Startup Runway Calculator
The #1 startup killer isn't competition — it's running out of cash 3 months before product-market fit. This tool turns your bank balance, burn and revenue into a zero-cash date you can plan around.
Plug in your numbers. You'll get months of runway, your drop-dead date, and the two levers that matter: cutting burn vs accelerating revenue.
Cash in bank: $300,000
Monthly spend: $25,000
Current MRR: $5,000
Monthly revenue growth: 8%
Your runway
21 mo → profitable
Revenue covers spend before cash runs out.
Healthy. Every month of shipping delay still burns cash — fixed-scope builds protect runway.
Protect my runway — free scoping callThe runway formula
Runway = cash ÷ net monthly burn (spend − revenue). With growing revenue, we project month-by-month until cash hits zero. Most pre-seed founders need 18–24 months to reach a fundable milestone.
The 6-month rule
Start fundraising with 6+ months left — it takes 3–4 months to close. Below 6 months, cut scope (not quality): defer hires, kill paid experiments, ship the MVP slice that unlocks revenue fastest.
Stretch runway by shipping faster
Every month of agency delay burns $15k–$40k in salaries + lost revenue. Fixed-scope senior builds (4–8 weeks) are often cheaper than 6 months of in-house salaries with no launch.
Frequently asked questions
How much runway should a startup have?
18–24 months after a raise. That covers 2–3 product iterations plus a 3–4 month fundraise buffer. Under 12 months = raise or cut now.
What is a healthy burn multiple?
Burn multiple = net burn ÷ net new ARR. Under 2x is efficient, 2–3x is normal for high growth, over 3x means you're spending without traction.
Should I cut costs or grow revenue?
If runway is under 9 months, cut first (pauses, scope, tools) — revenue takes quarters, cuts take days. Above 12 months, invest in the one channel already working.
Turn this estimate into a launch plan.
Free 30-min strategy call: we scope your build into fixed-price slices you can approve one by one.
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