DEV Community: Viral Videos

How I Built a Rental Property ROI Calculator in Google Sheets (and You Can Too)

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:57:30 +0000

How I Built a Rental Property ROI Calculator in Google Sheets

If you're analyzing rental properties, you've probably spent hours in spreadsheets trying to figure out cash flow, cap rate, and return on investment. I got tired of doing this manually, so I built an automated Google Sheets template that does all the math for you.

The Problem with Manual Analysis

Most retail investors I know start with a napkin calculation: "Rent is $X, mortgage is $Y, so I make $Z." But real estate investing requires more nuance — vacancy reserves, maintenance, property management, insurance, HOA, capex, and taxes all eat into your cash flow.

I used to maintain a messy Excel file with formulas I'd copy-pasted from random blog posts. It worked, but it was fragile and hard to share.

The Solution: A Structured Google Sheets Template

I built a 6-tab spreadsheet that covers everything:

Quick Summary — Enter purchase price, down payment, rent, and expenses. See cash flow, Cap Rate, and CoC Return instantly.
Income & Expenses — Pre-filled categories with realistic default percentages (5% vacancy, 8% management, 10% maintenance, 5% capex).
Loan Calculator — Uses Google Sheets' PMT formula to calculate monthly P&I, plus a full amortization schedule.
12-Month Cash Flow — Monthly projection with conditional formatting for negative months.
ROI Projections — 5-year and 10-year scenarios with appreciation, rent growth, and expense inflation assumptions.
Scenario Comparison — Compare up to 5 properties side-by-side.

Key Formulas Used

PMT(rate/12, term*12, -loan_amount) — calculates monthly P&I
NOI = Gross Rent × 12 - Total Annual Expenses
Cap Rate = NOI / Purchase Price
Cash-on-Cash Return = Annual Pre-Tax Cash Flow / Total Cash Invested
Total ROI (10yr) = (Sale Proceeds + Cumulative Cash Flow) / Initial Investment - 1

The Sample Data

I included a sample property — a $350,000 duplex in Austin with $2,800/mo rent and 20% down. At current rates (6.5%), it shows:

Monthly cash flow: $680
Cash-on-Cash Return: 11.7%
10-year ROI: 148%

This gives you a benchmark to compare your own deals against.

How You Can Get It

I've published the complete template on Gumroad. It costs $29 — about the price of a coffee and a burrito, and it'll save you hours on every property you analyze.

The tool is immediately usable. Just open the link, make a copy in Google Sheets, and enter your numbers in the blue cells. Everything else auto-calculates.

If you're serious about real estate investing, having a standardized analysis template will help you move faster and make better decisions. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

3 SaaS Unit Economic Metrics That Make or Break Your Fundraising

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:31:46 +0000

The 3 Numbers Investors Ask For First

Every SaaS founder eventually faces "the question" from an investor: What are your unit economics? If you can't rattle off CAC, LTV, and payback period in under 10 seconds, you're leaving money on the table.

1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Your CAC is total sales & marketing spend divided by new customers acquired. Break it down by channel (paid ads, content, sales reps, referrals) to see where your money works hardest.

Formula: Total Marketing Spend / New Customers

2. Lifetime Value (LTV)

LTV = (ARPU × Gross Margin) / Monthly Churn Rate

A healthy SaaS has LTV:CAC ratio of 3:1 or higher.

3. Payback Period

Months needed to recover CAC. Under 12 months is good; under 6 months is excellent.

I built a SaaS Unit Economics Calculator — Google Sheets that handles all these calculations automatically. Plug in your numbers, get instant investor-ready metrics. There's also a free PDF cheat sheet with formulas and benchmarks to get started.

Happy building!

The Only Real Estate Flip Calculator You'll Ever Need (Free Google Sheets)

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:22:50 +0000

The Only Real Estate Flip Calculator You'll Ever Need (Free Google Sheets Template)

As a real estate investor, I've analyzed hundreds of potential flips. The biggest time sink?
Rebuilding the same spreadsheet calculations over and over.

I finally built a simple 6-input Google Sheets template that gives me profit, ROI, and max
allowable offer in under 30 seconds. And it's completely free.

