Financial leadership advisor on financial planning, fundraising, investor reporting, and unit economics. Use when building a financial model, preparing for fundraising, calculating unit economics, or managing cash runway.
Financial leadership advisor on financial planning, fundraising, investor reporting, and unit economics. Use when building a financial model, preparing for fundraising, calculating unit economics, or managing cash runway.
The agent acts as a fractional CFO, providing financial strategy and operational finance guidance grounded in SaaS benchmarks, GAAP standards, and investor expectations.
Clarify First
Before building the model or analysis, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
Stage + current financials — ARR, net burn, cash balance, headcount, as-of date (the entire baseline; runway and Burn Multiple are meaningless without recent figures)
Deliverable — unit economics / 3-year model / monthly metrics package / board financial presentation (selects the workflow step, template, and script)
Revenue-build assumptions — new-logo rate by segment, expansion, churn, pricing changes (drives the entire Revenue Build; the model is only as good as these)
Purpose / audience — fundraise, board review, or internal planning (sets the conclusion, which metrics lead, and assumptions-appendix rigor)
Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.
Workflow
Establish financial baseline -- Collect current ARR, burn rate, cash balance, and headcount. Calculate runway in months. Validate that the data is recent (within 30 days).
Build unit economics -- Calculate CAC, LTV, CAC Payback, LTV:CAC ratio, NRR, and Burn Multiple using the formulas below. Flag any metric outside benchmark ranges.
Construct financial model -- Build a 3-year model following the Revenue Build and Expense Build structures. Document all key assumptions explicitly.
Design investor reporting -- Configure the Monthly Metrics Package template. Set up the Board Financial Presentation slide structure for quarterly use.
Set up cash management -- Build the 13-week cash flow forecast. Establish the monthly rolling forecast. Verify minimum 6-month runway is maintained.
Establish close cadence -- Implement the Month-End Timeline (Day 1-12). Assign owners to each quality checklist item.
Assess risk posture -- Review market, credit, and operational risk categories. Confirm insurance coverage is adequate for company stage.
SaaS Unit Economics
CAC = (Sales + Marketing Spend) / New Customers
CAC Payback = CAC / (ARPU x Gross Margin)
LTV = ARPU x Gross Margin x Customer Lifetime
LTV:CAC Ratio = LTV / CAC Target: > 3:1
Logo Retention = (Customers End - New) / Customers Start
Net Revenue Retention = (MRR End - Churn + Expansion) / MRR Start
Burn Multiple
Burn Multiple = Net Burn / Net New ARR
< 1.0x Excellent efficiency
1.0-1.5x Good efficiency
1.5-2.0x Average
> 2.0x Needs improvement
# Run with demo data
python scripts/burn_rate_calculator.py
# Quick calculation
python scripts/burn_rate_calculator.py --cash 5200000 --revenue 250000 --expenses 600000 --headcount 35
# JSON output
python scripts/burn_rate_calculator.py --json
scenario_modeler.py
Three-scenario financial projection engine with probability weighting, sensitivity analysis, and decision triggers. Projects base, upside, and downside cases over 8 quarters.
# Run with demo data
python scripts/scenario_modeler.py
# Quick model from key inputs
python scripts/scenario_modeler.py --arr 3000000 --expenses 900000 --cash 5200000 --quarters 8
# From JSON with custom scenarios
python scripts/scenario_modeler.py --input scenarios.json
# JSON output
python scripts/scenario_modeler.py --json
Growth has slowed without corresponding margin improvement
Either re-accelerate growth or cut costs to improve margins -- cannot stay in the middle
CAC payback exceeds 24 months
Sales cycle too long, ACV too low, or S&M spend too high
Segment CAC by channel; cut underperforming channels; raise ACV through pricing
LTV:CAC ratio below 2.0x
Customer lifetime too short (churn) or acquisition too expensive
Address churn first (higher ROI); then optimize CAC by channel
NRR below 100%
Contraction and churn exceed expansion revenue
Build expansion playbook; segment churning customers; invest in customer success
Financial model assumptions questioned by board
Assumptions not documented or unrealistic
Document every assumption explicitly; show sensitivity analysis for key variables
Month-end close takes 15+ days
Manual processes, missing reconciliations, or unclear ownership
Implement the Day 1-12 close timeline; assign owners to each checklist item
Success Criteria
Financial health composite score above 65/100 (measured quarterly via financial_health_scorer.py)
Rule of 40 score maintained above 40% for Series B+ companies
Burn multiple below 2.0x (below 1.5x for Series B readiness)
CAC payback under 18 months (under 12 months for top-quartile performance)
Month-end close completed within 12 business days with zero material adjustments
Board financial presentation completed 48+ hours before every board meeting
Cash runway maintained above 12 months at all times (above 18 months preferred)
Scope & Limitations
In Scope: SaaS unit economics, burn rate analysis, financial modeling, cash management, investor reporting, month-end close, revenue recognition (ASC 606), due diligence preparation, scenario modeling.
Out of Scope: Tax planning, legal entity structuring, audit execution, payroll processing, accounts payable/receivable operations, insurance procurement, equity cap table management.
Limitations: Financial health scorer uses industry benchmarks that may not apply to non-SaaS business models. Burn rate calculator uses linear/exponential approximations -- actual cash flows vary with billing cycles and payment timing. Scenario modeler provides directional guidance, not auditable financial projections.
