Financial modeling can feel like a daunting skill to master, but here's the good news: you don't need to know everything to excel at it. The truth is, by following a few essential tips, you can achieve 80% of what you need with just 20% of
In the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financial ratio analysis plays a crucial role in assessing a business's health, profitability, and potential for growth. As someone who's spent over six years in M&A and built more than 40 financial models, I’
If you're working with data in Excel, learning essential formatting shortcuts can dramatically boost your productivity. Not only will these shortcuts save you time, but they’ll also ensure your spreadsheets are polished, professional, and client-ready. In this article, we dive into 15 Excel formatting shortcuts that are
This is a high-level process map for building accurate financial forecasts. If you’re aiming for (or starting in) roles in M&A, FP&A, or PE, understanding financial forecasting is a critical skill. What steps do you think are most critical in creating a robust forecast? This
Properly formatting your Excel models is important because it makes it easier for others to read and understand your analysis… and for you to read and understand it if and when you change it later on. There are universal standards for certain formatting points – such as color coding formulas vs.
Ever copied an entire tab from someone else’s Excel workbook? It seems like the quickest way to reuse data, but it can lead to hidden issues like broken links, bloated file sizes, and inconsistent formatting. Ask yourself: Is copying tabs really saving you time—or just creating more problems
Are your Excel files dragging? Do you find yourself staring at the spinning wheel of death while waiting for simple tasks to complete? A slow Excel file can be frustrating and counterproductive, especially when working with large datasets or complex spreadsheets. If you’ve ever wondered, "Why is my
Imagine opening a complex Excel model from a client or colleague and having no idea where to start. Which cells are hard-coded inputs? Which are formulas pulling from other sheets? Without a clear structure, reviewing and editing becomes slow, error-prone, and stressful. A color-coding guide can solve these problems by
Here is a guided step by step video with each shortcut being pressed. It shows how to type a SUM and select cells from the column automatically using shortcuts, then copy that SUM formula across the row to SUM every column.
How to solve this error message? There are one or more circular references where a formula refers to its own cell either directly or indirectly
Sam and I crossed paths earlier this year on the YCombinator co-founder network. After years in banking and consulting, I was fed up with a productivity problem that hit too close to home. I spent nearly 7,000 hours in Excel, analysing business & financial performance, and about 30-50% of