Startup runway and burn calculator

Answer the two questions every founder gets asked: what is the monthly burn, and when does the cash run out. Enter opening cash, the MRR assumptions, the fixed costs and a headcount plan with start months, then test growth, cost and hiring-delay scenarios. Same model as the Bindler workbook, checked against it to the cent. Free, nothing leaves your browser.

Cash and revenue

Opening cash

Committed funding month (1 to 36, 0 for none)

Committed funding amount

Starting MRR

Monthly MRR growth Base case, as a decimal

Monthly gross churn Share of MRR lost

Gross margin

Share of revenue collected in the month The rest is collected next month

Minimum cash buffer to flag

Fixed costs per month

Rent and office

Software and hosting, base

Software growth per month As a decimal

Marketing

Other G&A

Employer on-costs Share of salary

Headcount plan

Role	Start month	Monthly salary	Heads

Scenario dials

MRR growth multiplier

Cost multiplier Applies to salaries and fixed costs

Hiring delay (months, 0 to 12)

The workbook: the same model with live formulas, the monthly sheet and a GuideStartup Runway and Burn Model, $29: 36 months, headcount plan, scenarios, cash-out date, break-even, all auditable in Excel.

See the workbook

Method: MRR grows and churns monthly; revenue is collected on the payment terms; costs are salaries with on-costs, rent, software (growing), marketing and G&A, scaled by the cost multiplier, plus cost of revenue at one minus gross margin. Gross burn is total cash out; net burn is cash out less cash collected. Runway is the number of full months before closing cash first goes below zero. Every value on this page is an example. Not investment advice.