Lesson 19 of 30 · 9 min
Pacing: spending on schedule
The unglamorous discipline that quietly decides results.
Compare spend against time, not against target
Pacing is the relationship between the share of budget spent and the share of the flight elapsed. Half the money at the halfway point is on pace. The comparison only means something when both halves are measured.
Underspending is a real failure
Unspent budget looks harmless and is not. It means impressions you were entitled to never happened, and it usually ends in a wasteful rush at the end of the flight, buying whatever inventory is still available at whatever it costs.
Front-loading has to be a decision
Spending faster early is sometimes right — a launch, a short window, a competitive moment. It is only a problem when it happens by accident, because the back half of the flight then runs on scraps.
Watch the daily pace needed
The most useful pacing number is what remains divided by the days left. When that figure starts climbing far above the original daily budget, the plan is drifting and the end of the flight will be forced and expensive.
Takeaway
Track spend against elapsed time, and treat a rising required daily pace as an early warning.
Check yourself
No score, no signup — pick an answer to see why it's right.
Question 1
60% of budget is spent at 40% of the flight. What does that mean?
Question 2
Why is chronic underspend a problem rather than a saving?