The FP&A Guy Network

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Asif Masani about his new book, The Precision Trap, and why finance teams can focus too much on accuracy and miss the decision window. Asif explains how FP&A professionals can deliver timely analysis, influence business decisions, and become stronger business partners.

Asif Masani is a Director at FP&A Professionals Institute and FP&A Jobs, an author, and Udemy instructor focused on helping finance professionals develop their FP&A skills. He is the author of All About FP&A, From Accounting to FP&A, and Data Storytelling Playbook.

Expect to Learn:
What the “precision trap” means for FP&A.
Why timely analysis can be more valuable than perfect accuracy.
How to choose the right level of accuracy for a decision.
What questions to ask before starting an analysis.
How finance professionals can become better business partners.
How the DERP framework improves variance analysis.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"Finance people are very good at doing analysis, but they're not very good at influencing decisions." - Asif Masani
"The decision that could wait earlier for three weeks, can't wait today for three days." - Asif Masani

The key to avoiding the precision trap is understanding what decision the analysis needs to support, who needs it, and when they need it. Asif explains why finance professionals should focus on delivering useful analysis at the right time and earning a place in important business decisions.

Follow Asif:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asifmasani/
Website: https://fpnaprofessionals.com/

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Earn Your CPE Credit
For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today's Episode:
[00:00] - Trailer
[04:58] - What Great FP&A Looks Like
[10:30] - Building the FP&A Professionals Institute
[18:33] - Understanding the Precision Trap
[20:35] - Why Timely Analysis Matters
[29:44] - Spotting the Precision Trap in Organizations
[35:16] - Essential FP&A Skills
[38:04] - The DERP Framework
[39:54] - Getting to Know Asif
[44:56] - Final Advice for Finance Professionals

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper discuss AI fatigue and why finance professionals should focus less on chasing new models and more on using AI effectively. They share practical ways to improve AI results through better instructions, reference files, context, and data foundations.

In this episode, you will discover:
Why AI fatigue is becoming a real challenge.
Why prompting alone is no longer enough.
How context and reference files improve AI results.
Why clean data and clear KPIs matter.
How finance teams can start using AI more effectively.

Paul and Glenn emphasize that finance teams do not need to build complicated systems immediately. Starting with clear data definitions, documented sources, and simple context files can already make AI much more useful.

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today's Episode:
[00:00] - Introduction
[01:07] - AI Fatigue
[04:09] - Using AI Effectively
[05:44] - The Changing Role of Prompting
[07:40] - AI for Financial Modelling
[11:37] - AI and Finance Data
[14:47] - Building a Data Foundation
[18:10] - Practical AI Tips
[19:08] - Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Marli van Staden-Basson about best-practice financial modeling, AI, model design, and the skills needed to build reliable models. Marli explains why transparency, usability, and risk management matter, and how AI makes strong modeling practices even more important.

Marli van Staden-Basson is the founder and financial modeling specialist at Near Future Limited, with over 20 years of experience in corporate and infrastructure finance. She specializes in renewable energy and digital infrastructure modeling, including complex model development and independent model audits.

Expect to Learn:
What best-practice financial modeling really means.
Why model design and transparency are so important.
How AI is changing financial modeling.
Common modeling mistakes and practices to avoid.
How to design models around the people who use them.
Why human review remains essential when using AI.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"You are still the last line of defence as the human modeler." - Marli van Staden-Basson
"A good financial model should really be doing a single thing." - Marli van Staden-Basson

AI can make modeling faster, but Marli explains why it does not replace good modeling practices. Clear design, purposeful structure, checks, and human judgement remain essential for creating models that are reliable and easy to review.

Follow Marli:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marli-van-staden-basson-7119ba28/

Follow Financial Modeler's Corner:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-modeler-s-corner/

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.
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Sign up for the Advanced Financial Modeler Accreditation today and get 15% off using the code “Podcast” at https://bit.ly/497oAqW

In Today's Episode:
[00:00] - Trailer
[03:29] - Building a Career in Financial Modeling
[07:18] - Breaking the Modeler Stereotype
[10:54] - Financial Modeling Horror Stories
[18:49] - Starting a Financial Modeling Consultancy
[24:28] - AI and Best-Practice Modeling
[30:26] - Why Model Design Matters
[37:07] - Tips for Building Better Models
[41:23] - Worst Modeling Practices to Avoid
[47:43] - Excel Rapid Fire
[51:05] - AI and the Future of Modeling

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst is joined by Zach Rial and Chris Ortega, alongside co-host Glenn Snyder, to discuss budgeting and forecasting best practices. The conversation explores how finance teams should think about the purpose of budgeting, balancing control with agility, involving the business in the planning process, and using forecasting as a tool for better decision-making.
Zach Rial is a finance leader at AskElephant, a startup focused on revenue and conversation intelligence. He brings experience as an operator who uses finance, FP&A, and business insights to help companies grow and improve decision-making. Chris Ortega is the CEO of Fresh FP&A, a global fractional CFO and advisory firm supporting small and medium-sized businesses. Chris has over 20 years of experience in accounting, finance, and leadership roles, helping organizations build, scale, and prepare for growth.
Expect to Learn:
The real purpose of budgeting and forecasting
How to create a business-focused planning process
Why trust and partnership are essential for FP&A teams
How to balance budget discipline with flexibility
Best practices for managing AI costs and governance

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
“A budget is the direction of where you want to go, but things change so much in a business.” - Chris Ortega
“The budget process should not be a finance exercise. It’s an organizational exercise.” - Glenn Snyder

Effective budgeting is not about predicting the future perfectly, it is about creating alignment, understanding business drivers, and enabling better decisions. The strongest FP&A teams use budgets and forecasts as tools to guide the business, build trust, and help leaders navigate uncertainty.

Follow Zach:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyrial/

Follow Chris:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freshcfo/

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenntsnyder/

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Earn Your CPE Credit
For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today's Episode:
[00:00] - Introduction
[06:20] - The Purpose of Budgeting
[12:26] - Making Budgeting a Business Process
[17:24] - Building a Better Planning Approach
[26:51] - Practical Budgeting and Forecasting Tips
[37:44] - Building Trust With Business Partners
[44:35] - Managing AI Costs and Governance
[54:18] - Balancing Budget Control and Agility
[58:35] - Final Advice

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper discuss AI fatigue, better ways for finance teams to use AI, and the growing challenge of forecasting AI costs. They explore why finance leaders should focus less on chasing new models and more on building the data, context, and workflows needed to get real value from AI.

In this episode, you will discover:
Why finance teams should stop chasing every new AI model.
Why context is becoming more important than prompting alone.
How better KPIs and data foundations improve AI results.
How organizations can forecast and manage AI token costs.
Why AI success should be measured by business outcomes.

Paul and Glenn explain why effective AI adoption isn't about using the most tokens or knowing every new tool. It's about using AI to help finance make better, faster decisions.

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:
[00:00] – Trailer
[03:17] – AI Fatigue & Model Overload
[09:38] – Beyond Prompt Engineering
[16:03] – Building Better AI Context
[24:29] – Organizing Finance Knowledge
[27:29] – Token Maxing & AI Costs
[32:06] – Forecasting Token Spend
[38:23] – Focusing on Business Value
[41:43] – Closing Thoughts