Modeling Basics
Building Your First Financial Model
Learn to create projections that investors actually look at. We show you the assumptions that matter and which ones you can skip early on.
Startup Finance Resources Built for Real-World Application
We've spent years helping founders make sense of their numbers. These materials come from actual client questions, real pitch deck reviews, and funding conversations that didn't go as planned the first time.
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Three Core Areas We Cover
Most founders we work with need help in these specific areas. Not everything at once—just what matters for their current stage.
Funding Strategy
Preparing for Investment Conversations
What numbers do you need ready before talking to investors? Based on patterns from 50+ pitch reviews we've done since 2023.
Cash Management
Managing Runway Without Panic
Practical approaches to tracking burn rate and making decisions when money gets tight. Because it always does at some point.
How to Use These Materials
You don't need to go through everything. Pick what matches where you are right now. Most founders find one or two sections immediately useful and come back to others later.
Pre-Seed Stage
Start with basic modeling and cash tracking. You need to understand your burn rate and have a realistic 18-month projection before approaching anyone for funding.
Preparing to Fundraise
Focus on pitch deck financials and investor-ready projections. Learn what questions to expect and which numbers you absolutely need to defend.
Post-Funding Growth
Once you have capital, the challenge shifts to deployment and reporting. These materials help you build systems that scale with hiring and expansion.
Ongoing Operations
Regular financial health checks and strategic planning. Most useful for founders who've been running for 12+ months and need to optimize existing processes.
Quick Wins You Can Implement This Week
Small changes that made a difference for clients. Not revolutionary—just practical adjustments that improved their financial clarity.
Set Up Weekly Cash Reviews
Spend 15 minutes every Monday checking your actual cash position against what you expected. Catches problems while they're still fixable.
Track Just Three Metrics
Monthly burn, runway remaining, and customer acquisition cost. Everything else can wait until you have more resources.
Build Scenario Plans
Create best case, expected, and worst case projections. Helps you make faster decisions when reality doesn't match your original plan.
Document Your Assumptions
Write down why you projected what you did. Future you will appreciate having context when things change and you need to adjust.
Separate Personal and Business
Sounds obvious but many early founders skip this. Makes tax time easier and gives you clearer data for business decisions.
Schedule Quarterly Reviews
Block time every three months to assess what's working financially and what needs adjustment. Prevents you from operating on outdated assumptions.
Real Experience from the Field
Rhiannon Caldwell
Startup Finance Consultant, Sydney
I've reviewed probably 200 startup financial models since moving to advisory work in 2022. The ones that actually help founders make decisions share some patterns. They're built around specific questions the founder needs to answer—not just formulas pulled from templates. Good models show you when to hire, when to slow spending, and how long you can test ideas before needing more capital.
- Start with monthly cash flow before building anything complex
- Test your assumptions by comparing actuals to projections every month
- Build your model in stages as your business model becomes clearer
- Focus on decisions you need to make in the next 6 months
- Keep it simple enough that you'll actually update it regularly