Budget SZN, VC's Profit Problem, & The $1M Banana ??

***Note: That banana sold for $6.2M***

Greetings ??.?And just like that, it’s our November edition of No Half Sends. Let’s briefly look back and then look forward to what lies ahead of us in 2025. Doesn’t it feel like kids were just starting school…yesterday? Everyone says that the older you get, the faster time goes by. I’m starting to believe that. If you have a magic pill to make time move at a normal pace, drop me a line.

To frame our update: we help growth companies elevate their financial and operational data through leveraging the best humans, platforms, and tech in the market.

Let’s Dive In ??.

?? TL;DR

1. Budgeting SZN
2. The Science of Gratitude
3. VC Profits are LOW
4. Techstars Boulder is…Back?
5. Buy a Banana for $1M+

?? Budgeting SZN.

If you haven’t started yet, it’s time to dive in. Roll up your sleeves, get into google sheets, and build a budget. Here are a few quick tips for those just getting started:

• Export your Quickbooks P&L as a Starting Point By nature of having your detailed P&L visible at the account level, you can begin to create a new sheet with 2025 months, blank cells, and start popping in values manually. +1 bonus point if you export the Quickbooks budgeting template. You can fill that out and then upload it to QB to begin reporting budget vs actuals.
• Prioritize Essential Operating Costs Focus on the basics—team salaries, sales & marketing, and key softwares. Keep these lean to maintain flexibility while ensuring your company can operate efficiently based on your growth.
• Define Scalable Growth Investments Budget for marketing, product development, and team growth, but tie spending to measurable outcomes like customer acquisition or product milestones. Don’t get too ahead of yourself, ensure you have flexibility to dial costs back if sales do not follow investments. A-B test often.
• Create a Cash Runway Buffer Know your cash requirements. If you’re capital-backed, protect your runway. If you’re profitable and growing, ensure you have a quality cash position to absorb unexpected fluctuations during the year.
• Review Monthly, Revise Quarterly Review monthly budgets but analyze actual performance each month to catch deviations early. Revise your rolling forecast quarterly based on new data or funding opportunities to stay agile.

If you miss my long hair or want to hear Stacey and I banter on budgeting, you can find a fun conversation about it here or on any podcast platform ??

?? The Science of Gratitude.

I shared about my experience of listening to Mark Mathews (insane big wave surfer) speak about the science of gratitude at his keynote presentation at Intuit Connect.

It was actually transformational to listen to mark speak about his story and personal experience on the topic of gratitude. His deep study into the arena led to a variety of sources that have written at length on the topic of how gratitude impacts your body - neurologically and physically. There is a physical change that happens in your body when you practice gratitude on a regular basis.

This article from PositivePsychology dives deep into the research, observations, and outcomes behind the science of gratitude. It’s a form of ‘natural antidepressant’. Long-lasting happiness and contentment can be found through active expressions of gratitude. When you express gratitude and receive the same, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which immediately enhances your mood. The goal is to carve these neural pathways in your mind to create a mental routine that you can continually check back in with to create a permanent grateful and positive nature within yourself.

Thank you for being here. We’re grateful for you being a part of our community.

?? Need to know: Startups

>?Betting on Elections. A big ‘startup’ winner of this years’ election cycle are all of the platforms that have enabled election betting markets. Polymarket was the big winner. In few surprises to the general public, they were actually more accurate than polls. Wouldn’t a gambling operation have to have their data and line setting capabilities totally dialed? Unfortunately, it’s not all roses for them after the cash windfall, as the founder of Polymarket just had his apartment raided by the FBI. Eeek. (FBI Raids Polymarket CEO’s Apartment)

>?AI Still Sucking Up VC $$$. In the not so shocking news department, investors are still keenly interested in finding the next AI unicorns. Over 37% of VC-Dollars have gone to AI-related companies in 2024. I mean, when have we seen an industrial revolution like this that has the potential to spin off dozens if not hundreds of unicorns? That said, the returns on these investments may see record payback periods, secondary investments in existing fund companies, and less money available for new portfolio companies. (Record Low Profits for Venture Capitalists)

Are you fundraising/hiring? Know someone who is? We want to feature those in our network who are seeking capital, connections, or resources. Reach out to us at [email protected] for more information!

??? Colorado Startups: Our Backyard

>?Techstars Boulder is….BACK? ”Hello World, again” is the headline by Natty Zola on Medium. This news came with mixed emotions as it felt like a massive building block of our startup community was stripped away earlier this year. There was a significant void that was waiting to be filled. The resilient community was starting to make moves, but we didn’t see this one coming! That said, it currently feels like one of those ‘cautiously optimistic’ scenarios. Now we turn our attention to - how can we lean in to make this (and our startup environment) successful? (Techstars Boulder Returning to Colorado)

Help share No Half Sends ??

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?? If you’d like to be featured or have a message that would be helpful for our community, please let us know

??? Sending it in the Wild

> We believe in the future of our industry. We believe that participating, knowledge sharing, and building relationships with others is one of the best investments we can make. In late October, we had the opportunity to learn, lead, and teach at Intuit Connect.

Clickbait:?You could have bought a banana duct-taped to a wall for $1 million. You can just hear Georgia O’Keeffe agonizing from the beyond.

?? ??Roman Villard, CPA @ Full Send - Accounting | Data

Why No Half Sends? We’re on a mission to elevate data through high quality accounting, finance, and data services, building more knowledgeable and engaged team members, and engaging in our industry to move our world forward.

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