I can't seem to get past the 3rd payment.  I know it's an AVN but I want to actually be able to make my quota to Mio without going into th goober mode.  Is it designed for failure?  A walkthrough or a good tutorial would be helpful

The tutorial teaches you to hire employees and buy buildings, and tells you to continue doing so.
It also introduces you to upgrades later on.
So, the way to play the game is to purchase buildings, then hire employees to fill them whenever you are able to. Buying buildings and staffing them is top priority.

Buy building upgrades (and lastly global upgrades) if you can afford it and still make the next payment.

Be as greedy as possible. It's OK if some employees are unhappy, as long as every position is staffed.

When switching employees, use the green arrow icons to check which employees would fit better in the role.