Contributor
David Chen
CFO · FusionSales.ai
David runs finance at FusionSales.ai. He’s built ROI models for software investments at three growth-stage SaaS companies before joining the team.
21 articles on FusionSales.ai
Articles by David
You're Not Paying for AI. You're Paying for the Result.
There's no 'AI premium' on your invoice. AI lowers our cost to build, and that efficiency is why you pay for a working, owned asset — not a technology.
The True Cost of Owning Your Software vs. Renting It Forever
Per-seat subscriptions compound forever and grow with your headcount. A one-time custom build is an asset with a payback period — after that, the economics invert in your favor.
How to Budget for a Custom Build When the Price Is Fixed
A fixed-scope build delivered in weeks is one of the most predictable outlays a CFO can approve: bounded cost, bounded timeline, measurable return, no open-ended blowout.
A CFO's Guide to Evaluating Custom Software ROI
CFOs evaluating custom software usually get two unhelpful answers. Here is a more honest framework — three numbers, the payback period to evaluate against, and the risks worth pricing in.
The Real Cost of a CRM Your Team Works Around
The most expensive line item on your P&L isn't the CRM subscription. It is the parallel workflow your team runs because the CRM does not do what they need. Here is how to put a number on it.
The Busywork Audit: Find the Hidden Cost in Your Operation
Busywork is the biggest line item on your P&L that isn’t on your P&L. Here’s how to run an audit and put a real number on it in an afternoon.
The 30-Hour Workweek Hiding in Your Operation
A full workweek of time disappears every week into the friction between your systems. It’s invisible because it’s spread across everyone — and most of it is recoverable.
The Finance Case for Custom Automation
Custom automation reduces labor waste, lowers error risk, and improves consistency — measurable on a P&L.
Why Your Best Software Investment May Be a Custom Build
The most valuable software investment isn’t always the cheapest. Custom can remove recurring costs entirely.
What CFOs Should Look for in Software ROI
License cost is one input. Productivity gain, error reduction, and workaround maintenance are the others.
How to Eliminate the Spreadsheet Problem
Spreadsheets are flexible but not scalable. Here’s how to move from spreadsheet dependence to structured workflows.
How to Measure the True Cost of Manual Work
Manual work is easy to underestimate because the cost is spread across many small moments. Here’s the calculation.
Custom Software vs. Hiring More People
Hiring to cope with inefficiency doesn’t fix it — it scales it. When to add headcount, and when to add software instead.
The Hidden Cost of SaaS Sprawl for Small Businesses
The average small business spends over $4,800 per employee each year on software subscriptions — and roughly half of those licenses go unused. Here is how to find the bleed and stop it.
How Software Can Improve Accountability Across Teams
When work is tracked clearly, ownership becomes easier to see. Software makes responsibilities visible.
The Small-Business CFO's 2026 Guide to AI Investment
Most AI spending inside businesses never pays off. McKinsey found only about 5.5% of companies tie AI to real profit impact. Here is a CFO-grade framework for knowing whether your investment will.
HR, Finance, and Sales Should Not Run on Separate Logic
When departments use disconnected systems and different logic, the business pays for it in rework and delays.
How AI Is Closing the Tech Gap Between Small Businesses and Enterprises
In early 2024, large enterprises used AI at nearly twice the rate of small businesses. That gap is closing fast — and AI-assisted development is the main reason small businesses are catching up.
What AI Actually Costs a Small Business in 2026
AI tools are everywhere in 2026, and so is confusion about what they actually cost. Here is an honest line-item breakdown of building versus subscribing, and which costs stop and which don't.
The Business Case for Fewer Systems and Better Systems
More software isn’t always better. Too many tools create integration challenges and training cost.
Why We Build Fixed-Scope, Not Hourly
How a partner charges tells you whose risk they’re taking. Hourly puts scope risk on you. Fixed scope puts it on us — on purpose.
Want this kind of thinking applied to your business?
The team behind these articles builds the software too. Bring us a workflow that hurts, and we’ll model what custom would look like — no slides, no pressure.