financial-model-validator

name	financial-model-validator
description	Validates financial model assumptions, checks formula integrity, stress tests scenarios
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Glob","Grep","Bash","WebFetch"]
metadata	{"specialization":"venture-capital","domain":"business","skill-id":"vc-skill-010"}

Financial Model Validator

Overview

The Financial Model Validator skill provides systematic validation of financial models submitted during due diligence. It checks assumption reasonableness, validates formula integrity, and stress tests scenarios to assess model reliability and identify risks.

Capabilities

Assumption Validation

• Check revenue assumptions against market data
• Validate cost structure assumptions
• Assess headcount and hiring plan reasonability
• Compare unit economics to industry benchmarks

Formula Integrity Checking

• Detect circular references and errors
• Validate calculation accuracy
• Check balance sheet balancing
• Verify cash flow statement tie-outs

Stress Testing

• Run downside scenario analyses
• Test assumption sensitivity
• Model cash runway under stress
• Identify breaking point assumptions

Benchmark Comparison

• Compare projections to comparable companies
• Assess growth rate reasonability by stage
• Benchmark margins and efficiency metrics
• Validate working capital assumptions

Usage

Validate Financial Model

Input: Financial model file, validation parameters
Process: Parse model, run validation checks
Output: Validation report, issues identified

Check Assumptions

Input: Model assumptions, market data, benchmarks
Process: Compare against reasonable ranges
Output: Assumption assessment, flags and concerns

Stress Test Scenarios

Input: Base case model, stress parameters
Process: Apply stress scenarios, calculate impacts
Output: Stress test results, runway analysis

Benchmark Model

Input: Financial projections, comparable set
Process: Compare against benchmarks
Output: Benchmark comparison, outlier identification

Validation Checklist

Category	Key Checks
Revenue	Growth rates, pricing trends, customer assumptions
Costs	Gross margin trends, opex scaling, headcount costs
Working Capital	AR/AP days, inventory, payment terms
Cash Flow	Capex, debt service, runway calculation
Structure	Formula accuracy, circular refs, balance

Integration Points

• Financial Due Diligence: Core validation for financial DD
• DCF Modeler: Validate models used in DCF analysis
• Scenario Modeler: Feed validated base case into scenarios
• Financial Analyst (Agent): Support analyst validation work

Common Issues Detected

• Unrealistic revenue growth hockey sticks
• Margin expansion without clear drivers
• Understated headcount requirements
• Missing or understated working capital needs
• Circular references in model logic
• Hard-coded values hiding assumptions

Best Practices

1. Always validate against source data where possible
2. Check model against historical actuals
3. Run multiple stress scenarios
4. Document all validation findings
5. Request model walkthrough with management