Business Finance

Business Finance Knowledge Graph #

377 concepts organized by true dependency order - the financial knowledge graph for aspiring operators who can build software but want to understand the numbers behind every business decision.

377

Concepts

11

Categories

35

Entry Points

5

Difficulty Levels

[## Browse All Concepts →

Sortable table with difficulty ratings, prerequisites, and downstream unlock counts.](/business/inventory/)[## View Dependency Graph →

Interactive visualization showing how all 377 concepts connect.](/business/graph/)

Why This Exists #

Most engineers can build anything but struggle to read a P&L. Most MBAs can read a P&L but can't build anything. This knowledge graph bridges that gap - teaching business finance concepts in dependency order so builders can understand the financial machinery behind the companies they work in.

Business finance advice is scattered across MBA textbooks, CFA study guides, and blog posts that assume you already know the vocabulary. This decision tree layers conceptual understanding beneath every financial statement line item so you can reason from first principles when the textbook case doesn't match your situation.

A knowledge graph for understanding how businesses work financially - not just memorizing ratios.

How It Works #

Concept Nodes, Not Textbook Chapters #

Each node teaches one concept with real prerequisites. "Working Capital Management" requires understanding "Current Assets," "Current Liabilities," and "Cash Conversion Cycle" first - because without those, working capital optimization is just memorized rules of thumb.

Non-Linear Paths #

You can go deep on unit economics without touching capital structure, or deep on valuation without touching operations. The graph shows what actually depends on what - not a rigid semester-by-semester MBA sequence.

Difficulty Calibration #

Level 1 is revenue recognition and basic accounting. Level 5 is LBO modeling and capital allocation theory. Enter wherever your current knowledge puts you.

Categories #

Financial Statements & Accounting45 conceptsValuation & Time Value of Money23 conceptsCapital Allocation & Portfolio Theory49 conceptsUnit Economics & Growth28 conceptsOperations & Execution32 conceptsRisk & Decision Science40 conceptsStrategy & Positioning18 conceptsPE & M&A22 conceptsPersonal Finance77 conceptsPricing & Market Mechanisms27 conceptsPeople & Knowledge Capital16 concepts

Where to Start #

If you're starting from scratch, these foundation concepts unlock everything downstream:

[Expected Value

Expected value (notation: E[X]) answers the practical question "What should I expect on average if I repeat this random experiment many times?"](/business/expected-value/)[pipeline

Three-panel pipeline (DATA → MODEL → OBJECTIVE) matches a standard ML conceptual flow](/business/pipeline/)[Revenue

A search engine wants ads placed to maximize total revenue while ad buyers privately know their values per click](/business/revenue/)[opportunity cost

Every dollar has exactly one best use. The hidden cost of every financial decision - what you give up by choosing this over that.](/business/opportunity-cost/)[Supply-Side

Instead of 'what can we build?' (supply-side)](/business/supply-side/)[Triage

A medical triage system can split patients by 'fever? yes/no'](/business/triage/)