A revenue forecast is the projection of future revenue over a defined period, typically monthly for 12-24 months and annually for 3-5 years. Ideally built bottoms-up from specific drivers (new customer counts by month, ARPC by segment, retention/churn rates, expansion rates) rather than tops-down from market-share assumptions, the forecast feeds the broader financial model. It is one of the most-scrutinized elements during investor diligence because revenue assumptions drive everything else (hiring plan, burn, runway, valuation). It's the most-important number to get right and the one founders most often build with insufficient rigor.
The components of a defensible revenue forecast:
New customer acquisition (drives new ARR)...