Finance, decoded.
The Decipher blog, page 2
Practical finance for founders and owners: cash and runway, SaaS metrics, planning, fundraising, and buying or selling a business.
Part-time CFO: how the month is spent and what it covers
A part-time CFO runs cash, forecasting, reporting and board preparation on a set monthly calendar. How a typical month is structured, an illustrative hours table, what changes the time needed, and how to make limited hours count.
Data room checklist: the finance folder investors expect
A data room checklist for the finance folder of a venture raise: what goes in each subfolder, what investors check, how to keep the deck, model and data room consistent, and the gaps that slow diligence.
Investor update template: what to send investors monthly
A monthly investor update template founders can copy: the eight sections in order, a small metrics table, how long it should be, what to send in a bad month, and how investors actually read it.
Monthly cash flow forecast example, filled in line by line
A fully filled-in six month cash flow forecast for an illustrative services company, with every line explained: opening cash, collections by timing, payroll, taxes, debt service, capex, financing, the minimum cash check and a downside case.
Series A financial model: what investors expect to see
What a Series A financial model for a SaaS company should contain, how it ties to actuals and the deck, how to show what the raise buys, and the mistakes investors spot first.
What a fractional CFO for agencies fixes, client by client
A fractional CFO for agencies works on client and project profitability, retainer and project revenue mix, cash timing, hiring against the pipeline, pricing, owner pay and sale readiness. A worked client profitability example shows where the margin really goes.
Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO: cost, scope and timing
The choice between a fractional CFO and a full-time CFO comes down to how much CFO work the company has and whether a finance team needs daily leadership. How the two compare, how to size the workload, and how the handover works.
Startup board deck: what to include for a board meeting
What goes in a startup board deck for a regular board meeting: the section order, how long it should be, when to send it, how to keep metric definitions stable, and how a board member actually reads it.
When to hire a CFO: the signals and which kind of help fits
The milestones that mean a company needs CFO-level help, and how to decide between a bookkeeper or controller, a fractional CFO and a full-time CFO.
SaaS metrics investors ask for and how to define them
The SaaS metrics investors ask for, from ARR and net revenue retention to burn multiple and CAC payback, with a definitions table, a worked example and how an investor checks each one.