What it calculates automatically:

Total Investment (purchase + rehab + holding costs)
Gross Profit (ARV minus total investment)
ROI percentage (returns on your cash invested)
Max Allowable Offer using the 70% rule

The formula that matters most:

Profit = ARV - Purchase Price - Rehab Budget - (Holding Months × Monthly Costs)

That's it. Six inputs, one instant result.

Why the 70% rule matters:

If a property will be worth $250,000 after repairs, never pay more than:
$250,000 × 70% = $175,000 minus $40,000 rehab = $135,000 max purchase price

Get the free template:

Grab it on Gumroad (link below) and have it copied to your Google Drive in 10 seconds.

Download Free Real Estate Flip Analyzer — Google Sheets

The paid version ($29) adds 100-property tracking, rehab cost estimator by room, hard money loan calculator, and an investor-ready PDF report. But the free version is all you need to run the numbers on today's deal.

What's your go-to metric for analyzing flips? I'm partial to ROI over 20% with a 4-month max hold.

How to Model Convertible Note Dilution in Google Sheets (Free Template)

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:42:37 +0000

Why Convertible Notes Need Dilution Modeling

Convertible notes are the most common seed-stage investment vehicle, yet most founders
and angels can't easily visualize how caps and discounts affect ownership. Here's why
manual modeling matters:

The 20% discount trap: A typical 20% discount might seem small, but paired with
a $5M cap, an angel investing $500K could end up with 2-3x more shares than expected.

Example scenario:

Angel invests $500K with 20% discount, $5M cap
Series A at $8M pre-money, $8/share
Discount price: $6.40/share
Cap price: $5/share (since $5M / 625K shares = $8, but cap overrides)
Conversion shares: ~$560K / $5 = 112K shares vs 70K at no cap
That's 60% more equity than a straight investment!

What you get in the template:

Pre-built Google Sheet with 3 tabs
Automatic interest accrual
Three conversion scenarios calculated instantly
Full dilution impact on founder ownership

Grab the full template here to run your own scenarios: [link]

MicroTools Studio builds practical financial tools for independent investors and startups.

Optimize P2P Lending Portfolio Returns — Free Spreadsheet Framework

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:23:40 +0000

How to Optimize Your P2P Lending Portfolio Returns (Without Spreadsheet Headaches)

P2P lending can generate 10-16% annual returns, but only if you properly account for fees, default rates, and reinvestment periods. Most investors manually copy-paste numbers between platform dashboards and lose track of true net yield.

The Hidden Costs Most Investors Miss

Platform fees — Range 0-2% of interest earned
Default rates — Historical 1-8% depending on loan grade
Reinvestment gaps — Days between repayment and new loan funding (7-60 days)

A Simple Optimization Framework

Step 1: Calculate net yield = Gross Yield × (1 — Fee%) — Default Rate%
Step 2: Adjust for reinvestment frequency (more days = lower compound effect)
Step 3: Rank platforms by risk-adjusted net yield
Step 4: Weight allocation to top performers

Example Calculation

Mintos: 12% gross — 1% fee — 3% defaults = ~8.9% net yield with 30-day reinvestment
PeerBerry: 10% gross — 0% fee — 2% defaults = ~8% net yield with 14-day reinvestment (better compounding)

Most investors don't do step 2 and 3. That's why I built a P2P Lending Yield Optimizer Google Sheets template that does all four steps automatically. Enter your platform data once and get a ranked optimization instantly.

Get The Tool

The template includes pre-built formulas for 6 platforms with scenario analysis built in. It's $25 — saves about 2 hours per portfolio review. Grab it at the link above.

What's your biggest challenge with P2P lending returns? Drop a comment below.

I Built a Free DCF Model Guide + Google Sheets Template (with Sensitivity Tables)

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:06:26 +0000

Stop Building DCF Models from Scratch

If you're a retail investor doing valuation, you've probably tried building a DCF model in Excel or Google Sheets. It's tedious, error-prone, and takes hours to get right — especially the sensitivity tables.

