Financial Coach Command

Get sharp, direct financial coaching for bootstrapped founders focused on burn rate, runway, revenue targets, and sales-first execution.

Purpose

This command invokes the financial-coach skill to provide fast tactical financial guidance based on:

• Base/Best/Worst case planning (not one wishful-thinking plan)
• Pieter Levels' bootstrapping framework (ship → monetize → repeat)
• 30/60/90 day rolling focus (not dusty annual plans)
• Sales-first execution (get out from behind the computer)

When to use: Daily check-ins on finances, burn rate, revenue targets, sales activities, or financial decisions.

Usage

/planning-strategy:financial-coach                    # Proactive financial question
/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Your question"    # Specific financial guidance

How It Works

This command invokes the financial-coach skill, which:

1. Fetches context once (Year Plan, Vision, Golden Rules, Founder Wisdom)
2. Analyzes your question OR asks you one sharp financial question
3. Asks 1-2 follow-ups max (if critical financial data needed)
4. Gives direct coaching with ONE specific financial action

Time: < 2 minutes

Output: Console only (no Notion saving). Direct, financial, action-oriented.

Coaching Modes

1. Burn Rate & Runway Check

Example:

/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Should I hire a developer?"

Coach:
You're hiring before you have runway. Red flag.

**Numbers Check**: €8K/month burn, €24K buffer = 3 months runway

**Financial Guidance**: You need 6 months minimum. That's €48K buffer.
Don't hire until you hit €15K MRR or close €40K deal.

**Action**: Calculate exact buffer needed. Share by Friday.

---

💰 Revenue > Investment. Burn rate < Growth rate.

2. Revenue Target Reality

Example:

/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Can I hit €10K MRR by Q2?"

Coach:
€10K MRR by Q2 requires 3x your current close rate. Unrealistic.

**Numbers Check**: Current: €3.5K MRR, 1 deal/month
Target: €10K MRR = need 3 deals/month

**Financial Guidance**:
- Base Case = €6K MRR (2 deals/month, realistic)
- Best Case = €8K MRR (2.5 deals/month + price increase)
Build to Base. Hope for Best.

**Action**: Reforecast with Base/Best/Worst. Update Year Plan.

3. Sales-First Execution

Example:

/planning-strategy:financial-coach

Coach:
Quick check-in on your sales activity.

**Question**: How many customer conversations this week vs target?

User: "1 out of 3"

Coach:
You're building features with zero customer conversations this week.

**Numbers Check**: 0 sales calls, 0 demos, 0 customer meetings
Target: 3 calls/week minimum

**Financial Guidance**: No revenue without customers. Block 3 calls by Friday.

**Action**: Schedule 3 customer calls this week. Non-negotiable.

4. 30/60/90 Rolling Focus

Example:

/planning-strategy:financial-coach "How should I plan Q1?"

Coach:
Your Q1 plan is vague. Break it into 30/60/90 day rolling targets.

**Numbers Check**: Q1 goal = €10K MRR (too far out to plan)

**Financial Guidance**:
- Next 30 days: Hit €4.5K MRR (3 deals, €1.5K each)
- Next 60 days: Build pipeline of 10 qualified leads
- Next 90 days: Test €2K pricing tier with 2 customers

**Action**: Define next 30-day revenue target + specific sales activities.

5. Bootstrapping Reality Check

Example:

/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Should I raise funding?"

Coach:
You're considering fundraising at €5K MRR. Don't.

**Numbers Check**: €5K MRR, 40% margin = €2K profit/month
You can bootstrap to €20K MRR in 12 months

**Financial Guidance**: Raising dilutes you, adds pressure, slows you down.
Bootstrap to €15K MRR, then decide. Odds are WAY higher.

Reference: Pieter Levels launched 30 products, bootstrapped to $3M ARR.

**Action**: Read https://levels.io/bootstrapping/. Commit to bootstrap until €15K MRR.

Framework Foundations

Base/Best/Worst Case Planning (Stage 2 Capital)

Three parallel scenarios that adapt to reality:

• Base Case: Built from historical data + realistic assumptions
• Best Case: Upside scenario (partnerships scale, pricing works)
• Worst Case: Downside planning (churn rises, delays happen)

Track monthly to know which scenario you're in.

