Increase go-to-market spend in steps only when retention, conversion and gross-margin-adjusted payback support the added cash commitment.
Set the next spending increment against a proven customer segment or channel. Pause further increases when conversion, retention or payback misses the agreed range; resume after new cohort evidence supports the cash plan.
Conditions are Cloudy and worsening since Sep 30; revisit decisions made on the Sep 30 reading.
CAC payback estimates how long customer gross profit takes to recover acquisition cost. A blended average can hide an expensive channel or weak cohort. Compare incremental acquisition cost, cash collection timing and retention before treating efficient past growth as evidence for a larger budget.
| Area | This week | Pause line | Resume line |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoadmapLine set by Risk appetite | Keep the core roadmap on schedule; ship the pieces customers can use this quarter first. | Pause linePause long-payback bets if risk appetite falls below 44 or two weekly readings in a row come in weaker.8 pts away | Resume lineResume the paused bets when risk appetite is above 54 and the weekly reading holds or improves.2 pts away |
| SpendingLine set by Funding pressure | Put a payback figure on every discretionary line before approving it; 6 months is the bar. | Pause linePause new discretionary spend if funding pressure is above 76. Funding pressure is 90 now.past the line | Resume lineResume new spend when funding pressure falls below 66 and the payback figures still hold.24 pts away |
| New betsLines set by Funding pressure & Risk appetite | Keep only the experiments you can stop within a week, each with a review date. | Pause linePause new bets if risk appetite falls below 44 or funding pressure is above 76. Funding pressure is 90 now.past the line | Resume lineResume one stage at a time when risk appetite is above 54 and funding pressure falls below 66.24 pts away |
Conditions change if: Funding pressure falls 20 pts from 90 to 70 or below, or risk appetite falls 2 pts from 52 to 50 or below.
Change line 70
0 = easier funding · 100 = harder funding
On this signal alone: Money is tight — conserve cash, extend runway, defer big bets. Fundraising windows are narrow.
Change line 50
0 = risk-averse investors · 100 = risk-hungry investors
On this signal alone: Markets are selectively open — prove traction before scaling; get customer evidence before making large commitments.
Increase [channel] spend by [amount] for [test period]. Pause the next increase if [conversion, retention or payback limit] is missed. Resume after [cohort evidence]. Owner: [name]. Review: [date].
Fill in the company inputs before using it as an approval.
Whether Weekly Brief — 2026-10-23 Conditions: Cloudy (money is available but pricey) Margin: within reach of the line (how far the scores sit from the line where conditions change) Source note: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DGS1MO Full brief: https://whether.work/
Data date: Oct 23, 2026 · freshness: Oct 25, 2026, 2:00 AM UTC.