Your controller is NOT your CFO !

Your controller is NOT your CFO.

Stop expecting your controller to play chess when their job is bookkeeping. Promoting your controller to CFO is only loyalty bias. It backfires more often than not. 

The only exception being - when that controller has already shown potential that they can

• Translate numbers into a story

• Think about capital structure, not just recons

• Improves your balance sheet and not just report it

That’s rare though. 

Most controllers are brilliant at keeping books. 

As a founder, don’t confuse the two. 

Hire the role your business actually needs.