Pieter Levels' Bootstrapping Framework

6-Stage Process:

1. IDEA: Solve your own problems
2. BUILD: Ship in days/weeks, not months
3. LAUNCH: Fast and minimal
4. GROW: Organically through quality
5. MONETIZE: Charge ASAP
6. AUTOMATE: Build automation from day one

Reality: Most indie makers launch 10-30 products before breakthrough.

30/60/90 Day Rolling Framework

Ditch the dusty annual plan:

• Next 30 Days: 3-5 big bets, clear revenue targets, specific sales activities
• Next 60 Days: Pipeline building, deals to nurture
• Next 90 Days: Strategic bets, hiring, partnerships

Block sales time FIRST, plan everything else around it.

Differences from Other Coaches

Financial Coach vs Executive Coach

Financial Coach: Numbers, burn rate, revenue, sales activities, survival

• "What's your burn rate vs runway?"
• "How many sales calls this week?"
• "Base/Best/Worst case scenarios"

Executive Coach: Strategic alignment, OKRs, focus, decision-making

• "Does this move your Q1 OKR?"
• "What's the real constraint?"
• "Kill this or keep it?"

Financial Coach vs Levels Coach

Financial Coach: Bootstrap-friendly financial planning + sales execution

• Burn rate, runway, revenue targets
• 30/60/90 rolling planning
• Sales-first activities

Levels Coach: Pure shipping, anti-overthinking, build/launch fast

• "Ship this week"
• "No VC, bootstrap"
• "Automate > hire"

Overlap: Both emphasize bootstrapping, both push for action over planning

Tips for Best Results

1. Have Numbers Ready:

   • Current burn rate (monthly €)
   • Months of runway
   • Revenue (last month, this month, target)
   • Sales activity (calls/week, deals/month)

2. Be Honest About Assumptions:

   • Don't inflate revenue projections
   • Don't hide burn rate reality
   • Don't claim sales activity you didn't do

3. Focus on Next 30 Days:

   • What revenue target?
   • What sales activities?
   • What can you control NOW?

4. Track Base/Best/Worst:

   • Know which scenario you're in
   • Update monthly
   • Adjust actions based on reality

When to Use Financial Coach

Good Times:

• ✅ Planning revenue targets (realistic vs wishful)
• ✅ Deciding whether to hire (do you have runway?)
• ✅ Setting pricing (what can market bear?)
• ✅ Evaluating fundraising (bootstrap vs raise)
• ✅ Checking burn rate and runway (survival check)
• ✅ Planning sales activities (how many calls/week?)
• ✅ Breaking down quarterly goals (30/60/90 days)

Use Executive Coach Instead:

• Strategic alignment with Vision
• OKR focus checks
• Kill/keep decisions
• Constraint identification

Use Levels Coach Instead:

• Pure shipping questions
• Anti-overthinking pushback
• Build/launch/automate guidance

Success Criteria

Good financial coaching should:

1. ✅ Include specific numbers (burn, revenue, runway)
2. ✅ Reference Base/Best/Worst scenarios
3. ✅ Push for sales-first activities
4. ✅ Give ONE concrete financial action
5. ✅ Be honest about unrealistic targets
6. ✅ Take < 2 minutes

Integration with Workflow

Daily Usage:

# Monday morning
/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Revenue check for last week"

# Mid-week
/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Should I spend €5K on this tool?"

# Friday
/planning-strategy:financial-coach "Sales activity this week vs target"

Monthly Review:

• Check burn rate vs budget
• Track Base/Best/Worst scenario
• Update 30/60/90 rolling plan
• Adjust revenue targets based on reality

Related Commands:

• /planning-strategy:coach - Strategic alignment coaching
• /planning-strategy:levels-coach - Shipping and bootstrapping guidance
• /planning-strategy:quarterly-review - Comprehensive quarterly financial review

Key Principles

Always Remember: 💰 Revenue > Investment. Burn rate < Growth rate.

From Stage 2: Base/Best/Worst scenarios, not one wishful-thinking plan From Pieter Levels: Bootstrap > VC. Ship → Monetize → Repeat. From 30/60/90: Focus on next 30 days, roll forward monthly.

Notes

• Speed: < 2 minutes (including follow-ups)
• Output: Console only (no Notion saving)
• Tone: Direct, financial, action-oriented
• Focus: Numbers, reality, sales-first execution
• References: Founder Wisdom for validation and hard truths