Scaling is hard. One major tension… do you bring on a full-time CFO or start with a fractional CFO: strategic financial leadership at a fraction of the cost?
Cost: Full-Time CFO vs. Fractional CFO
That means fractional CFOs come in at 10–30x lower cost while still offering seasoned leadership.
At Cypher, bookkeeping starts as low as $500/month, and fractional CFO services at $2,000/month — a scalable way to build financial structure before you can justify a full-time executive.
Why Fractional CFOs Are Becoming Essential
- Soaring demand: Fractional CFO interest has jumped 103% year-over-year.
- Longer engagements than you think: Nearly half (45.6%) of fractional CFOs stay for 1–2 years.
- Flexible, impactful leadership: Founders tap into deep expertise without hiring risk or losing agility.
Read more on financial flexibility: Revenue-Funded and Growing: A Smarter Financial Path for Startups.
Real Founder Insight: Sergey Sundukovskiy on Scaling Salesmsg
On a recent episode of Founder Files, we spoke with Sergey Sundukovskiy, PhD, Co-founder/CTO/CPO of Salesmsg.
From 3 people to 75 across 12 countries in 5 years, his team scaled through chaos. Here’s what stood out:
“CTOs in many companies are just too myopic. They’re focused on tech instead of product…”
Sergey built what he called connective tissue, a culture where product, tech, and customer insights flowed seamlessly.
A fractional CFO solves the same connective tissue problem:
- Translating financial data into decisions founders can act on
- Making sure customer needs, cash realities, and product roadmaps stay aligned
- Structuring insight into action from day one
Like Sergey’s approach at Salesmsg, the lesson is this: scaling isn’t about doing more, hiring more, spending more — it’s about connecting the right things together.
Added Benefits of Fractional CFOs
- Investor-ready reporting & credibility: Better board relations and fundraising prep.
- Strategic planning without full-time cost: Forecasts, budgets, and models done affordably.
- Reduced hiring risk: Trial without long-term commitment.
- Compliance and burnout protection: Keeps you safe while freeing CEOs to lead.
- Engagement model built for flexibility: Monthly retainers or hourly, adapting as you scale.
If you’re wondering how this ties into SaaS growth, check out Why Real-Time Financial Visibility Is the New Standard for SaaS Growth.
A Founder’s Perspective on Fractional Leadership
For a helpful explainer on the rise of fractional executives:
When to Bring One On
You’re ready for a fractional CFO when:
- Growth or investor attention is raising financial complexity.
- Your financial forecasts feel reactive, not proactive.
- You want a trusted partner to build… without paying full-time rates.
Final Thought
Sergey’s story on Founder Files reminds us: scaling is about impact, systems, and empathy, not headcount.
At Cypher, we help founders do just that — providing bookkeeping, accounting, and fractional CFO services tailored for scaling companies.
Because whether it’s 3 people or 75 across 12 countries, one truth remains: success must be measured in customer impact — and it all starts with knowing your numbers.
At Cypher, we integrate the right tools, workflows, and reporting systems so you can act quickly and scale confidently.
Whether you’re building a remote-first team like Salesmsg or navigating investor expectations, clean/clear finance & accounting is what keeps you moving forward.
Build your empire — we’ll crunch the numbers. Get started with Cypher
