Dear hustlers, founders, operators and visionaries,

Most founders know how to scale sales. Ask them how to scale operations and finance, and the room goes quiet. In this episode, we go deep into the operational backbone of fast-growing companies with Fabienne Doerig, a seasoned finance and ops leader who’s helped scale companies like WeFox and now builds back office automation tools powered by AI.

Fabienne breaks down what actually works when startups move from messy spreadsheets to streamlined systems: from saving €200K in three months through simple automation, to designing 13-week cash cockpits that update daily. Exclusively for our newsletter subscribers, Fabienne has shared additional insights below.

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How to use AI in your backoffice

What you will get out of this episode

In our conversation, Fabienne shares:

• How to start your automation journey without fancy tools, just clarity and process

• How to build a real-time, 13-week cash forecast that actually helps you sleep at night

• How to know whether to build, buy, or copy automation tools for your business

• Why the right accounting partner - and a single invoice inbox - can save you hundreds of hours

• and much more!

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Our main take away’s

1. Pain drives the most impactful change: Fabienne emphasizes that real operational impact starts when the pain becomes impossible to ignore - before a big funding round, during a business model shift, or when scaling demands outpace systems. That’s the moment to act.

2. Start with clarity, not code: Many startups rush into AI tools before understanding their core processes. The winning approach? Define key KPIs, map capabilities, and align accountability - then, and only then, automate.

3. Automation works best in the trenches: The biggest wins often come from small, overlooked areas - like automating invoice approval flows, building triggers for cash collection, or setting up daily-updated cash cockpits. These “unsexy” wins compound fast.

4. Copy with pride is a strategy, not a shortcut: Instead of building from scratch, Fabienne advises founders to leverage what's already working - through word-of-mouth, freelance automation experts, or proven agency playbooks. Innovation doesn’t have to start from zero.

5. Culture eats tools for breakfast: Tech sticks only if culture allows it. Fabienne shares how giving teams ownership and rewarding grassroots automation experiments can create change from the bottom up. It’s not just about systems, it’s about mindset.

How to reach out to Fabienne

• LinkedIn

Exclusive from Fabienne

When a founder realizes their finance setup is a mess, what’s the very first thing you tell them to fix, today, not in six months?

Make sure you have your cash under control.

If a startup can only automate one finance process this quarter, which one should it be and what’s the simplest tool to start with?

Any workflow done manual today. Start with Make, simple User interface.

What’s one mistake you’ve made in your own automation or system projects that you’d warn every founder to avoid?

Wanting it to be perfect and cover every single aspect from the beginning.

What should no scaleup team miss in their Finance tech stack today?

In their team: Someone responsible for process automation - beyond Finance. Finance depends on the automation of OtoC and all other processes.

What is success for you?

Achieving your north star KPI while people love working with you.

What books, podcasts, articles inspired you?

secretCFO & Doppelgänger.io

What’s one advice, founders should actually ignore?

Everything that is against their gut feeling.

What are habits, activities or rituals that keep you sane (while scaling your business)?

My Journal, every week I write down what I want to achieve and every day I write down the 3 things I want to get done. Keeps me focused, I believe consistency is key. Not automated, by hand

What is one “growth hack” (be it business, health or personal-wise) that has a positive impact on you or the company?

Muscle training started way too late. Fitter body, fitter mind.