Field notes on FP&A, finance ops, and AI.
Practical thinking on outsourced FP&A for finance leaders at PE-backed and high-growth companies.
How to Prepare for a Quality of Earnings Review (and Why the Work Starts a Year Early)
A quality of earnings review doesn't grade your company, it grades your records. Here's what a QoE actually digs into, what trips up lower middle market sellers, and the reporting habits worth building long before you go to market.
The KPIs a Multi-Location Business Should Actually Track (Start at the Unit Level)
If you run a multi-location business, the numbers that decide your valuation live at the unit level, not on the consolidated P&L. Here are the five KPIs worth tracking, and why the company average hides your worst locations.
PE & Portfolio OpsWhat Belongs in a PE Board Reporting Package (and What Your Sponsor Reads First)
The monthly board package is the document your PE sponsor uses to judge whether the thesis is working. Here's what belongs in it, what to cut, and the order your board actually reads it in.
FP&AHow to Build a Driver-Based Budget (and Why Static Budgets Break by Q2)
A driver-based budget ties every number to a few operating assumptions, so when reality changes you can re-forecast in an afternoon instead of rebuilding the file. Here's how to build one, and why the 'last year plus 8%' budget falls apart by spring.
Cash & TreasuryThe 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast: The Report Your Board and Lenders Actually Watch
For PE-backed companies, liquidity is the thing that ends careers — not the P&L. Here's why the 13-week cash flow forecast is the report that keeps you out of trouble, and how to build one that holds up under scrutiny.
Finance OperationsClosing the Books in Days, Not Weeks: A Practical Path to a Faster Month-End Close
A three-week close isn't a badge of diligence — it's a symptom of a broken process. Here's how to compress your month-end close without giving up accuracy, and why it's the highest-leverage fix in finance.
PE & Portfolio OpsThe 90-Day FP&A Mandate: What Your PE Firm Expects After an Acquisition
When a private equity firm closes, a quiet clock starts. Here's the financial reporting infrastructure your new owners expect within the first quarter — and how to stand it up without burning out your team.
Finance StrategyFractional vs. Full-Time FP&A: The Real Cost Math for $5–50M Companies
A full-time FP&A hire isn't the only way to get board-grade financial planning. Here's an honest breakdown of what each path actually costs — and when each one makes sense.
AI & AutomationHow AI Agents Are Changing FP&A for Lean Finance Teams
AI isn't replacing the financial analyst — it's removing the 40 hours of monthly grunt work that kept analysts from doing analysis. Here's what actually changes when agents handle the assembly line.