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Do You Know Your SaaS Net Magic Number? Here's Why It Matters

Do You Know Your SaaS Net Magic Number? Here's Why It Matters

04/15/2025 11:18am 5 minute read

My Halloween costume this year.Revenue growth is always the fancy, headline-grabbing number.But not everyone stops to ask: Was that growth... more »

I only use 3 “advanced” Excel formulas (less than 200 words)

I only use 3 “advanced” Excel formulas (less than 200 words)

04/01/2025 6:25am 2 minute read

Every meeting I ever attended.I’m pretty good at Excel.But here’s the truth:I only use three advanced Excel formulas on a regular... more »

Forget AI. Here's The Best Way to Learn Financial Modeling

Forget AI. Here's The Best Way to Learn Financial Modeling

03/25/2025 10:43am 4 minute read

Building Financial Models from ScratchI feel like we forget this a lot...Despite how much everyone is in love with AI these days, it can’t actually... more »

GRR vs NRR in SaaS Business Modeling

GRR vs NRR in SaaS Business Modeling

03/11/2025 7:04am 4 minute read

SaaS Modeling: GRR vs NRRToday we're going to dive into the world of SaaS Metrics, and start off with something relatively simple:Gross Revenue... more »

SaaS Contracts in Financial Modeling

SaaS Contracts in Financial Modeling

02/26/2025 6:42am 9 minute read

Modeling SaaS ContractsThe layout I use for modeling SaaS contracts. It's a lot of columns, for sure, but the idea is you can make all the changes you... more »

See the Layout of a SaaS Model

See the Layout of a SaaS Model

02/19/2025 7:11am 6 minute read

The layout of the SaaS Model I'm working on.SaaS Model: Stop Me If You've Seen ThisBuilding on previous posts, in the next several issues I'm... more »

There's No Such Thing as a SaaS Model

There's No Such Thing as a SaaS Model

02/11/2025 6:55am 8 minute read

SaaS Modeling: one of the many puzzles of the financial modeling world.There's No Such Thing as a "SaaS Model"You may not know this about... more »

Three Statement Model: If I Could Go Back and Change 1 Thing

Three Statement Model: If I Could Go Back and Change 1 Thing

01/22/2025 5:38am 7 minute read

If I Could Go Back and Change One Thing...Three Statement Model: I'm not going to bury the lead here.If I could go back and learn one thing, it... more »

Modeling a Debt Schedule (that actually works)

Modeling a Debt Schedule (that actually works)

01/07/2025 6:33am 8 minute read

I Owe You OneI'm not going to sugarcoat it... modeling the debt schedule is intimidating.In fact, even as a financial modeling instructor, I often... more »

FYI: Your Boss Doesn’t Care Which Excel Function You Use

FYI: Your Boss Doesn’t Care Which Excel Function You Use

12/11/2024 5:25am 4 minute read

=IF( Business Acumen < Excel Skills...This image should be in reverse.After seeing yet another "XLOOKUP vs VLOOKUP" battle on LinkedIn, posts... more »

Financial Modeling Tech Stack for Excel

Financial Modeling Tech Stack for Excel

11/20/2024 5:28am 5 minute read

Financial Modeling Tech Stack"Uh huh."While I've said publicly that I use the mouse, you can't operate that way forever.You need some sweet... more »

The 33-Hour Day That Changed How I Build Models

The 33-Hour Day That Changed How I Build Models

11/05/2024 11:44am 5 minute read

How I Build Models — The Year Was...I didn't look as handsome at 2am.It was early 2010. I was a green Consultant in the wake of the Financial... more »

Fitting a Private Equity Transaction on 1 Page

Fitting a Private Equity Transaction on 1 Page

10/29/2024 9:34am 12 minute read

A Private Equity DashboardA typical output from an LBO model, explaining all the key points about the transaction.I share this image a lot online... more »

9 Financial Modeling Tips I Wish I Had When I First Started

9 Financial Modeling Tips I Wish I Had When I First Started

10/01/2024 7:02am 6 minute read

9 Financial Modeling Tips I Wish I Had When I First Started9 Financial Modeling Tips I Wish I Had When I First StartedFinancial modeling tips: I've... more »

Stacked Bar Chart to Visualize Working Capital

Stacked Bar Chart to Visualize Working Capital

09/10/2024 6:34am 3 minute read

Net Working Capital 101If you work in Finance, most likely you’re familiar with the definition of Net Working Capital (NWC):NWC = Current Assets -... more »

Modeling a Private Equity Returns Waterfall

Modeling a Private Equity Returns Waterfall

09/05/2024 6:57am 7 minute read

Modeling a Returns WaterfallOne of the most complicated parts of your model is also one of the most important: modeling... more »

How I Update Actuals in the Model

cfo talking with analyst about how to update actuals in financial model

08/28/2024 5:46am 3 minute read

IntroA look into my past.When it comes to updating the financials in your model each month, it should only take a few minutes.There might be other support... more »

Confession: I Never Did This…

Confession: I Never Did This…

08/20/2024 6:38am 5 minute read

Confession: I Never Actually Worked in FP&AI post on LinkedIn all the time about FP&A and building operating models for FP&A teams.Yet, I've... more »

7 Excel Tricks Everyone Wishes They Learned Sooner…

7 Excel Tricks Everyone Wishes They Learned Sooner…

08/13/2024 6:59am 5 minute read

7 Excel Tricks Everyone Wishes They Learned SoonerExcel tricks: Let’s switch things up today and talk about the tool we all spend countless hours... more »

Financial Models: I Put This Mistake in Every One…

Financial Models: I Put This Mistake in Every One…

08/01/2024 5:47am 4 minute read

Sometimes we get so caught up in the perfection of our Financial Models that we lose sight of their actual purpose: helping us make decisions (aka... more »

The No. 1 Error I See with Three Statement Models

The No. 1 Error I See with Three Statement Models

07/24/2024 11:27am 4 minute read

Three Statement Models: The No. 1 Error I See... I’ve been building models for a long time. Lot of late nights. Tight deadlines. Gray hair.... more »

Are Financial Modeling Courses Worth It?

Are Financial Modeling Courses Worth It?

07/12/2024 7:33am 8 minute read

Are Financial Modeling courses worth it? Despite all the amazing advances in technology, we still can't predict the future, so being able to create... more »

How to Model an Earnout

How to Model an Earnout

06/14/2024 7:00am 6 minute read

What’s an “Earnout”? Earnouts help bridge a valuation gap between buyer and seller. For example: Buyer: “We think the business is worth... more »

What “Data Storytelling” Really Means

What “Data Storytelling” Really Means

06/05/2024 7:07am 3 minute read

What is “Data Storytelling”? I know I’m getting older and grumpier, because when I hear the term “data storytelling” I... more »

DCF vs LBO Models: Understanding the Key Differences

DCF vs LBO Models: Understanding the Key Differences

05/31/2024 7:04am 4 minute read

DCF vs LBO Models Ever been up all night wondering what the differences are between DCF and LBO models? Me neither. Nonetheless, these two... more »