Most Indian startups do not die because the idea was wrong. They die because the cash ran out before the model started working. This calculator shows two things at once: how many months of runway you have at today’s numbers, and whether you are “default alive”, meaning your revenue growth puts you on track to cover your own costs before the bank balance reaches zero.
Runway & default-alive calculator
Enter four numbers to see how many months of cash you have, and whether you are "default alive": on track to cover your costs from your own revenue before the money runs out. Everything stays in your browser.
A simple model: revenue grows at the rate you set, costs are held flat, and growth is capped at 60 months. It is a planning guide, not financial advice. The idea comes from Paul Graham's essay "Default Alive or Default Dead?".
How to read the result
Default alive means that if you keep growing at the rate you entered and hold costs steady, revenue covers costs before you run out of money. You control your own survival. Default dead means the opposite: on current numbers the cash runs out first, so you need to raise, cut costs, or grow faster to change the outcome. The earlier you know which side of the line you are on, the more options you have.
The model holds costs flat and caps the projection at 60 months to keep it honest. Real businesses add headcount and spend as they grow, so treat the number as a planning guide, not a promise. If you are close to the line, run it again with a lower growth rate to see how much slack you really have.
For the thinking behind cash discipline in the Indian context, read why ignoring cash-flow cycles can cripple your startup and whether you are ready to scale up.