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Before fundraising, we were bootstrapping. This "profit-first" mindset taught us how to track all costs. Controlling cash flow was in our DNA because, without it, our business could fail quickly. We even had different banking accounts for different purposes: taxes, expenses, reserve funds, and profit. When we received revenue, we allocated a % of it to specific accounts. It helped us not to overspend. So, I learned a lot from that period. And I have my 7 favorite hints that I still use: 1?? Think of 2 categories of expenses: non-strategic and strategic. The first one doesn't make any money. Here you have all your operational expenses. The second category is about expenses for product improvement, revenue growth, entering new markets, etc. Keep the first category small and invest more money in the second one. 2?? Monitor the revenue per employee dynamic, not just revenue growth. It helps to analyze the efficiency of growth. 3?? Read P&L in the next order: Revenue ? Profit ? Expenses When you review expenses after seeing profit results, you analyze them differently. You ask yourself if these expenses were truly necessary. 4?? Share the monthly profit and loss (P&L) statement with the team and ensure everyone knows how to read it. When revenue grows, expenses also rise. Begin by encouraging everyone in the company to prioritize profit. 5?? Think twice before incurring new expenses. Increasing expenses is much easier than cutting them. I always keep in mind the strategy of holding off on funding item A until its necessity is clear. 6?? Start with the profit per unit you sell. You can create a simple calculator to try out different ideas about costs and prices before making decisions. Ensure that all team members use it and understand the impact of their decisions on unit profitability. It also helps you focus on more profitable products. 7?? Monitor daily or weekly cash flows and balance. Don’t forget about budgets and budget vs. actual analysis. ?? In the end, I want to share one inspiring story from our conversation with Bolt’s CEO Markus Villig on how they won the market with a cost-efficient strategy: “Our philosophy from day one has been that to win in this industry, you need to be a cost leader. So what we did from the very first days of the company was that we would be the most efficient transport operator in the world so that we would keep our costs really low. And we always monitor the costs as a percentage of our GMV. So what it means is that if let’s say your cost to run the business is 5% of GMV, that means that if you change your drivers, let’s say 10%, you will have a very healthy 5% margin. So what we saw many of our competitors do was that they had an extremely high-cost base, so maybe it was 15 or even 20% of GMV. And therefore, they had to take a very high commission from every trip as well. And that made them just under competitive against us” And May The Profit Be With You ??

Here's how I'm doing budget planning this year. First - let me be real. I’ve struggled to build budget models that are both practical and aspirational. And I've learned from lots of "doing it wrong." They need to be grounded in reality—actual data, actual constraints—but they also have to make space for growth. Without that, it’s just a spreadsheet exercise, not a plan for the future. Over time, I’ve found a framework that works—one that’s helped both in scaling a service business and a software one. It starts with this truth: Growth is King. Growth isn’t just a goal; it’s the compass, the drive, and the path forward. It answers questions like: -> Does this decision help or hurt our growth rate? -> Are we investing in the right places to unlock future growth? Growth creates its own momentum—and its own challenges. The “S Curve” of scaling means every growth milestone presents a new set of problems to solve. Success requires starting the next curve while still climbing the current one. Every budget needs to reflect the centrality of growth. It is the goal, the guide, and the reality check. With that in mind, here’s how I am building our FY25 budget: The 3 Financial Plans 1. The Base Plan (60% confidence): This is the plan grounded in reality but pushing toward growth. ??How to make it: - Use the average revenue growth from the last 4 months as your driver for the next 12. Retain growth gets hard over time. This isn't a slam dunk. This is still hard, but achievable. It's based on reality - what you have done before. - Build hiring, bonuses, and investments around maintaining that growth rate. - Base budgets for sales, marketing, and engineering are modeled top-down. This is the budget everyone sees. It’s hard, but it’s achievable. It becomes the foundation. 2. The Stretch Plan (10% confidence): This is the “stars align” plan, designed to break out of incrementalism. It’s where you push beyond comfort zones and bet on the extraordinary. How to make it: ??Increase your base plan revenue growth by 20%. ??Assume perfect execution: GTM firing on all cylinders, flawless teamwork. This is where magic happens, but only if you’ve got the right conditions. Who sees it? Only the management team—don’t show this widely. This is for dreaming, not managing. 3. The Worst-Case Plan (90% confidence): What if we miss? Planning for setbacks allows you to stay steady in the face of turbulence. How to make it: ??Decrease the base plan revenue growth by 20%. ??Keep burn steady from the base plan (most important part) ??Focus on cash flow to understand the financial runway if growth slows. This plan isn’t about panic; it’s about clarity. It answers, "what happens if we don't hit the goal and have already made investments." This is the, "I can sleep at night" plan. Do we have the cash to sustain? It ain't perfect. But it is directional right and the team aligned. Stay Supered? -Matt P.S. I'll send the budgeting template via DM. Let me know via comment.

