Business & Finance Glossary

Fractional CFO

A Fractional CFO is a senior financial executive who works part-time across multiple companies, providing CFO-level strategy and leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

Burn Rate

Burn rate is the pace at which a company spends its cash — typically measured monthly — before it becomes cash-flow positive. It is one of the most critical metrics for any startup.

Runway

Runway is the amount of time a company can continue operating at its current burn rate before running out of cash. It is typically expressed in months.

Cap Table

A capitalization table (cap table) is a spreadsheet that tracks who owns what in a company — listing all shareholders, the type and amount of equity they hold, and the percentage of ownership.

Unit Economics

Unit economics describes the direct revenues and costs associated with a single unit of a business — typically one customer — and how that relationship scales.

Financial Modeling

Financial modeling is the process of building a structured, quantitative representation of a company's finances — typically in a spreadsheet — to forecast future performance and support major decisions.

Tax Planning

Tax planning is the process of structuring your finances and decisions throughout the year to legally minimize your tax liability — as distinct from tax preparation, which files what has already happened.

83(b) Election

An 83(b) election is a tax filing that allows founders and early employees to pay taxes on equity at its current (low) value rather than when it vests — potentially saving significant taxes as the company grows.

S-Corp Election

An S-Corp election is a tax designation that allows a business to pass income directly to shareholders and avoid double taxation — while also providing potential savings on self-employment taxes.

FBAR

FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) is a mandatory annual filing required of US persons who have financial interest in, or signature authority over, foreign bank accounts with an aggregate balance exceeding $10,000 at any point during the year.

Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC)

A Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) is a foreign company in which US persons own more than 50% of the voting power or value — triggering complex US tax reporting obligations for the US shareholders.

SAFE Agreement

A SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) is a common early-stage fundraising instrument that gives an investor the right to receive equity in a future priced round, in exchange for money invested today.

Convertible Note

A convertible note is a short-term debt instrument that converts into equity — usually at the next priced funding round — rather than being repaid in cash. It is a common early-stage fundraising tool.

Term Sheet

A term sheet is a non-binding document that outlines the key terms and conditions of a proposed investment — setting the framework for the final legal agreements in a funding round.

Vesting Schedule

A vesting schedule defines the timeline over which a founder, employee, or advisor earns ownership of their equity — typically tied to continued service at the company.

Trademark

A trademark is a legally protected brand identifier — typically a name, logo, slogan, or combination — that distinguishes your goods or services from competitors in the marketplace.

Provisional Patent Application

A provisional patent application is a lower-cost filing that establishes a 'patent pending' status for 12 months, giving inventors time to develop and test their invention before committing to a full patent application.

Trade Secret

A trade secret is confidential business information — formulas, processes, designs, customer lists, or algorithms — that provides a competitive advantage and is protected as long as it remains secret.

NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is a legal contract that obligates one or more parties to keep specified information confidential and not disclose it to third parties without authorization.

IP Assignment Agreement

An IP assignment agreement is a legal document that transfers ownership of intellectual property — code, inventions, designs, or creative works — from the creator to the company.

O-1 Visa

The O-1 visa is a US nonimmigrant visa for individuals who possess extraordinary ability in their field — defined as the top of their occupation — in science, arts, education, business, or athletics.

H-1B Visa

The H-1B is a US nonimmigrant work visa for specialty occupation workers — typically requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a relevant field — sponsored by a US employer.

At-Will Employment

At-will employment is a legal doctrine in the US (adopted in most states) that allows either the employer or the employee to end the employment relationship at any time, for any reason — or no reason — without legal liability.

Non-Compete Agreement

A non-compete agreement restricts an employee or contractor from working for competitors or starting a competing business for a specified period after leaving a company.

ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)

An ESOP is a qualified employee benefit plan that gives workers ownership interest in the company, typically through shares allocated over time based on tenure and compensation.

Go-to-Market Strategy

A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is the plan a company uses to bring a product or service to market — defining the target customer, value proposition, pricing, distribution channels, and sales motion.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the total cost of acquiring one new customer — including all sales and marketing expenses divided by the number of new customers acquired in a given period.

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) is the total revenue a business can expect from a single customer over the entire duration of their relationship — a fundamental input into unit economics and acquisition strategy.