“Runway” gets thrown around in almost every founder conversation, but very few of us learn what it actually means until we’re uncomfortably close to the edge of it.
So let’s ask the so-called “stupid” question:
👉 What is runway, and how do I work out mine?
In basic terms, your runway is the number of months your business can keep operating before the cash runs out, based on your current burn rate (i.e. how much you’re spending monthly).
But here’s what gets murky:
Are you factoring in your own salary, or pretending you can just live off adrenaline?
Are you counting invoices that haven’t been paid yet?
Have your costs crept up without you clocking it?
Many founders think they’ve got six months’ runway when the reality is closer to three.
Others panic when they’ve actually got a year to plan, adapt or grow.
Getting clear on this one number can shift everything, from how you make decisions, to how confidently you speak to investors, team or customers.Because tools are useful. But people, and the communities they build, are what really move us forward.
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