cfo-advisor

Overview of cfo-advisor skill

What cfo-advisor is built to do

cfo-advisor is a strategic finance skill for startup and scale-up decisions: runway planning, unit economics, fundraising strategy, cash management, cap table dilution, and board-ready financial narratives. It is best suited for founders, finance operators, Chiefs of Staff, fractional CFOs, and Finance Operations teams that need decision-grade outputs rather than generic accounting commentary.

The skill is opinionated toward venture-backed company finance. It emphasizes bottoms-up models, scenario planning, cohort-level metrics, and investor-facing clarity.

Best-fit use cases for Finance Operations

Use the cfo-advisor skill when you need to answer questions such as:

• “How many months of runway do we have under base, bull, and bear plans?”
• “Which acquisition channel has acceptable CAC payback?”
• “Should we raise now, cut burn, or extend runway first?”
• “What dilution should founders expect from a Series A or Series B?”
• “What financial slides should go into the next board package?”

This is a strong cfo-advisor for Finance Operations because it connects financial analysis to operating decisions: hiring pace, sales targets, fundraising timing, cash controls, and investor communication.

What makes it different from a generic finance prompt

A normal prompt can explain burn rate or LTV:CAC. cfo-advisor adds a structured startup CFO lens and includes supporting references for cash management, financial planning, and fundraising. It also ships Python scripts for practical modeling:

• scripts/burn_rate_calculator.py
• scripts/unit_economics_analyzer.py
• scripts/fundraising_model.py

These scripts use the Python standard library, which lowers setup friction and makes the skill more useful for quick scenario work.

Important limits before you install

This skill is not a substitute for a licensed accountant, tax advisor, auditor, securities lawyer, or investment banker. It is strongest for strategy, modeling structure, and decision framing. It is weaker if you need statutory reporting, tax treatment, GAAP/IFRS compliance, payroll filings, or legally binding term sheet advice.

How to Use cfo-advisor skill

cfo-advisor install and first files to read

Install the skill from the repository with:

npx skills add alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill cfo-advisor

Then inspect the skill folder:

c-level-advisor/skills/cfo-advisor/

Read SKILL.md first to understand triggers and scope. Then read these files based on your task:

• references/financial_planning.md for operating models, ARR bridges, revenue drivers, and planning logic
• references/cash_management.md for runway, collections, payment timing, working capital, and hidden cash leaks
• references/fundraising_playbook.md for raise timing, stage expectations, valuation, dilution, and term sheet issues
• scripts/ if you want runnable scenario outputs instead of only narrative advice

Inputs that make cfo-advisor usage better

The cfo-advisor skill performs best when you provide actual business assumptions, not only a goal. Include:

• Company stage, business model, geography, and revenue type
• Current cash balance, monthly revenue, monthly burn, and headcount
• Growth rate, gross margin, churn, CAC, payback period, and sales cycle if available
• Hiring plan, major vendor commitments, debt, and upcoming annual payments
• Fundraising target, desired runway after close, current valuation expectations, and timing constraints

Weak prompt:

Help us understand our runway.

Strong prompt:

Use cfo-advisor to build a base/bull/bear runway view. We have $3.2M cash, $180K MRR, $420K monthly opex, 24 employees, 78% gross margin, and plan to hire 6 people over 4 months. Revenue grows 6% monthly in base, 10% bull, and 2% bear. Show cash-out dates, trigger points, and whether we should raise within 6 months.

Practical workflow with the included scripts

For modeling tasks, start with the relevant script, then ask the agent to interpret outputs.

python scripts/burn_rate_calculator.py
python scripts/burn_rate_calculator.py --csv
python scripts/unit_economics_analyzer.py --csv
python scripts/fundraising_model.py --exit 150

The scripts contain example dataclasses and defaults. For real use, edit the assumptions directly or adapt the data structures to your own CSV inputs. The biggest value comes from comparing scenarios, not from treating default outputs as your company’s truth.

Prompt pattern for board or investor outputs

For board materials, ask for a decision-oriented package, not a finance dump:

Use cfo-advisor to draft the finance section for a board deck. Inputs: current ARR, new ARR, churned ARR, expansion ARR, burn, runway, cash balance, hiring plan, and three risks. Output: 5-slide outline with key metrics, variance vs plan, runway scenarios, decisions needed, and speaker notes for sensitive topics.

This keeps the skill focused on what finance leaders actually need: trust, transparency, and action.

cfo-advisor skill FAQ

Is cfo-advisor only for CFOs?

No. The cfo-advisor skill is useful for founders, operators, FP&A leads, Chiefs of Staff, and Finance Operations teams. It is especially helpful when no full-time CFO exists yet but the company still needs investor-grade financial reasoning.

When should I not use this skill?

Do not use it as the final authority for tax filings, audited financials, legal securities advice, compensation compliance, or accounting policy. Also avoid it when you only need bookkeeping categorization; the skill is designed for strategic financial planning and CFO-level judgment.

How does it compare with spreadsheet templates?

Spreadsheet templates give structure, but they often hide assumptions. cfo-advisor helps expose the logic behind the model: what drives revenue, which assumptions are fragile, when cash runs out, and what decision should change. It pairs well with spreadsheets rather than replacing them.

Is cfo-advisor beginner-friendly?

Yes, if you can provide basic metrics. Beginners should start with cash balance, monthly burn, revenue, headcount, and fundraising timing. More advanced users can add cohort retention, channel CAC, ARR bridge components, option pool mechanics, and multi-round dilution assumptions.

How to Improve cfo-advisor skill

Improve cfo-advisor results with sharper assumptions

The fastest way to improve cfo-advisor output is to separate historical facts from assumptions. Label each input clearly:

• Actual: cash balance, last month’s revenue, payroll, vendor spend
• Forecast: hiring dates, revenue growth, collections timing
• Policy: minimum runway, target burn multiple, fundraising threshold
• Unknowns: churn risk, delayed enterprise collections, uncertain close date

This helps the agent challenge the right numbers instead of treating all inputs as equally reliable.

Watch for common failure modes

Common issues include blended averages, over-precise forecasts, ignoring cash timing, and treating revenue recognition as cash collection. For unit economics, ask for cohort or channel views rather than company-wide averages. For runway, include annual contracts, recruiting fees, debt payments, and late customer payments.

If an output feels too optimistic, request a “bear case with explicit failure assumptions.”

Iterate from model to decision

Do not stop at the first model. Ask follow-up questions that convert analysis into action:

• “Which two assumptions most affect runway?”
• “What hiring plan keeps us above 12 months cash?”
• “At what month should fundraising begin?”
• “What metric will investors challenge first?”
• “What should we cut if revenue slips by 25%?”

This turns cfo-advisor from a calculator into a decision-support workflow.

Customize the skill for your finance stack

For recurring use, adapt the scripts and references to your operating model. Add your chart of accounts, SaaS metric definitions, preferred board KPI format, investor update template, and internal thresholds for runway or burn multiple. The more your version reflects your business model, the less prompt context you need each time.