At PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, you proved credibility: your model, forecasts, and capital plan held up under launch prep.
At MARKET DEVELOPMENT, the bar rises: now you’re operating in the open. Revenue is live, burn is constant, and every decision shows up in your numbers. This stage tests not whether you can raise money, but whether you can run money — with precision, speed, and discipline.
“This is your control panel when speed meets scale. You should know these numbers cold — recite them, flip them, rebuild them in your head — like a weapons expert field-stripping a rifle in the dark.”
Survival. Precision. Execution.
Purpose
- Prove fiscal discipline and operational control under live market conditions.
- Tie every dollar to milestones and risk mitigation.
- Demonstrate readiness to communicate financials with investors, board, and team — instantly.
When to Complete
- Immediately post-launch when real burn begins.
- After 3+ months of actuals vs. budget.
- Before pursuing new funding or materially increasing spend.
Proof Sections
Burn Rate & Runway
- What’s your true monthly burn (payroll, infra, GTM)?
- How much cash is in the bank?
- Which milestones fit in your runway window?
- B2B SaaS: “Burn $42K/mo. Cash $315K. Runway: 7.5 months.”
- B2C CPG: “Burn $28K/mo. Runway: 5.5 months before seasonal peak.”
- Services: “Burn $19K/mo. Runway: 9 months supported by retainer base.”
Forecasts & Cash Plan
- What do the next 6–12 months look like?
- Are cost assumptions holding? Where drifting?
- B2B SaaS: “Forecast $55K MRR by month 8 post-launch, churn 3.5%.”
- B2C CPG: “Forecast 2,800 unit sales/month by Q4 at $18 AOV.”
- Services: “Forecast 5% QoQ revenue growth via client upsells.”
Use of Funds
- Where exactly is capital going?
- Does spend fuel scale or patch leaks?
- B2B SaaS: “$400K GTM, $300K product, $200K CAC runway.”
- B2C CPG: “$150K retail expansion, $100K marketing, $75K supply chain efficiency.”
- Services: “$80K automation tools, $50K training, $40K marketing.”
Governance & Process
- Who owns the model?
- Are actuals vs forecast reviewed weekly/monthly?
- B2B SaaS: “Rolling forecast updated weekly; variances flagged in board updates.”
- B2C CPG: “Weekly POS reconciled with projections.”
- Services: “Monthly variance review with corrective actions assigned.”
Investor Confidence Signals
- Are investors re-committing?
- What milestones prove capital efficiency?
- B2B SaaS: “4 of 6 prior angels re-upped; GTM velocity +40%.”
- B2C CPG: “2 retailers expanded orders; repeat purchase +18%.”
- Services: “3 multi-year contracts signed; pipeline warming for Q1 raise.”
Execution Requirements
- Burn, cash, and runway tied to milestone map.
- Forward-looking forecast with assumptions logged.
- Use-of-funds breakdown aligned to roadmap.
- Governance process for variance tracking + reporting.
Domain Adaptability — Moderate
Universal goal: financial discipline at scale. The mechanics differ:
- B2B SaaS / Software: CAC payback, net revenue retention, burn multiple.
- B2C CPG: manage seasonal swings + retail terms; track inventory turnover.
- Services / Ops-Heavy: maintain retainer base; track utilization + billable margin.
Expected Output
- Burn/runway/milestone alignment snapshot.
- Forecast table or chart (6–12 months).
- Use-of-funds breakdown.
- Governance + reporting framework.
Linked Asset
View
Edit
Optional Enhancements (Pro-Level Execution)
- Capital Efficiency Layer — CAC Payback, Burn Multiple, Magic Number.
- Scenario Planning — best/base/worst-case with decision triggers.
- Investor Dashboard — board-ready live charts for runway, revenue, churn.