Nett vs Checking Your Bank Balance

Your bank balance says $84,000. Your real number is $31,000. Here's what's hiding in between.

The $53,000 gap

Every founder has checked their bank balance and felt a brief moment of relief. “We're fine.” But that number includes money that doesn't belong to you — at least not yet. Here's where the $53K goes:

Bank balance$84,000
− Deferred revenue($21,600)
− Tax reserve (25%)($12,000)
− Upcoming commitments($8,000)
− Monthly costs (30d)($11,400)
Safe-to-Spend$31,000

What your bank balance hides

Available cash

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Deferred revenue liability

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Tax reserve

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Upcoming commitments

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Monthly operating costs

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True spending power

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Runway from real cash

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Stale data warnings

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Bank Balance:

Why the gap matters

The bank balance gap leads to bad decisions. You hire someone because the bank says you can afford it. You sign an annual contract because the number looks comfortable. You delay fundraising because the runway “looks fine.”

Then the tax bill hits. The annual contract renews. The hire's first paycheck lands. And suddenly you have 4 months of runway instead of the 8 you thought you had.

Common questions

What's wrong with checking my bank balance?+

Nothing — it's just incomplete. Your bank balance includes money that's already spoken for: deferred revenue from annual subscriptions, upcoming tax bills, verbal commitments, and your next month of operating costs. After subtracting those, your actual spending power might be 30-50% less than what the bank shows.

How much less do founders typically have than they think?+

Founders typically have 20-40% less runway than they think. The gap comes from deferred revenue (annual subscriptions you haven't earned yet), tax reserves (money you'll owe), and hidden commitments (the verbal yeses that live in your head). The more annual subscriptions you have, the bigger the gap.

Do I need to connect my bank account to Nett?+

No. Your bank balance in Nett is a manual entry — you type it in. Nett connects to Stripe for revenue data (read-only), but your bank balance stays in your control. No bank login required.

See your own gap. Try the free calculator.

Founders typically have 20-40% less runway than they think.

Your bank balance is lying to you.

See what you can actually spend.

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