses - you could survive indefinitely without external capital. "Default dead" means even at minimum operations, expenses exceed revenue - you need outside capital to survive. Most startups are default dead, which is fine IF you have sufficient runway to either become default alive or raise more capital. The danger is being default dead with insufficient runway. Calculate your default alive status: minimum viable burn vs. current revenue trajectory.
Runway significantly impacts negotiating leverage and therefore valuation. With 18+ months runway, you can walk away from bad terms and wait for better offers - investors know this. With 6 months runway, you're in a weak position and terms suffer, often 20-40% lower valuations than otherwise warranted. Short runway signals desperation, causing: lower valuations, worse terms (liquidation preferences, anti-dilution), smaller check sizes, and longer closing timelines as investors wait for further desperation. Maintain strong runway to negotiate from strength. Time is leverage.
Directors have heightened fiduciary duties when a company enters the "zone of insolvency" (typically under 3-6 months runway with no clear path to sustainability). Duties shift from shareholders to creditors. Board must: 1) Meet more frequently to monitor cash, 2) Explore all alternatives (funding, sale, wind-down), 3) Avoid preferential payments to insiders, 4) Consider creditor interests in decisions, 5) Document decision-making thoroughly. Directors can face personal liability for breach of fiduciary duty. When runway is critically short, engage legal counsel specializing in startup wind-downs to ensure proper process.
Be transparent but strategic. In investor updates, include: current cash balance, current monthly net burn, calculated runway at current burn, projected runway including planned expenses, and any concerning trends. Frame appropriately: "18 months runway at current burn, 14 months including planned Q3 hiring" is more complete than just one number. Never surprise investors with runway crisis - they can often help if given warning. If runway drops below 12 months, explicitly discuss fundraising timeline. Sophisticated investors calculate runway themselves from your financials - don't try to hide it.
Fundraising duration varies by stage: Pre-seed/Seed: 2-4 months if you have momentum, 4-6 months typical. Start with 9+ months runway. Series A: 4-6 months average, can be longer without clear metrics. Start with 12+ months runway. Series B: 3-5 months with strong metrics, longer otherwise. Start with 12-15 months runway. Bridge rounds: 2-4 weeks if existing investors support, 2-3 months if seeking new capital. In difficult markets (like 2023-2024), add 2-4 months to all timelines. The safest approach: start fundraising with enough runway to complete the process plus 6 months buffer.
Need help with fundraising strategy, runway planning, or startup legal matters? I offer consultations for founders on corporate finance, equity structures, and growth planning.