Analytics and Data Science
Operational Analysts: Why They Belong in Finance, Not IT or Business Units
Operational analysts play a crucial role in transforming raw data into actionable insights that drive strategic decision-making. We are in a data-driven world and having actionable data distinguishes the leaders from the laggards. I am not sure there is really...
Payment Processing Optimization: How to Leverage Software to Maximize Revenue
In my years as a fractional CFO, I’ve watched promising companies hit a wall. It typically happens around the $5M ARR mark – the payment infrastructure that seemed robust at startup begins buckling under the weight of scale. The symptoms...
From Too Many Messaging Apps to Just One
Taming Messaging App Sprawl 2024 has been a year of heavy networking, and too many messaging apps became a problem for me. This messaging app sprawl was an unintended consequence of my efforts to network and build my services practice....
My Experience with AI-Powered Excel Tools: Numerous.ai VS Excel Formula Bot
I’m always on the hunt for tools that can help me work more efficiently and effectively. Recently, I had the opportunity to test out two of the most talked-about AI-powered Excel tools on the market: numerous.ai VS Excel Formula Bot....
When to Say Goodbye: Managing High-Cost Customers in Ecommerce
In the world of ecommerce, the customer is king. But what happens when the king becomes too costly? As counterintuitive as it may seem, there are times when an ecommerce business needs to consider “firing” certain customers to maintain profitability...
How a Financial Model Serves as Your North Star
A financial model roadmap is a helpful rubric for any founder or entrepreneur. I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of a sound financial model. It’s not just a set of spreadsheets; it’s the North Star that guides a business through...
The Hidden and Visible Sources of Truth in Olympic Competition Data
The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of athletic achievement, where fractions of a second or millimeters can separate gold from silver. I was wondering how this all gets done. So many competitions, so many competitors, so many judges. It’s a...
CrowdStrike’s Patch Debacle and the Impact on Business Intelligence Systems
For business intelligence, the CrowdStrike patch debacle had far-reaching consequences for across different layers of the data stack. For businesses relying on external data sources, such as travel companies or services like TripIt that depend on, say, Delta Airlines’ data,...
Bridging the Gap: How Fractional CFOs Can Help Microcaps with Their Unique Challenges
Fractional CFO can help microcaps with their unique challenges using many of the same techniques applicable to private companies. A little bit of a tangent this week from financial analytics topics and a dive into the practicalities of CFO work...
TikTok vs Meta Are A Worthy Comparison of AI Advertising Platforms
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising, TikTok vs Meta platforms are a worthy comparison of AI Advertising Platforms. Meta’s Advantage+ advertising platform stands out as a prime example of this trend, offering automated solutions that leverage machine learning to...
Using ChatGPT for Data Cleaning
I’m always on the lookout for tools that can streamline financial analysis and provide valuable insights. One such tool that has caught my attention is ChatGPT’s data analysis features. In this blog post, I’ll explore how these features can be...
The Convergence of Excel and Power BI
I eagerly await each new step in the convergence of Excel and PowerBI. More efficiency and productivity are the gains I foresee as a result. As some of you know, I have designed and built full PowerBI systems with the...
PowerQuery can Elevate QuickBooks Analysis in Excel
For those of you that know me, I am an efficiency seeker and delegator in the best (worst) possible way. I want processes that are repeatable and easy to understand. PowerQuery can elevate QuickBooks Analysis in Excel by streamlining QuickBooks...
SAAS Revenue KPI Alignment: Creating Compelling Financial Narratives, A Fractional CFO Perspective
In the dynamic landscape of SaaS business growth, SAAS Revenue KPI alignment and the resulting ability to present a clear and compelling financial narrative to potential investors is paramount. This narrative is underpinned by the strategic alignment of key revenue...
Tools for a Fractional CFO, Bunker vs. Reach Reporting for FP&A and Accounting
This year, I launched a Fractional CFO Services business. As part of my effort to steam line the financial reporting at my clients, I started using a software platform called Bunker, an innovative software company that provides great software for...
Wondering about machine learning in your efforts? Let’s talk the basics about Random Forest and XGBoost.
The business generalist or expert in a specific aspect of business operations might wonder about machine learning and data science. Random Forest and XGBoost are two techniques that are related and commonly used in business predictive modeling. I want to...