I built a free quick-start guide that shows you exactly what to avoid (like using perpetuity growth above 3% — seriously), and a paid Google Sheets template with automated formulas, sensitivity tables, and fair value calculations.

The template includes:

5-year FCF projection with driver assumptions
Terminal value (both methods)
2-way sensitivity table (WACC vs growth)
Conditional formatting for instant upside/downside visualization

→ Get the free guide here: https://microtoolsb2b.gumroad.com/l/dcf-free-guide
→ For the full template with sensitivity tables: https://microtoolsb2b.gumroad.com/l/dcf-pro

Price: $29 (one-time, no subscription). You get a Google Sheets link + instructions.

Questions? Drop them below — happy to help.

How to Pay Off $30,000 in Debt Faster (Free Google Sheets Template)

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:47:09 +0000

The Debt Avalanche vs. Snowball Method: Which is Better?

If you have multiple debts, you've probably heard of two strategies: the debt avalanche (pay highest interest first) and the debt snowball (pay smallest balance first). But which one actually saves you more money?

The Numbers Don't Lie

I ran the numbers on a typical debt portfolio:

$5,400 credit card @ 22.99%
$12,000 student loan @ 4.5%
$8,200 car payment @ 6.9%
$1,200 medical bill @ 0%
$3,500 personal loan @ 15.8%

Total: $30,300 in debt

With $800/month total payments:

Snowball method: Debt-free in 34 months, $3,847 paid in interest
Avalanche method: Debt-free in 32 months, $3,211 paid in interest

The avalanche method saves $636 and gets you debt-free 2 months sooner. But the snowball method gives you psychological wins faster (paying off that medical bill in month 1).

Why You Need a Spreadsheet

Manual tracking leads to mistakes. I built a Debt Payoff Planner & Tracker in Google Sheets that automatically:

Ranks your debts by both methods
Calculates payoff dates
Tracks progress with visual dashboards
Shows interest savings

Get the Free Template

I created a complete template available on Gumroad. It includes 6 pre-built tabs with all formulas included. Enter your debts once and see both strategies side by side.

👉 Download the Debt Payoff Planner here

No email required. Instant access. Works on mobile and desktop.

This is a genuine tool I use myself. I'm a retail investor who needed a clear path out of debt.

How to Calculate Expected Return Using CAPM (Free Google Sheets Template)

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:01:53 +0000

How to Calculate Expected Return Using CAPM

As a retail investor, you probably ask: "What return should I expect from this stock given its risk?" The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) gives you a data-backed answer.

The Formula

Expected Return = Risk-Free Rate + Beta × (Market Return − Risk-Free Rate)

Risk-Free Rate: Current 10-year US Treasury yield (~4.5% as of 2025)
Beta: How much a stock moves relative to the market (1.0 = same as S&P 500)
Market Return: Long-term average of S&P 500 (~10%)

Example: Apple (AAPL) has a beta of 1.20. Expected return = 4.5% + 1.20 × (10% − 4.5%) = 11.1%

That means Apple should return ~11.1% annually based on its risk. If it's underperforming or overvalued, that's a red flag.

Why Use This Spreadsheet?

Manually calculating for 10+ stocks is tedious. I built a Google Sheets template that:

Auto-calculates expected return for up to 50 stocks
Color-codes results: green (strong), yellow (neutral), red (avoid)
Compares CAPM with dividend yield + growth for margin of safety

Get the Free Version

I've made a free single-stock CAPM calculator (no signup needed). For the full 50-stock tracker with charts and margin-of-safety analysis, check out the paid version.

This is not financial advice — just a tool to help you make better-informed decisions.

How to Calculate SaaS Unit Economics in Google Sheets

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:23:38 +0000

How to Calculate SaaS Unit Economics in Google Sheets (Free Template Inside)

Most SaaS startups fail because they don't understand their unit economics. They know MRR and churn, but they can't tell you their CAC, LTV, or payback period.

What You Need to Track

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) — Total sales + marketing spend divided by new customers
Lifetime Value (LTV) — Average revenue per customer times gross margin, discounted
Payback Period — Months to recover the CAC
LTV:CAC Ratio — Should be at least 3:1

The Problem with Spreadsheets

Most founders build ad-hoc sheets that break when they add a new row. You need a structured model that automatically updates.

