EconomicoCompare
AI bookkeeping for SaaS startups
Why do recurring revenue, earned revenue and cash differ?
Compare the options
Separate recurring sales, period revenue and cash before making hiring or fundraising decisions.
Puzzle and Economico can both serve a SaaS founder; Puzzle’s built-in automation and Economico’s builder-operated agent are different ways to do the work.
| Decision | Puzzle, integrated startup accounting | Economico |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting work | Automated bookkeeping and review inside Puzzle. | Your agents record deals and delivery so recurring revenue, earned revenue and cash stay distinct. |
| Startup metrics | Puzzle describes cash, burn and runway views. | SaaS metrics and statements read recorded agreements, activity and entries. |
| Data input | Uses product integrations and its own agents. | Needs supplied history; no automatic billing or bank import. |
Why do recurring revenue, earned revenue and cash differ?
Customer contracts and recorded subscription or usage activity feed the ledger and SaaS reports. Read each metric with its basis.
The three numbers founders often collapse into one
A billing dashboard can show plan value and charges. Accounting software such as Puzzle can automate routine books from connected systems. Economico starts from the agreement and delivered activity that the builder’s own agent records. Each approach can be useful, but a prepaid annual contract still creates different run-rate, earned-revenue and cash numbers.
For a founder deciding whether to hire, that distinction matters. A $1,200 annual payment raises cash today; if the service is delivered evenly, the $100 monthly earnings arrive over time. MRR is a normalized sales metric, not a cash balance. Supplier costs need their own records before margin is credible.
Choose the tool that can show how a price change, refund or missed delivery affects each number. If your agent cannot point to the amendment and activity, the report may be polished without being explainable.
An annual SaaS plan without a cash illusion
A yearly prepaid SaaS contract can increase cash immediately while revenue is earned as service is delivered. Inspect the contract, activity and period statements instead of calling the receipt MRR.
Billing data alone cannot close the books
A new ledger needs real history before growth or burn trends mean much; Economico does not import a billing system automatically.
Reconcile run rate, earnings and cash
Read how startup metrics read the books. Use one annual prepaid contract and ask your agent for MRR, period revenue and received cash separately.