The Provocation “Annual planning is dead.” That’s not the kind of line you expect to hear from a finance leader. It’s the sort of heresy that makes a boardroom go silent and a CFO shift in their chair. Yet Sarah Schlott, Founder & CEO of The Schlott Company, has built her reputation on saying the […]
The balance sheet item that rewrites your forecast. Why Deferred Revenue Forecasting Can Mislead FP&A Teams Most finance teams treat deferred revenue as a routine line item. Cash is in, revenue will catch up, end of story. But in SaaS, deferred revenue can quietly sabotage your financial forecast. Under pressure, it stops being a cushion […]
When accuracy feels perfect, your model is already lying. The Hidden Trap in FP&A Data Accuracy Finance leaders pride themselves on precision.Every formula checks out. Every cell ties. Every pivot reconciles. And yet — the financial forecast still betrays you. Why? Because the illusion of clean data is the most dangerous lie in FP&A. Data […]
Sensitivity analysis should reveal where your model is fragile.Instead, most FP&A teams use it like a parlor trick — tweaking numbers without learning anything. Here are six ways sensitivity analysis fails in FP&A: 1. Only Stressing the “Obvious” Drivers Revenue growth, churn, pricing. Yes, they matter. But so do implementation delays and adoption rates. The […]
Spreadsheets have powered finance for decades. They’re fast, flexible, and familiar. But here’s the paradox: the same tool that gives leaders confidence often sabotages the very decisions they need most. In this article, we’ll break down why spreadsheets quietly kill decision-making, how the risks show up, and the framework for moving beyond them. The Illusion […]
In finance, the phrase “best practice” sounds safe. Proven. Reliable. But in FP&A, following best practices can be the fastest way to fall behind. Here’s why—and what to do instead. The Trap of “Best” We copy what looks established. If it worked for someone else, it must work for us. But “best practices” are often […]
Every finance team has a favorite “one big number.” EBITDA. Net Income. Free Cash Flow. It feels decisive—like you’ve cracked the code. But here’s the problem: that number might be the biggest lie in your business. Why Leaders Love the Mirage Executives crave simplicity. One number to say “we’re winning” or “we’re losing.” But businesses […]