If You Can’t ExpIain Your Numbers, You Can’t Raise CapitaI

Founders often think raising money is all about passion, vision, or being a great storyteller. Those things help, but investors don’t write checks just because you “believe.”

At the end of the day, investors want to know one thing: if I give you my money, how do I get more back?

To answer that, you need one critical hard skill: understanding your numbers.

Why Your Numbers Matter

You don’t have to be a finance pro or build models that look like Wall Street spreadsheets. But you do need to show that you understand:

• How much money you really need (and not just “as much as possible”).
  

• What you’ll spend it on (specific things that help your company grow).
  

• What investors get in return (how their money turns into more money).
  

If you can’t do that, your pitch will sound like guesswork — and investors will move on.

What “Understanding Your Numbers” Looks Like

Here are a few examples of what it means to have financial fluency as a founder:

• Knowing your burn rate (how much you spend every month).
  

• Being clear on your runway (how long that money lasts before you run out).
  

• Having projections that make sense (not just “we’ll make a billion dollars by year three”).
  

• Understanding what happens when you raise money -  like dilution (owning a smaller piece of your company after investors come in).
  

You don’t have to explain this like a CFO. But you do need to show that you understand it.

Why Investors Care

Investors aren’t there to fund experiments. They’re there to fund growth. If you know your numbers, it tells them you’re serious, you’re prepared, and you’re thinking about the business the same way they are.

If you don’t know your numbers, investors assume you’re not ready -  and the conversation usually stops there.

Bottom Line

Passion and vision will get you in the door. But it’s your command of the numbers that keeps you in the room.

At Capital Navigator, we train founders to master this skill  -  so when investors ask the tough questions, you don’t freeze, fumble, or guess. You answer with confidence. And that’s when checks get written.