Jennifer McKinley

Jennifer McKinley

New Zealand and the USA
Bootstrapped founder of 18 years. Jennifer built COR Silver on its own cash flow — through a business dissolution, a pandemic, and everything in between. Now she teaches other product founders to do the same, helping with financial management.
15
Jul
Three Levers to Pay Yourself More From Your Product Business

Three Levers to Pay Yourself More From Your Product Business

Three places your margin quietly leaks — pricing, cost of goods, and Opex. A mid-year audit for physical product founders who want to pay themselves properly.
5 min read
08
Jul
Margins and Meltdowns Jennifer McKinley standing at the top of Harney Peak Outlook in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Three Things a Mountain Reminded Me (That I Already Knew)

Three reminders from a hike up Harney Peak — the highest point east of the Rockies. None of them were new ideas. That was rather the point.
5 min read
01
Jul
A stopwatch beside product development sketches — illustrating how Parkinson's Law expands product budgets and timelines

The Hidden Margin Killer in New Product Development

Work expands to fill the time available. So do product development budgets. Here’s how to stop Parkinson’s Law before it destroys your margins.
6 min read
23
Jun
The Playbook: What to Actually Do With Your Cash Right Now

The Playbook: What to Actually Do With Your Cash Right Now

Your balance tells you what you have today. It won't tell you what to do next. Here's the playbook that does — five steps, no theory.
3 min read
16
Jun
Why Cash Flow Discipline Is Actually Survival Training

Why Cash Flow Discipline Is Actually Survival Training

Everyone was making money off the brand I built — staff, suppliers, retailers — except me. Here's the cash flow system that changed it, and held through a crisis.
4 min read
10
Jun
I've Already Lived Through My Version of an Economic Apocalypse

I've Already Lived Through My Version of an Economic Apocalypse

Two crises. Twelve years apart. Same founder. Same product. Completely different outcomes. Here's what changed.
4 min read
02
Jun
While Everyone's Worried About AI Taking Their Job, I'm Thinking About Yours Differently

While Everyone's Worried About AI Taking Their Job, I'm Thinking About Yours Differently

AI may disrupt white-collar work, but product founders could be in a stronger position than most realise. A counterintuitive take from an 18-year founder.
3 min read
28
May
You Know What's In Your Bank Account. But Do You Know How Long It Will Last?

You Know What's In Your Bank Account. But Do You Know How Long It Will Last?

Most product founders check their bank balance every morning. But knowing what you have isn't the same as knowing how long it lasts. Your runway number is what determines whether your business survives.
2 min read
19
May
The Margin Math That's Missing You

The Margin Math That's Missing You

Your pricing spreadsheet probably looks fine. But if owner's pay isn't a line item in your unit economics, you're not pricing — you're subsidising. Here's the reframe.
3 min read
14
May
The Number That Explains Why Your Business Is Profitable But You're Always Broke

The Number That Explains Why Your Business Is Profitable But You're Always Broke

Your P&L says you're profitable. Your bank account says otherwise. The cash conversion cycle is the number that explains the gap — and the three levers that close it.
3 min read