Size cash to the safe band for the current conditions — 9 to 18 months of runway in Sunny conditions, 15 to 24 in Cloudy, 18 to 30 in Freezing — and open the raise while you are still above the band's floor.
Enter cash, monthly spend and revenue in the runway planner, compare the result to the band your current conditions imply, and set the raise window the planner gives: months 4 through 8 with comfortable coverage, 2 through 5 when coverage is thin, immediately when it is critical.
Conditions are Cloudy and worsening since Sep 30; revisit decisions made on the Sep 30 reading.
The band is the runway planner's model: it widens in Freezing conditions because closes take longer and rounds are fewer, and narrows in Sunny ones because capital is easier to reach. Stage widens it further — seed adds three months, Series A adds two. The band is a planning default, not a forecast: the record shows how conditions changed after each line, not what a particular round will fetch.
| Area | This week | Pause line | Resume line |
|---|---|---|---|
| FundraisingLines set by Funding pressure & Risk appetite | If you plan to raise, prepare the materials now so the timing stays yours. | Pause linePause the raise if risk appetite falls below 44 or funding pressure is above 76. Funding pressure is 90 now.past the line | Resume lineResume the full process when risk appetite is above 54 and funding pressure falls below 66.24 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 |
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.
Runway today: [months]. Safe band: [min] to [max] months. Raise opens: [month]. If runway falls below [min], cut burn by [amount] by [date]. 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.