Essays.
Long-form essays on pricing, capital allocation, FP&A, M&A, and the modern finance function — for CFOs, founders, and operators building companies that last.
01 · Latest
Chop Chop Chop
Demystifying capital allocation—from heavyweight boardroom theory to the tactical work of deciding what not to do.
The Credit Index reads: the coding tools
The hottest category in software is also the one that repriced its meter on everyone. What nine AI coding tools charge — and why it keeps changing.
Who still gets to keep 75%+ gross margins?
The margin software took for granted — and why AI has to earn it back, one outcome at a time.
02 · Series
A reading series
The AI Pricing Playbook
Five chapters on pricing AI software — from whether to meter at all, to defending a software margin, to the buyer's counter-playbook — built from the AI Credit Index.
Open the playbook hub →- Part 1 Should you meter at all? AI's reflex is to put a meter on everything that costs money to run. The first pricing decision is whether to put one on at all.
- Part 2 What you charge for matters more than what you charge The value metric is the pricing decision that outlasts every number you'll set — and AI made choosing it both harder and more important.
- Part 3 How to move a meter without a mutiny Every change to a running meter is a trust event. How to operate one — and reprice it — without a customer revolt.
- Part 4 Who still gets to keep 75%+ gross margins? The margin software took for granted — and why AI has to earn it back, one outcome at a time.
- Part 5 How to buy AI without overpaying You don't set the meter. You can still refuse to pay for the opacity around it. The buyer's counter-playbook, read off the Index.
03 · Archive 84 essays
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Chop Chop Chop Capital Allocation The Credit Index reads: the coding tools Pricing Who still gets to keep 75%+ gross margins? Pricing What you charge for matters more than what you charge Pricing “Unlimited*” — the asterisk is the business model Pricing The price didn't change. Your bill did. Pricing The AI pricing plateau Pricing Should you meter at all? Pricing How to move a meter without a mutiny Pricing How to buy AI without overpaying Pricing Credits are how AI hides its prices Pricing Almost no one can charge for outcomes Pricing AI pricing is just COGS finally showing up Pricing I just graduated again. Thanks, Claude. 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Modern Finance Function The pendulum — Mika Kasumov on strategic finance Podcast Summary Underrated CFO traits for the AI era AI in Finance What I'd tell my pre-AI self AI in Finance Today's controller is yesterday's CFO — Pete Boyes Podcast Summary Test match to T20 — Ananth Avva on the leaking CFO chair Podcast Summary What to look for in a SAM tool Procurement / Spend System-driven, not people-dependent — Amit Kumar Podcast Summary Software asset management across the lifecycle Procurement / Spend The case for software asset management Procurement / Spend The Conscious Keeper — Venkatesh Tarakkad Podcast Summary The evolution of procurement Procurement / Spend What you can control — KJ Tjon Podcast Summary Change the tires of a fast-moving car — Jay Sahal Podcast Summary How to evaluate finance software Modern Finance Function Reset 100, Part 3: Budgeting FP&A Reset 100, Part 2: Business Strategy Modern Finance Function Reset 100, Part 1: CFO Leadership Modern Finance Function Don't just BE. BELONG. Talent & Equity Chief Questions Officer Talent & Equity