Mike Dawes has experience as the financial director of three tech businesses, providing financial direction and helping to divest each business. He helped Stonecube Ltd, a 3D graphics startup, as a part-time financial director from 2004-2007, providing financial modeling, direction, and control that led to £500k in angel investment in 2005 and an acquisition worth multiple millions in 2007. Financial modeling is important for entrepreneurs to see their vision in numbers, test scenarios, define resource needs, communicate plans internally and to investors/banks, and manage budgets, cash flow, and learning. Basic spreadsheets skills are sufficient, with separate tabs used to structure inputs, assumptions, calculations, and outputs like monthly profit/loss and cash flow