VP of Finance Software — Custom Built for Financial Ops Software

I'm PJ, in Encinitas. If you run finance at a FinOps software company, you already know your team is drowning in spreadsheets that should be tools — text me and I'll tell you what's worth building and what isn't, in one reply.

Quick answer — what a VP of Finance actually needs from a consultant

Someone who speaks GL, close cycle, and SaaS metrics without a glossary
Internal tools built in weeks, not quarters — no enterprise SOW theater
Honest scoping: I'll tell you if Excel already solves it
One developer accountable to you directly — no account manager layer

Real questions VPs of Finance ask me

Should I hire a consultant or add a FinOps headcount?Depends on whether the work is recurring. Build once = consultant. Operate daily = headcount. I'll tell you which yours is.

How do I get clean data out of NetSuite / Sage Intacct / QuickBooks into a dashboard my board will trust?Usually a nightly pull into Postgres, a few reconciliation checks, and a simple web view. Two weeks of work, not a six-figure BI project.

Can you build something that automates our month-end checklist?Yes. Most close bottlenecks are 4-5 manual handoffs that a lightweight internal app kills immediately.

What's the fastest way to get ARR, net retention, and cash runway into one place?Pull from billing, GL, and HRIS into one table. Everything else is a chart on top of that table.

Do I need to replace our FP&A tool or just fix the inputs?Nine times out of ten it's the inputs. I'll audit it before you sign a new vendor contract.

Can you work with my controller and not make them hate you?Yes. I scope with the person doing the work, not the person signing the check.

Useful things to know before you text me

Kill the CSV round-trip

If your analysts are exporting from one system and pasting into another weekly, that's a 2-week build that saves 40 hours a month. Forever.

Reconciliation beats dashboards

Boards want one trustworthy number. Build the reconciliation first, the visualization second.

Watch out for "finance transformation" decks

If a vendor's pitch has more slides than screenshots, they're selling process — not software. Finance runs on software.

Own your data layer

Your GL, billing, and CRM data should live in a warehouse you control. Then any tool becomes swappable.

Close process is a UX problem

Most close delays aren't accounting — they're unclear handoffs. A simple task app solves more than a new ERP.

Audit trails are cheap to build

Every internal tool I build logs who did what and when. Your auditors will thank you. So will you, later.

PJ — SideGuy Solutions

Solo consultant. Encinitas / Solana Beach. I build internal tools for finance teams at SaaS companies. No agency, no overhead — just me and your controller figuring out what to ship.

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VP of Finance in Financial Ops Software — Custom Builds From North County San Diego