AcademyCoursesPlan
Stage — PlanIntermediate2.5 hours6 modules

Building Your First Financial Model Without a CFO

A credible financial model is the foundation of every investor conversation, every major hire, and every strategic decision. This course walks you through building one from scratch — revenue streams, hiring plan, three-statement model, and scenario cases — in a way that survives investor scrutiny.

Module 1 is free

Full course access requires a free Academy account. No credit card needed.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Build a three-statement financial model from scratch
Model multiple revenue streams with growth rates and churn assumptions
Build a hiring plan connected to revenue projections
Run base, upside, and downside scenario cases
Present financial projections that hold up under investor questioning
Intermediate
Level
2.5 hours
Duration
6
Modules

Course Modules

01

Why Spreadsheet Models Break and What to Do Instead

FREE

The structural problems with spreadsheet-based financial modelling — and the approach that actually survives contact with reality.

20 min
Start →

Revenue Modelling: Streams, Growth Rates, and Churn

How to model multiple revenue streams with realistic growth assumptions, churn rates, and expansion revenue.

25 min
Gated

The Three-Statement Model: Income, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow

Build all three financial statements and link them together so they update automatically when assumptions change.

30 min
Gated

Building a Hiring Plan Connected to Your Numbers

Salary, equity, timing, and department-level planning — all connected to the revenue that needs to support it.

20 min
Gated

Scenario Modelling: Base, Upside, and Downside Cases

The three-case model every investor expects — and how to build cases that are both ambitious and defensible.

20 min
Gated

Platform Exercise: Build Your Financial Model in VentureDeck

Use VentureDeck's Guided Forecasting Wizard to build your full financial model from live data.

15 min
Gated

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