Why "checking your bank balance" isn't cash flow management
Your bank balance tells you what happened. Cash flow forecasting tells you what's coming. Here's why the difference matters more than you think.
Coming SoonCPA • MBA • FPAC • Founder
I'm Tulsi Chokshi — a CPA and finance veteran based in San Francisco. I've seen too many small business owners losing sleep over cash flow, spreadsheets, and "what-if" scenarios. So I'm building the tool they deserve.
The Story
For over 15 years, I've worked in finance — as a CPA, an FP&A professional, and a strategic advisor to businesses of all sizes.
I've built financial models, led forecasting cycles, and helped companies see around corners. But here's what always bothered me: the tools and expertise I used every day were only available to companies that could afford a finance team. The small business owner — the bakery, the plumber, the freelancer — was making the same high-stakes financial decisions with nothing but a bank balance and a gut feeling.
There are 33 million small businesses in the US. Most of them make financial decisions the same way: check the bank account, hope for the best. Not because they're unsophisticated — because every tool built for "cash flow forecasting" was actually built for accountants and CFOs.
Dashboards full of charts. Jargon like "variance analysis" and "rolling forecasts." Output that tells you what happened, but never what to do.
I watched a business owner stare at a perfectly accurate 12-month cash flow forecast and ask: "So... can I hire someone or not?"
The forecast had the answer buried in it. But she couldn't find it. That's not a user problem. That's a design problem. That's when I decided to build something different.
Background
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business (2019–2022)
Licensed Certified Public Accountant in California & Arizona
Certified Corporate FP&A Professional — Financial Planning & Analysis
AICPA Fundamentals of Forensic Accounting Certificate
What I'm Building
AI cash flow forecasting for small businesses. Ask questions in plain English. Get answers you can act on.
"Yes, you can afford to hire" beats a 12-month waterfall chart every time.
Every result includes a specific action. We tell you what to do, not just what the numbers say.
"You'd have about $22,800 left" — not "Your projected cash position remains within acceptable parameters."
Insights
Lessons from 15 years as a CPA and finance leader, the journey of building ForwardLens, and what I wish every small business owner knew about cash flow.
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