Metrics & Performance
Last updated
Quick Answer
The rate at which a company spends its cash reserves, typically expressed as a monthly figure. Gross burn is total monthly cash outflow; net burn subtracts revenue collected.
Monthly Burn Rate
Burn Rate = (Starting Cash - Ending Cash) / Number of Months
Where
Burn rate is the rate at which a startup consumes its cash, usually measured monthly. There are two types:
Gross Burn: Total monthly cash outflows (salaries, rent, infrastructure, marketing, etc.) — regardless of revenue.
Net Burn: Gross burn minus cash collected from customers. This is the actual depletion of cash reserves each month.
Net burn is the more meaningful metric for managing runway. A company burning $400K gross with $150K in monthly collections has a $250K net burn and $250K/month cash depletion.
Burn rate changes with hiring, revenue growth, and cost structure decisions. Founders must update their burn projections regularly.
In Practice
A startup has monthly expenses: $180K in salaries, $20K in infrastructure, $30K in marketing, $20K in other costs — $250K gross burn. Monthly revenue collected: $80K. Net burn = $250K - $80K = $170K. With $2.5M in the bank: runway = $2.5M / $170K = 14.7 months. If the team grows and gross burn rises to $350K while revenue grows to $120K, net burn = $230K and runway shrinks to 10.9 months.
What good looks like
Why It Matters
Burn rate is the operational dial founders have the most control over. Reducing burn extends runway, reduces fundraising pressure, and improves negotiating leverage with investors. But cutting burn too aggressively can kill growth momentum. The burn multiple — net burn divided by net new ARR — tells you how efficiently you're converting burn into revenue growth.
VC Beast Take
Many founders report gross burn to investors when they should report net burn, and vice versa depending on the context. Always be explicit about which figure you're sharing. The more important practice: share a burn rate waterfall — break down where the money is going by category. Investors who see a transparent breakdown of burn trust the numbers more than those who receive a single monthly figure.
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What does 'default alive' mean?
Default alive means a startup's current revenue growth will cover its expenses before it runs out of cash — it can survive without raising another round. Default dead means it will run out of cash before breaking even unless it raises more money.
What startup metrics do VCs care about most?
VCs focus on growth rate, revenue, burn rate, CAC/LTV, churn, and net dollar retention — the specific metrics depend on the stage and business model.
Burn rate is the rate at which a startup consumes its cash, usually measured monthly. There are two types: Gross Burn: Total monthly cash outflows (salaries, rent, infrastructure, marketing, etc.) — regardless of revenue. Net Burn: Gross burn minus cash collected from customers.
Understanding Burn Rate is critical for founders navigating the fundraising process. It directly impacts deal terms, valuation, and the relationship between founders and investors.
Burn Rate falls under the metrics category in venture capital. This area covers concepts related to the quantitative measures used to evaluate fund and company performance.
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