Startup. Finance and Economics

Who this course is for

This course is designed for first-time founders and small startup teams who have little to no background in finance or economics. If spreadsheets intimidate you, if you are unsure how to price your product, or if investor metrics feel like a foreign language, this course is for you. You do not need prior training in accounting or corporate finance. We focus on practical decisions founders make every week: when to spend, how to measure traction, what to show investors, and how to avoid running out of cash.

What you will learn

By the end of this course, you will understand the core financial concepts that determine whether your startup survives and grows. You will learn how to read a simple P&L, manage cash flow, and build unit economics that make sense. You will practice estimating CAC, LTV, and payback period with limited early data. You will see how the same logic applies differently to SaaS, e-commerce, and marketplaces, and how to adapt your assumptions across regions like the US, Europe, MENA, and Asia. You will know what angels and VCs look for at each stage, how to present traction credibly, and how to avoid vanity metrics. We discuss pricing strategies and validation methods, funding roadmaps, and how to defend your plan under pressure. We also cover special cases: social impact ventures, deeptech, and scientific projects that raise grants or face long R&D cycles.

How the course works

This is a hands-on, text-based course with clear explanations, short examples, and practical exercises. Every module gives you simple checklists and mental models that you can apply immediately: from building a 12-month survival plan to calculating runway, from designing a pricing test to preparing investor-ready dashboards. The language is plain, direct, and free of jargon. Where formulas are needed, we keep them simple and show how to estimate inputs when your data is still messy or sparse.

Why it matters

Most startup failures are not caused by a bad idea but by poor financial management: scaling too early, confusing revenue with cash, chasing growth without unit economics, or pitching investors with numbers that do not hold up to scrutiny. Understanding finance beyond bookkeeping gives you agency. It helps you prioritize what to build, where to spend, when to pause, and how to communicate your plan. It also helps you hire and collaborate with finance professionals, set up lightweight processes, and avoid costly mistakes.

What you will be able to do

• Explain key terms like revenue, burn, runway, GMV, and EBITDA in plain English.
• Calculate CAC, LTV, churn, and payback period using realistic early-stage assumptions.
• Build a simple P&L and cash flow projection, and understand why profit can differ from cash.
• Create a 12-month survival plan and update it as you learn.
• Choose and test pricing models: subscription, transactions, and freemium.
• Show traction credibly with retention, cohorts, and leading indicators.
• Prepare investor-friendly materials for pre-seed, seed, and Series A.
• Adapt your plan to regional cost structures, taxes, and investor expectations.
• Structure hybrid funding for impact, deeptech, and research-heavy ventures.
• Defend your assumptions under pressure with transparent logic and scenarios.

Outcome

You will leave with a founder’s financial toolkit: a set of simple templates, mental shortcuts, and communication habits that make your numbers clear and believable. You will know how to set targets, track progress, and make trade-offs between growth and sustainability. Most importantly, you will gain confidence to steer your startup with numbers that reflect reality—not wishful thinking.