Budgeting & forecasting is one of the hardest (and messiest) jobs for any CEO. I’ve had a bunch of people ask, so here’s the step-by-step of how I approach it — (and where some people get it wrong): 1?? Start with a goal It sounds obvious, but a lot of founders skip this. Or worse — they don’t get aligned with their team. Let’s say I’m trying to grow Hampton revenue from $5M to $10M. Cool, the goal is set - that's step 1. 2?? Drag the spreadsheet Take this year’s numbers — acquisition, expenses, everything — and pull forward into next year. 20 new customers per month? Great. Assume that keeps happening. Costs went up 15% this year? Perfect. Assume the same again. This helps me see where we’ll land if we just keep doing what we’re doing. Maybe it takes us from $5M to $7M. But where’s the other $3M gonna come from? Btw, this is where many founders or CEOs mess up. Most leaders will say, “Our goal is $10M” and then just expect it to happen. But that’s not how it works. You can’t just throw out a random number and cross fingers — you have to figure out exactly how you’ll get there. 3?? Place bets? Let’s say we’re betting on partnerships to close that $3M gap. ? The first question is: is anyone even focused on partnerships? If not, who do we need to hire? What resources do we allocate? You can’t just make big bets without giving your team the people and support they need to execute. 4?? Timing matters Revenue doesn’t show up on Day 1. Some bets take months to pay off. Be patient, plan for the timing of it, and don’t panic and pivot if the numbers don’t hit right away. Here’s the quick recap: ? Start with a goal ? Drag the spready ? Find the gaps? ? Place smart bets? ? Make sure your team is set up to win What’s the smartest “bet” you’ve placed in your business? Drop it in the comments. I wanna hear!

???? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ????????????? I’ve evaluated hundreds of startups and found one thing in common among those who struggle to secure funding: their budgets don’t support growth. As a founder, your budget isn’t just a financial tool but the backbone of your growth strategy. Here are 8 questions to ensure it’s built for scalability and success: 1/ Is there room for strategic opportunities? ? Growth often demands agility. Ensure your budget includes a contingency fund for unexpected, high-impact opportunities. 2/ Are you investing in top talent? ? Scaling requires the right people in the right roles. A forward-thinking budget prioritizes hiring, retention, and upskilling. 3/ Does innovation have a seat at the table? ? Allocate funds for testing and experimentation to stay competitive in product development, technology, or market expansion. 4/ Are you leveraging smart financing? ? Growth often requires capital. Assess whether your debt is a strategic enabler or an obstacle to scalability. 5/ Is your cost structure scalable? ? Fixed costs can limit growth. Focus on flexible, variable costs that can adjust as your business scales. 6/ Do you have actionable financial insights? ? Decisions grounded in data are critical. Invest in tools that offer real-time insights to optimize spending and predict growth trends. 7/ Are you planning for the long term? ? Short-term budgets are reactive. A growth-oriented budget anticipates needs and risks over the next 3–5 years. 8/ Are you monitoring ROI relentlessly? ? Every expense should support growth. Set clear KPIs and measure returns on each dollar spent. ?? Key insight for founders: - A growth-ready budget is dynamic and requires regular alignment with your vision and market conditions. What’s your top budget priority for driving growth in the coming year? ------------------------------ ?? Stay ahead in fundraising, entrepreneurship, and VC strategies!? Follow Leon Eisen, PhD for actionable insights, tips, and expert guidance.