Revolutionizing Consumer Loan Financial Reporting and Analysis
Here we talk about more of the consumer loan financial reporting and analysis we produced using Vector ML Analytics This blog discusses in more detail revolutionizing consumer loan financial reporting and analysis with Vector ML Analytics. A few weeks ago,...
LCV is for client unit economics, True Profitability is for product unit economics and another approach to drive value in your SaaS business.
Living in a SaaS world, we are often focused on LCV (Lifetime Customer Value) for a critical unit measurement of profitability. But, it’s also important to understand your product unit economics. True Profitability, a term and methodology developed by Pedro...
Can I pay you to stop using TikTok? Or, will you pay to stop your whole friend group from using TikTok?
Is social media a product status trap? What is the price to stop using TikTok? This week is a little turn away from my typical analytics discussion. We are going to talk about product economics and how consumers get value...
Managing a Loan Portfolio with Great Analytical Tools
Using Vector ML Analytics to Drive Success in a Consumer Loan Portfolio In the dynamic realm of consumer lending services, precision and efficiency in financial reporting serve as linchpins for gaining a strategic advantage.Managing a Loan Portfolio with great analytical...
Recurring revenue modeling can be tricky, using cancellation curves can improve precision and results
In a recent post on SaaS financial modeling, I covered some of the main drivers that play a role in the construction of financial forecasts for SaaS and related business models. One of the most important aspects of such financial...
Crypto futures trading can produce serious returns with predictive algorithms
Predictive models underpin many trading systems. In this post, I discuss the application to the emerging world of crypto futures. Tradery LabsI recently had the pleasure of doing some advisory and coaching work with a startup called Tradery Labs. Tradery...
Key considerations for SaaS (or any recurring revenue) financial models
Build your components so the are easily expandable in time and detail In SaaS, decoding revenue dynamics is pivotal for pushing the business forward. Let’s talk about the elements of financial modeling tailored for SaaS companies: 1. Revenue Insights: MRR...
An AI Crystal Ball? How We Predict Future Outcomes Using a Temporal Fusion Transformer Model
Our data science and analytics teams handle and apply lots of data for insightful decision-making. Last year, I presented the data science team with a challenge: use historical data to predict a key business driver for each of the next...
Unlocking Value Creation: The Power of Lifetime Customer Value in Operational Execution
You might see it in various places as CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) or LTV (Lifetime Value). Lifetime Customer Value, or LCV, is what I call this metric. Fairly interchangeable in my experience, people who use these metrics regularly will know...
Unveiling the Enigma: Contrasting Consumer Cash Reserves with Escalating Credit Card Delinquencies
A recent analysis sheds light on the intriguing interplay between burgeoning consumer cash reserves and the surprising surge in credit card delinquencies. Despite the Federal Reserve’s reports revealing a remarkable 2.5x increase in cash holdings for the bottom 50% of...
Elevating Data Science with Operations Research Expertise
Introduction Who’s on a quest to develop advanced data science capabilities? One of my analytics team’s strategic expansion brought together diverse talents in statistics, applied math, and engineering. This case study explores the integration of operations research, fostering collaboration and...
Decoding Consumer Balance Sheets: A Deeper Dive Beyond Savings Rates
Navigating the landscape of consumer finance, especially in the realm of excessive debt, prompts questions about the financial robustness of consumers and its potential impact on economic trends. In the post-COVID era, media discussions often revolve around the consumer savings...
How We Replaced an Implementation of Workday Adaptive Enterprise Planning Management with Microsoft’s PowerBI Tailored for FP&A Reporting
Excel’s powerful capabilities, integrations and flexibility make it a favored tool for all financial and accounting professionals. Like many middle market companies, we considered moving from an Excel dominated financial planning and reporting process to an “enterprise grade” solution. A...
Unlocking Consumer Loan Pricing: A Deep Dive into Survival Regression Algorithms
In the evolving landscape of consumer lending, fintech companies have revolutionized borrower experiences, introducing real-time approvals and swift fund transfers. While tree-based classification models like XGBoost currently dominate credit scoring, survival regression algorithms are an intriguing alternative. (Quick note: These...