Blog
Modeling a Debt Schedule (that actually works)
I'm not going to sugarcoat it... modeling the debt schedule is intimidating. In fact, even as a financial modeling instructor, I often have to brace... more »
The One-Pager: Wall Street goes full sail on AI
Welcome back to The One-Pager. I’m evolving this a bit – trying to make it even more skimmable. One big headline explained simply, a handful of... more »
The One-Pager: This Is Your Brain on AI
A quick roundup of the latest news in AI and financial modeling. Skim it, grab something useful, get on with your day. Remember the "this is your... more »
Are Financial Modeling Courses Worth It?
I get asked this all the time: are financial modeling courses still worth it? This usually happens right after someone has seen a LinkedIn hype demo of... more »
Days Inventory On Hand: The Working Capital Metric That Drives Cash Conversion
Days Inventory On Hand (DOH) tells you how many days a company typically sits on its inventory before selling it. It's one of three metrics --... more »
The One-Pager: AI Just Moved Into Your Spreadsheet
It's been almost a year since I've written a blog post but I'm back. This is something new I'm trying out -- a short post every couple weeks... more »
The Dangerous New Normal in Financial Modeling (Thanks to AI)
Had a one-off call the other day. This person was struggling with a model -- the cash flow statement didn’t tie and the logic was all over the... more »
How to Avoid the Scenario Modeling Mess Everyone Falls Into
When people get into scenario modeling, things usually get messy. Sometimes it’s mild: extra output sections, bloated formulas, and messy IF... more »
Do You Know Your SaaS Net Magic Number? Here's Why It Matters
Revenue growth is always the fancy, headline-grabbing number. But not everyone stops to ask: Was that growth efficient? Because if you’re spending $1... more »
I only use 3 “advanced” Excel formulas (less than 200 words)
I’m pretty good at Excel. But here’s the truth: I only use three advanced Excel formulas on a regular basis. Don’t get me wrong -- Excel... more »
Forget AI. Here's The Best Way to Learn Financial Modeling
I feel like we forget this a lot... Despite how much everyone is in love with AI these days, it can’t actually learn for you. Sure, AI can speed... more »
GRR vs NRR in SaaS Business Modeling
Today we're going to dive into the world of SaaS Metrics, and start off with something relatively simple: Gross Revenue Retention (or "GRR")... more »
SaaS Contracts in Financial Modeling
In this issue of the "SaaS Model deep dive," I'm going to walk through all the different inputs I use to model various SaaS Contracts. (📱... more »
See the Layout of a SaaS Model
Building on previous posts, in the next several issues I'm going to walk through how I built the "SaaS Model" that I'm working on as part of... more »
There's No Such Thing as a SaaS Model
You may not know this about me, but "financial modeling education" isn't my sole focus — I still do some good old fashioned... more »
Three Statement Model: If I Could Go Back and Change 1 Thing
Three Statement Model: I'm not going to bury the lead here. If I could go back and learn one thing, it would be this: learn the three statement model... more »
FYI: Your Boss Doesn’t Care Which Excel Function You Use
After seeing yet another "XLOOKUP vs VLOOKUP" battle on LinkedIn, posts about LET, LAMBDA, Dynamic Arrays, and AI, I think it's important to... more »
Financial Modeling Tech Stack for Excel
While I've said publicly that I use the mouse, you can't operate that way forever. You need some sweet Excel tech to speed things up. Here's my... more »
The 33-Hour Day That Changed How I Build Models
I didn't look as handsome at 2am. It was early 2010. I was a green Consultant in the wake of the Financial Crisis, and staffed on another... more »
Fitting a Private Equity Transaction on 1 Page
A typical output from an LBO model, explaining all the key points about the transaction. I share this image a lot online because it's the... more »
9 Financial Modeling Tips I Wish I Had When I First Started
Financial modeling tips: I've been building Financial Models for a long time. Interestingly enough, there are several "fundamental truths" I see... more »
Stacked Bar Chart to Visualize Working Capital
If you work in Finance, most likely you’re familiar with the definition of Net Working Capital (NWC): NWC = Current Assets - Current Liabilities
Modeling a Private Equity Returns Waterfall
One of the most complicated parts of your model is also one of the most important: modeling "Returns." "Returns" is the section of... more »
How I Update Actuals in the Model
When it comes to updating the financials in your model each month, it should only take a few minutes. There might be other support schedules, KPIs, or... more »
Confession: I Never Did This…
I post on LinkedIn all the time about FP&A and building operating models for FP&A teams. Yet, I've never actually worked in... more »