Read your numbers. Lead with confidence.
A program that teaches founders and business owners how to read, understand, and use their financials to make better decisions and lead more effectively. No accounting background required. No multi-week commitment. Attend what you need, when you need it.
You did not start your company to become a financial expert.
Most founders and business owners did not start their company to become financial experts. At some point, though, financial decisions become some of the most consequential ones you make.
That is what this program teaches.
Five moments where the gap shows up.
These moments happen because financial fluency is a specific skill that most founders never had the opportunity to develop. This program is built to close that gap.
Two tracks. Two formats. No required sequence.
Finance for Founders runs two content tracks: Financial Basics and Funding and Capital. Each track is made up of standalone sessions you can attend individually or purchase as a series bundle at a discount. There is no fixed schedule and no required sequence. Attend what is relevant to where your business is right now, at whatever pace works for you.
Office Hours
A free weekly session open to anyone, whether you have attended a class or are considering one. Each session runs 60 minutes and covers one topic, but the format is open: bring a question about your business, your financials, or a concept from a session, and we work through it directly.
Standalone Classes
Individual sessions, 60 to 90 minutes each. Each class covers one topic completely and delivers something you can apply to your business immediately. Sessions are recorded and available after each live date.
Pick the track that fits the decision in front of you right now.
Both tracks run in parallel. You can take sessions from either, or both, in any order. Each session is designed to deliver a complete, usable outcome on its own. Click any session below to see what it covers.
Understand how your business is actually performing.
For founders and business owners who want to understand how their business is performing financially and use that information to make better operating decisions. Sessions cover how to read your financial statements, where revenue and costs actually go, how cash flow works, which metrics actually tell you how the business is performing, and how to use your numbers to make decisions about pricing, hiring, and growth.
What each role does, what they cost, and when you need them. Why having someone handle the books does not mean the financial side of the business is under control. What financial avoidance costs you in operating decisions, and what it actually looks like to be on top of your numbers at different stages of growth.
The income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement covered in one session. What each one measures, what it is telling you about the business, and how the three connect to give you a complete picture of financial position without needing an accounting background.
How to read your P&L accurately and what belongs where. Revenue recognition, cost of goods sold, gross margin, operating expenses, and net profit. How pricing decisions affect margin, common categorization mistakes, and how to use a budget versus actuals report to make real operating decisions.
Why profitable businesses run out of cash and how that happens. The difference between cash flow and profit, accounts receivable and payable, burn rate, and runway. How to build a 13-week cash flow forecast and what warning signs to watch for before cash becomes a crisis.
How to identify the 5 to 7 numbers that actually tell you how your business is performing. The difference between vanity metrics and operational ones. KPIs by business type, how to use your numbers to evaluate hiring and pricing decisions, and what a simple useful dashboard looks like at your stage.
How to set up a monthly close process and what to review, in what order, and how often. Common breakdowns in financial process and the blind spots they create. How to work effectively with your bookkeeper or accountant so your numbers stay accurate and current.
Understand every way to finance your business.
For founders preparing to raise money, actively considering it, or wanting to understand the full range of financing options before they need to decide. Sessions cover how funding actually works, the difference between debt and equity, how convertible instruments function, what investors expect to see in your financials, and how to navigate due diligence and close.
Should you raise at all, and if so, why. What bringing outside capital into your business actually means for how you operate and make decisions. The full spectrum of options and the risks of getting the timing wrong.
Debt, equity, and convertible instruments covered in one session. What each one is, how it works mechanically, key terms, and how to think about which fits your situation. Covers SAFEs, convertible notes, equity dilution, lines of credit, and revenue-based financing.
When bootstrapping is the right answer and how to do it as a deliberate strategy. Grants, SBA programs, and other non-dilutive options. How to evaluate these against taking outside capital.
What a pitch deck needs to do, how investors evaluate what is in front of them, and what most founders get wrong. Covers structure, narrative, and how investors think about risk, traction, founder credibility, and use of capital.
The numbers investors expect to see. Building a defensible projection. Unit economics. How to present and talk about your financials in a room with investors.
The due diligence process, documents to have ready, why deals fall apart, reading a term sheet, and what changes in your business after you close.
Not sure where to begin? Three suggested paths.
Each path is three related sessions, organized around a single subject area. Take them on your own timeline, in any order. Register for each session individually.
Read Your Numbers
Start here if you want to understand what your financials are telling you. Three sessions to build basic financial literacy and read your statements with confidence.
- 01Your Financial Statements
- 02Revenue, COGS, Margins, and Profit
- 03Why Cash Flow Is the Number That Keeps Founders Up at Night
Run the Business
Start here if you want to use your numbers to run the business day-to-day. Covers who should handle what, the metrics that matter, and the financial process that keeps it all tight.
- 01The Founder's Guide to Bookkeepers, Accountants, CPAs, and CFOs
- 02KPIs and Using Your Numbers to Run the Business
- 03Building a Financial Process Flow
Prepare to Raise
Start here if you're considering outside capital. Covers the funding landscape, how the financing instruments work, and how to present your financials to investors.
- 01The Funding Landscape
- 02Understanding the Instruments
- 03The Financial Section of Your Pitch
Each session is open for individual registration.
Sessions are recorded and available after each live date. Filter to your track and register for whichever sessions are relevant.
Office Hours, bring a question, leave with an answer.
One topic per session, but the format is open: bring a question about your business, your financials, or a concept from a class you attended. We work through it directly. Pick a date and register.
View all Office Hours on Luma →Common questions.
A standalone class is a single session on one topic. You register and attend with no further commitment. A series bundle is three related sessions purchased together at a discount. You can attend each session in the bundle in any order and on any timeline. The bundle gives you access to all three sessions at a reduced rate.
No. Every session is designed to stand completely on its own. You do not need to have attended any prior session to follow along or get value from any class.
All sessions are recorded. If you register for a session and cannot attend live, the recording will be available to you after the live date.
This program is for founders and business owners who are actively running their company and making financial decisions without a dedicated finance team or financial background. If you are pre-revenue or in the earliest stage of building, the content will be less immediately applicable.
A bookkeeper and accountant make sure the right numbers are in the right place. This program teaches you to read and interpret those numbers so you can make decisions from them. These are different functions. This program does not replace your accounting team.
The fastest way to know if this fits where your business is right now is to just show up.
Office Hours is free, weekly, and open. Come with a question about your business and leave with a concrete answer.