Hey {{first_name|there}},
You're probably feeling it too.
The pressure to use AI.
Scale the team without adding headcount. Do more with the same people. Figure out AI while still closing the books every month.
Everyone is talking about it. Very few are actually using it.
I was in exactly the same spot. It's why you haven't heard from me since March.
I didn't know how to use AI well enough to rely on it. And definitely not well enough to write to you about it.
So I stopped writing and started learning.
Here's what I learned the hard way.
I spent months trying to build an AI system for my CFO work.
Folders. Context files. Routing rules. Version after version.
It produced nothing I would put in front of my CEO.
My mistake: I built the structure before I had a single real task to put in it.
Then a real decision landed. The executive team and the board needed a model. I had one weekend.
27 hours later, I had it. Every assumption defined and documented. A written guide to how it works.
Without AI, I estimate it would have taken me 15 to 20 full working days. A luxury no CFO or finance leader can afford.
AI's first draft wasn't board-ready. It never is.
AI asked me questions only someone who builds models could answer. I reviewed every assumption, challenged it, and fixed it.
Only then did it go to the board.
AI didn't replace 20 years of knowing what a good model looks like. It amplified it.
That's the lesson I paid for: learn AI on a real deliverable, in work you know well enough to judge the output.
So here's what The CFO Effect is now:
How a sitting CFO actually builds with AI. How the finance function is evolving with it. What works, what breaks, and what value it creates. Mistakes included.
For the next two weeks, I'll write three times a week, because I have a lot to show you. Next up, on Tuesday: why clean data mattered more than the AI itself.
If that's not for you anymore, unsubscribe below. No hard feelings.
If it is, I have one question:
What's your role, and have you shipped one real deliverable with AI yet?
Hit reply. I read every answer.
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified advisor before making any business or financial decisions. The author and publisher disclaim any liability for actions taken based on this content.
Talk soon,
