CJ Gustafson

Tech CFO | Writer behind Mostly metrics | Miller Lite Enthusiast

Latest

Budgeting

Unfavorable Favorable Variances

CJ Gustafson

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Sep 15, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Balance Sheet Diligence for Founder Owned Targets

CJ Gustafson

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Sep 9, 2026

Reporting & Metrics

What Building the "Cube" During M&A Diligence Entails

CJ Gustafson

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Sep 2, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Why We Gave the Strategics a Six-Week Head Start

CJ Gustafson

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Aug 26, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Firing Your Banker Doesn't End the Fee

CJ Gustafson

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Aug 19, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Negotiating Banker Fees

CJ Gustafson

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Aug 12, 2026

Talent & Team

Three Ways a Layoff Shows Up in Your Financials

CJ Gustafson

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Aug 5, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Every Cap Table You Inherit Is Wrong

CJ Gustafson

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Jul 29, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Remember: The Working Capital Lookback Is a Negotiation, Not a Formula

CJ Gustafson

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Jul 22, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Escrow vs. Earnout

CJ Gustafson

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Jul 15, 2026

Talent & Team

Upgrading a Team You Didn't Hire

CJ Gustafson

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Jul 8, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Cash-Free, Debt-Free: The Cash You Don't Actually Get to Keep

CJ Gustafson

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Jul 1, 2026

Credit Agreement

The Cash Sweep: Why a Great Year Comes With a Bill You Didn't Budget

CJ Gustafson

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Jun 24, 2026

Mid-Hold Financing

How Dividend Recaps Work

CJ Gustafson

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Jun 17, 2026

Tax & Structuring

The Tax You Triggered by Hiring One Person in New York

CJ Gustafson

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Jun 10, 2026

Management Equity

What Your Sponsor's Hurdle Tells You About Them

CJ Gustafson

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Jun 3, 2026

Management Equity

Why Your PIUs Aren’t the Stock Options You’re Used To

CJ Gustafson

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May 27, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Debt-Like Items: Where the Final Equity Check Actually Gets Decided

CJ Gustafson

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May 20, 2026

Deal Mechanics

Key-Man Risk 101: What to Expect as a Future PE-Backed Exec During Negotiations

CJ Gustafson

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May 13, 2026

Deal Mechanics

The Tax Mechanic That Showed The Whole Company My Comp

CJ Gustafson

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May 6, 2026

Reporting & Metrics

Why Your Sponsor Has a Different EBITDA Number Than You Do

CJ Gustafson

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Apr 29, 2026

Lifehack: Advice for Negotiating Non Pricing Terms

CJ Gustafson

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Apr 22, 2026

What Does it Actually Mean to be a (throws up in mouth) "Strategic" CFO?

CJ Gustafson

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Apr 15, 2026

Sins of Over-Optimization

CJ Gustafson

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Apr 8, 2026

Winning at the Defaults

CJ Gustafson

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Apr 1, 2026