FP&A Today Fire Drills, Fractional Work, and AI Reality Check: Carl Seidman
Oct 16, 2025
Carl Seidman, a seasoned Fractional CFO and instructor, shares insights from his experience with top companies and his FP&A Mastery Program. He recounts a nail-biting story of building a cash flow in just five days. Carl discusses the growing demand for fractional CFOs, especially for companies under $50 million. He highlights key FP&A skills like cash flow management and warns about the limitations of AI in finance, emphasizing the need for critical thinking and domain expertise. Plus, he reveals his favorite Excel function, LET, for simplifying complex calculations.
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First Fire-Drill Cash Flow
- Carl's first major engagement was an urgent turnaround where he had to produce a cash flow in five days under heavy uncertainty.
- He prioritized material line items and accepted 'good enough' over perfect to meet immediate needs.
When Financials Can't Be Trusted
- Carl described entering companies where historical numbers were unreliable due to fraud or bad actors.
- He relied on cross-checks with department leaders and conversations to build usable forecasts.
Huge Market Below Mid-Market
- There's a large underserved market under $50–100M that needs CFO-level FP&A but not full-time hires or big-firm approaches.
- Fractional CFOs can deliver senior expertise affordably and remotely, matching what small businesses actually want.