KPIs and Dashboards

A Founder’s Conversation with a Fractional CFO distills William McNarland’s 25 years in private equity and valuation into a founder-friendly series presented as direct Q&A. Each concise chapter opens with a single question he has fielded thousands of times from real founders, whether it is how to interpret unit economics, when to refresh a valuation, or what investors expect in a data room, and then delivers a practical answer you can apply in minutes. The format let's busy leaders jump straight to the topic that keeps them up at night without wading through theory, while the cumulative arc builds a solid grasp of finance that turns board meetings from stressful to strategic. Clear language, concrete examples, and a focus on decision costs over jargon make the series a reliable desk reference whenever cash, capital, or control comes into play.
This volume teaches founders exactly how to identify, select, and manage KPIs to drive valuation and improve board-level decision making. Chapters answer concrete, founder-submitted questions such as “Why Should a Startup Track KPIs From Day One?” enabling leaders to jump directly to issues like setting credible targets, maintaining clean historical data, and eliminating vanity metrics that cloud financial visibility. Founders will learn how to automate dashboards, tie metrics clearly to cash and runway decisions, and establish governance practices that keep data investor-ready. By applying these disciplined methods, founders gain the immediate ability to detect early warnings, reduce execution risk, negotiate stronger valuation multiples, and maintain trust with investors throughout fundraising rounds.
A Founder’s Conversation with a Fractional CFO equips founders with the sharp financial tools needed to fund their vision, hit their goals, and run their companies with confidence.