What I Built

I created a SaaS Unit Economics Model in Google Sheets that:

Tracks 24 cohorts month over month
Calculates CAC, LTV, payback period, and gross margin
Includes a scenario planner for 'what if' analysis
Auto-updates a dashboard with key metrics

The template is available on Gumroad: https://microtoolsb2b.gumroad.com/l/saas-unit-economics

Pro tip: Import your Stripe data manually each month to keep it accurate. The formulas will do the rest.

Build a Dynamic Revenue Run Rate Calculator in Google Sheets

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:27:24 +0000

Stop Wasting Time on Spreadsheet Math: Build a Revenue Run Rate Calculator in 5 Minutes

As a SaaS founder or startup CFO, you probably calculate your annual run rate (ARR) by multiplying MRR by 12. That's fine for a rough estimate — but it ignores growth and churn.

Here's a better way: build a dynamic Revenue Run Rate Calculator in Google Sheets that accounts for monthly growth rate, churn impact, and runs 12-month forecasts.

Step 1: Set Up Your Inputs
In a new sheet, create cells for:

Current Month MRR ($50,000 example)
Monthly Growth Rate (5%)
Monthly Churn Rate (2%)

Step 2: Calculate True ARR
Instead of just =MRR*12, use:
=MRR*12*POWER(1+(Growth-Churn)/100,12)

This compounds your net growth over 12 months.

Step 3: Build a Monthly Forecast
Create columns for Month (1-12), Starting MRR, Growth Contribution, Churn Loss, Ending MRR, and Run Rate. Each row feeds into the next.

Step 4: Add Scenario Planning
Set up three growth/churn scenarios (conservative, moderate, aggressive) that feed into your main calculator.

Want the full template?
I've built a ready-to-use Revenue Run Rate Calculator in Google Sheets with:

Pre-filled demo data (so you see it work immediately)
4 tabs: Dashboard, Monthly Forecast, Cohort Retention, Scenario Builder
All formulas unlocked and documented

It's available now at MicroTools Studio — search "Revenue Run Rate Calculator." The tool costs $29 and saves you at least 2 hours of spreadsheet tinkering.

This article originally appeared on MicroTools Studio — building simple financial tools for founders and investors.

Improve Your Cash Flow Management with Our Forecast Template

Viral Videos — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:05:27 +0000

Take control of your company's finances with our easy-to-use Cash Flow Forecast Template. Get instant insights into your cash position and make informed decisions. Try it now and see the difference for yourself!

How I Track ROI on Every Side Hustle (Free Template Inside)

Viral Videos — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:57:53 +0000

Ever spent 10 hours on a $50 gig and felt like you made money — but actually your hourly rate was below minimum wage? That was me last year. I was hopping between freelance projects without tracking tool costs, and some "profitable" gigs were actually losing me money.

I built a simple Google Sheets template that solved this: one place to log every expense (software subscriptions, stock assets, hosting fees) per project, and it automatically calculates ROI and hourly rate.

The template has 4 tabs:

Project Setup — Just name your gig, dates, and status (Active/Completed)
Cost Tracker — List every tool/expense per project. Mark if it's monthly or one-time.
ROI Summary — Enter total revenue and hours. Sheet uses SUMIF formulas to pull costs from Tab 2.
Instructions — Green cells = input, yellow = auto-calculated. Sample data pre-filled so you can start immediately.

Real example:

YouTube Thumbnail Design gig: $250 revenue, $22.98 in costs (Canva Pro + stock assets), 8 hours → ROI = 987%, hourly rate = $28.38
Blog Writing gig: $180 revenue, $45 costs (Grammarly + hosting share), 6 hours → ROI = 300%, hourly rate = $22.50

Without the tracker, I would have missed the cost efficiency of the thumbnail gig vs writing gig.

If you want the exact template (with formulas already built): ROI Calculator for Side Hustles — Google Sheets — $22.

Otherwise, you can replicate the logic I described above. But the formulas and cross-tab SUMIF setup took me an hour to nail — the template saves you that time.

Happy hustling!