Checklist · Assumptions
Founder assumptions checklist
A checklist of the assumptions every founder should be able to defend, the inputs investors and lenders probe first.
This example is forfounders pressure-testing a model before they show it to anyone.
Illustrative example, sample data only, not guaranteed outcomes.
Revenue assumptions
- How you acquire customers and at what cost
- Conversion and repeat / retention rates
- Pricing and how it changes behaviour
- Growth driven by drivers, not a flat rate
Cost & cash assumptions
- Unit cost and gross margin
- Fixed vs variable cost split
- Cash timing and working capital
- Runway and the month it gets tight
Risk assumptions
- The single assumption that breaks the business
- What has to be true for the plan to work
- Where the numbers came from (source or illustrative)
- What you'd do if the downside hits
Good to know
Questions founders ask
What assumptions do investors check first?+
Acquisition cost and retention, pricing, gross margin, cash timing, and the single riskiest assumption the plan depends on.
How do I make assumptions defensible?+
Tie each to a source or label it illustrative, and show what happens to the model if it's wrong.
Where do I start?+
List the assumptions, mark the riskiest, and stress-test those first.
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From idea to investor-ready · built for founders, not finance teams