AI + Finance

How AI is changing small business financial operations. Merlin AI use cases, AI-assisted forecasting, the future of SMB finance.

AI + Finance Founder Finance

The Spreadsheet Was Never the Problem

Every founder has the spreadsheet. You know the one. It has a tab nobody else could navigate, a formula that only works because of something you did back in March and never wrote down, and a row shaded yellow for a reason you've long since forgotten but are afraid to delete.

Rob Owen Jun 23, 2026

AI finance visibility gap — a founder looks at a clear financial dashboard for the first time

AI + Finance Founder Finance

AI Won't Replace Your CFO — But It Will Replace Not Having One

The gap isn't a CFO gap. It's a visibility gap. Here's what AI actually replaces for early-stage founders flying without one.

Rob Owen May 26, 2026

Pipeline architecture diagram showing system prompt isolation, on-demand tool calls, and inference boundary with tenant isolation and audit trail

AI + Finance

Your company's financial data is not a consumer product. Build like it.

Two architecture decisions that determine whether your AI finance tool is actually enterprise-ready — and why most products aren't making them.

Rob Owen May 19, 2026

Field notes from the cap table

Practical posts on runway, burn, and the boring-but-critical math of bootstrapping. Sent occasionally — never spammy.

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