cfo-review

---
name: cfo-review
description: Use when a plan commits meaningful spend (hiring wave, fundraise, new channel budget). Numerate interrogation of unit economics, runway, and capital allocation.
category: C-Level Advisory
version: 1.0.0
tools: []
---

# CFO Review

Numerate-skeptic pressure-test of any plan touching money. Six questions before approving spend or fundraise.

## When to Run

- Before approving any spend >1% of revenue
- Before opening a new hiring requisition
- Before any fundraise conversation
- Before changing pricing or unit economics
- Before signing multi-year contracts

## Six Core Questions

### 1. Burn & Runway
What's the burn multiple and months of cash at base/bull/bear?
- Burn multiple = Net burn ÷ Net new ARR
- Above 2x is a problem
- If bear case <12 months, you're already fundraising

### 2. Unit Economics
LTV/CAC per channel, and what's payback period on top-2 channels?
- LTV/CAC >3x is healthy
- Payback <12 months is healthy
- If either is broken, do not scale that channel

### 3. Dilution Path
If this plan requires a raise, what's dilution at base and bear valuations?
- Founder dilution per round
- Cumulative dilution to next 2 rounds

### 4. Capital Allocation Alternative
If this dollar wasn't spent here, where else could it go and what's the return?
- Three alternatives: hiring, product, marketing
- Make opportunity cost explicit

### 5. Revenue Quality
What's the gross margin, and how does it trend at scale?
- If margin compresses with scale, the model is broken
- Cost-of-revenue should grow slower than revenue

### 6. Bear Case Survival
If revenue is 50% of plan, does the company survive 18 months?
- Default-alive is non-negotiable
- Identify cut triggers in advance

## Verdict
🟢 GREEN | 🟡 YELLOW | 🔴 RED