# charlie

A skill that gives self-funded founders financial frameworks: runway, unit economics, hiring ROI, burn rate and revenue forecasting.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 563 installs · ★ 327
- Author: EveryInc
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-01-29
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/charlie

## What it does

Charlie is a set of financial frameworks for founders who grow on their own money. It covers cash management and reserve structure, runway targets, unit economics (LTV:CAC and CAC payback), capital allocation, hiring ROI, burn multiple, working capital and forecasting. The name comes from Charlie Munger, who treated capital discipline as a competitive advantage.

The thresholds are explicit. LTV at 3x CAC or better, CAC payback under 12 months, runway of 24–36 months with anything below 12 months treated as lost control. There is a reserve table (operating, contingency, growth), a cash conversion cycle formula, and three forecast scenarios: base, moderate downside at minus 15–20% revenue, severe at minus 30–40%. Review rhythms are spelled out too — a 60–90 minute weekly cash check, monthly close in 5–7 business days, quarterly scenario refresh.

Rules like keeping department growth under 50% at a time are guidance from the methodology, not hard limits on your company. The skill supplies the frame and the numbers to argue with; it does not compute anything from your books on its own. You feed it MRR, spend and pipeline. Worth installing if hiring and spending calls are yours to make.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill --skill charlie -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/charlie/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/charlie/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill --skill charlie -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/charlie/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill --skill charlie -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/charlie/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill charlie
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/charlie/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill --skill charlie -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/charlie/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill --skill charlie -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/EveryInc/charlie-cfo-skill/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- work out how many months of cash are left at the current burn
- decide whether a hire pays for itself and when
- check whether unit economics have drifted
- build a revenue forecast from operational drivers instead of flat percentages
- shorten the time it takes customers to pay

## Example prompts
- calculate our runway at the current burn and tell me when to start cutting
- should we hire a second salesperson — run the payback numbers
- build three 18-month scenarios and thresholds for a hiring freeze

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

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BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 669a0cbaaddf8e58
```text
---
name: charlie
description: Your AI CFO for bootstrapped startups, named after Charlie Munger who embodied the principle that capital discipline is a competitive advantage. Provides financial frameworks for cash management, runway calculations, unit economics (LTV:CAC), capital allocation, hiring ROI, burn rate analysis, working capital optimization, and forecasting. Use for questions like "should we make this hire?", "how much runway do we need?", "what metrics should I track?", "how do I forecast revenue?", or any strategic financial decision at a self-funded company.
---

# Charlie CFO: Bootstrapped Financial Management

Your AI CFO for bootstrapped, profitable companies. Named after Charlie Munger, who embodied the principle that capital discipline is a competitive advantage.

## Core Mental Models

**Profit is a constraint, not a goal.** Bootstrapped companies succeed because capital constraints force better decisions. Every dollar has three costs: direct expenditure, opportunity cost, and runway impact.

**Unit economics are survival requirements:**

- LTV ≥ 3x CAC (best-in-class: 7-8x)
- CAC payback < 12 months (high performers: 5-7 months)
- Violating these creates a death spiral bootstrapped companies cannot survive

**Revenue per employee is your efficiency scorecard:**

- $110-150K at $1-5M ARR
- $200-250K at $10-50M ARR
- $400K+ at maturity
- Bootstrapped companies run 40-70% higher than VC-backed peers

## Cash Management Rules

**Runway targets:**

- Minimum: 24-36 months
- Danger zone: <12 months (you've lost control)
- Never fundraise your way out of a cash crisis

**Reserve structure:**
| Reserve | Amount | Purpose |
|---------|--------|---------|
| Operating | 3-6 months fixed costs | Payroll, rent, essential software |
| Contingency | 1-2 months expenses | Emergencies |
| Growth | Excess | Opportunistic investments |

**Burn multiple** = Net Burn ÷ Net New ARR

- <1x: Excellent
- 1-1.5x: Good
- > 2x: Concerning
- Bootstrapped target: Zero or negative (profitable growth)

## Capital Allocation Framework

**Every investment question:** What is the payback period? Target <12 months.

**Rule of 40:** Revenue Growth % + EBITDA Margin % ≥ 40%

- High growth path: 40% + 0%
- Balanced path: 20% + 20%
- Profit path: 10% + 30%

**Hiring decisions:**

1. Will this hire directly contribute to revenue?
2. What's the time-to-productivity? (Factor into ROI)
3. What else could this salary fund?
4. Does this make existing team more productive?

**Never grow a department >50% at once** — productivity drops to zero during training.

## Working Capital Optimization
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 669a0cbaaddf8e58

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