Concept

Runway

Runway is months of operating cash at current burn — the clock that forces cuts. It is not only a finance metric; it decides which bets get founder attention. If you cannot state runway, burn, and the lever that extends both, you are managing by hope.

Where founders get this wrong

Tracking runway in a spreadsheet nobody updates while hiring and tooling keep ramping.
Burning months on 'brand' or speculative features while pipeline and cash collection slip.
Raising too late because 'we still have six months' — without a realistic close timeline.