Fractional CFO & Controller · Early-stage and founder-led companies

Your finance function,
built right from day one.

Most early-stage companies need a controller before they need a CFO.

I set up your books so they're AI-native from the start, run your monthly close and runway, and hand the whole system over when you hire your first finance person. You get the judgment of a senior finance lead without the salary, and a finance function you own.

Book a 30-minute finance check-in How it works ↓
25+ years in finance Finance functions built in young companies A working Controller, running a close every month 2 years of AI inside a live month-end close
The problem, plainly

What usually happens at seed

What usually happensWhat it costs you
A bookkeeping service closes the books each month, and nobody reviews them.Wrong numbers reach investors, and you find out in diligence.
Runway lives in a spreadsheet the founder updates by hand.It drifts from the books, and you make hiring decisions on a stale number.
Your bank, cards, billing and payroll tools all "sync".They don't reconcile, and nobody knows which one is right.
You hire a controller at Series A.They spend their first six months rebuilding what should have been built at seed.

The usual fixes are a bookkeeping factory (cheap, no judgment, built to keep you as a customer) or a fractional CFO (judgment, but rarely the systems). Neither leaves you with a finance function you own.

How it works

Build, operate, then hand it over.

Four phases. Each one ends with something you keep, and you can stop after any of them.

01

Blueprint

About 2 weeks

I map how money actually moves through your company and design the chart of accounts, close calendar, approval rules and controls, and the reporting your board and investors will ask for. It's all written down, and the document is yours whether or not we continue.

$2,500Fixed fee
You can stop here.
02

Build

4–6 weeks

I stand up the stack: your accounting system configured properly, bank and card feeds with categorization rules, approval flows for bills and payroll, AI-assisted reconciliation with exception review, and a runway model that updates from the books. It ends with your first clean close.

QuotedAfter the Blueprint
You can stop here.
03

Operate

Monthly, until your first finance hire

I run the monthly close, the reconciliations and the runway update. Each month you get a short call and a written note covering what moved, what I'm watching and what needs your decision. Every judgment call is logged.

QuotedAfter the Blueprint
You can stop here.
04

Transfer

About 4 weeks

When you're ready to hire, I help you hire. Then I hand over the documented systems and review rules, and stay available through your new hire's first close. You keep everything.

QuotedWhen you're ready

The Blueprint stands alone. If you'd rather run with it yourself, it's written so you can.

What the AI does, and what it doesn't

Cheap to run, without being sloppy.

I automate the work I'd otherwise bill you for, like matching, categorization, first-pass reconciliation and drafting the monthly note. I use tooling I've run inside a live month-end close for two years. What I don't automate is the review.

Two rules I work to

  • AI produces a draft, not a decision. Every automated result is reviewed by me before anyone relies on it.
  • Your data stays in your accounts. Tooling choices are documented, and nothing goes anywhere you haven't approved in writing.

The written review standard

  • What gets checked every month, and against which source.
  • What counts as an exception, and what happens to it.
  • What I sign off on, and what comes to you for a decision.
  • It's part of what you own at hand-over, and it's what a Series A diligence team will ask to see.
Who you'd be working with

Hi, I'm Jon.

Jon, founder

I've spent 25+ years in finance across startup, growth-stage and large organizations, and I've built finance functions from scratch in young companies more than once. Today I'm a working Controller, so I run a month-end close every month.

I'm systems-first by temperament. I'd rather build the process that catches an error than find it myself every month. I've spent the last two years putting AI inside a real close and documenting what works, including what doesn't.

More about me → · Field Notes →

Not a fit if…

What this isn't.

  • Tax. Federal and state filings, R&D credits, Delaware franchise tax and sales-tax nexus go to a startup tax specialist. I'll coordinate with them.
  • Audits or reviews. Those are separate, regulated engagements. This is your finance function.
  • Running your fundraise. I'll keep your books investor-ready and your runway honest. I won't run your Series A process.
  • The lowest-cost bookkeeping. If price is the only criterion, a bookkeeping service will be cheaper, and that's a fair choice.
Questions founders ask

FAQ

Do I need a CFO or a controller?

At seed, usually a controller: someone who makes the books happen, reconciles them and tells you your runway. CFO work (fundraising strategy, investor relations, pricing) matters more as you approach a bigger round. I start with the controller foundation, because the CFO work only lands if the numbers underneath are right.

Which accounting system will you put me on?

Usually QuickBooks Online or Xero. The choice is made in the Blueprint, based on the tools you already use and who you're likely to hire. If what you have works, we keep it.

Do you do taxes?

No. Tax is its own discipline. I'll work alongside your tax specialist, or help you find one, and make sure they get clean books.

Am I locked in?

No. Every phase ends with something you keep, and you can stop after any of them. The Blueprint is designed to be useful even if you never work with me again.

What happens when I hire?

That's the Transfer phase. I help you hire, hand over the documented systems and review rules, and stay available through your new hire's first close.

Is my data safe with AI?

Your data stays in your own accounts and systems. I document every tool I use, and nothing is connected without your written approval. AI output is always a draft that I review. It never goes straight into your books unchecked.

Do you work outside Richmond?

Yes. I'm based in Richmond, Virginia, and work with US companies remotely.

I haven't raised yet. Is this too early?

Often it's the best time. Setting things up properly before the first round is far cheaper than rebuilding afterwards. If you're pre-revenue, a Blueprint on its own may be all you need for now. Book a check-in and we'll work out what fits.

Start with a 30-minute check-in.

We'll talk about how finance works in your company today. There's no pitch. If a Blueprint makes sense, I'll scope it in writing and we can start within two weeks.

Book a 30-minute finance check-in

Run finance inside an established company or firm? See the AI Workflow Diagnostic →