Dr. Kevin Nguyen
Head of Finance & Research
Dr. Kevin Nguyen spent a decade on Wall Street — first as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, then leading venture diligence at Sequoia Capital — before pivoting to help early-stage founders get their finances right. With a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT and CFA/CFP certifications, he translates complex financial concepts into actionable startup advice. He has personally advised 500+ startups on fundraising, unit economics, and financial modeling.
Credentials & Education
Areas of Expertise
Articles by Dr. Kevin Nguyen
Investor Updates: What to Share Monthly and Why
How to write monthly investor updates that build trust, surface help, and keep your cap table working for you — with the template, the metrics, and the discipline.
SaaS Cohort Analysis: Reading Retention Curves Right
How to run SaaS cohort analysis that drives decisions — building the cohort matrix, reading retention curves, and the diagnostic patterns that matter.
Founder Salary: When and How Much to Pay Yourself
How to set founder salary across bootstrap, seed, and Series A — benchmarks by stage, the conversation with investors, and the tax-smart structure.
R&D Tax Credits for Startups: Up to $500K in Refundable Credits
How early-stage startups can claim up to $500K/year in refundable R&D tax credits — eligibility, qualifying expenses, the payroll tax election, and filing process.
SAFE Notes vs Convertible Notes: A Founder's Guide to Choosing
Side-by-side comparison of SAFE notes and convertible notes — dilution math, interest, maturity, and when each instrument is the right pre-seed tool.
Understanding Your Burn Rate and Runway: A Founder's Guide
Calculate gross and net burn, extend runway with 12 proven tactics, and time your fundraising so you negotiate from strength, not desperation.
When to Raise Prices: A Data-Driven Framework
Use price elasticity, competitive signals, and customer behavior to time your next price increase — with lessons from Netflix and Spotify.
Financial Modeling for Startups: Building Your First Projection
Build your first startup financial model with bottom-up revenue forecasting, expense planning, and the 3-statement framework investors expect.
Pricing Strategy: How to Set Prices That Maximize Revenue
Learn cost-plus, value-based, and competitive pricing with psychological tactics, SaaS tier design, and tested methods for finding your optimal price point.
Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital: How to Choose Your Funding Path
Compare bootstrapping and VC funding with real dilution math, decision frameworks, and lessons from Mailchimp's $12B exit and Uber's capital-intensive rise.
Cash Flow Management: How to Avoid the #1 Startup Killer
Learn to build a 13-week cash flow forecast, manage AR/AP, and avoid the death spiral that kills 82% of failed startups.
Unit Economics Explained: CAC, LTV, and the Metrics That Matter
Master the core unit economics every founder needs — CAC, LTV, payback period — with formulas, benchmarks, and real SaaS examples.