Everything you need to know.
FAQs
Pricing
Are there any extra costs?
No - not for any of our content or accreditation activity. You get full access to our community platform, all of our pre-recorded content, and all of our live events for the full twelve-month membership period.
Please note that we do not cover the cost of entry into any external certification programmes (e.g. FMI certification – which we do refer to as part of our training content).
Is it $1,950 USD every year?
No. This is the cost of the initial twelve-month membership. The target for most members is to become accredited Full Stack members, which can be achieved within the first year.
After the first year, members then have the option to remain a part of the Full Stack community, with continued access to the platform and all of the live events, for a $480 annual fee ($48 per month if paid on a monthly basis).
Are there any discounts available?
Yes. Discounts are available via two routes:
At certain points in time we will offer exclusive discounts to people who attend our live events and public webinars.
We offer group booking discounts for companies looking to sign up more than one member of their team to the Full Stack programme.
Please contact Giles at giles@fullstackmodeller.com to find out more about our group booking process.
Membership & Accreditation
What does the accreditation cover?
The accreditation process tests the most important aspects of our technical training content. Members are assessed through the successful completion of key case studies at each level of the Full Stack programme. Members must also peer review other modellers’ submissions and provide feedback as part of the accreditation process.
Is the Full Stack accreditation recognised by industry?
It is certainly starting to be recognised! Full Stack Modeller won the Training Provider of the Year award at the Digital Finance Function Awards 2022, in recognition of our training programme and unique community offering.
Is it OK for several members of a team to take the courses / join live training based on one annual subscription?
The membership cost is for an individual member. There are group booking discounts available for companies seeking to enroll multiple people into our training programme.
Why is it a twelve-month membership?
We think of ourselves as more than just an online training course provider. We are building a community of finance professionals who want to engage with others and are prepared to take the time to develop themselves in a meaningful way. So we believe twelve months is about the right length of time for our new members to settle in, connect with others, work through all of the content and gain Full Stack accreditation.
If you are genuinely looking for a quick fix on a particular element of modelling knowledge, you can find far more cost-effective options than Full Stack and we’re very happy to make that clear to anyone we speak to.
What if I finish the content in 6 months?
If you do that, firstly – well done! It’s still a twelve-month membership though, and we’d like to see you engage with the community even more if you manage to finish early. You would essentially be seen as an expert / experienced modeller within the group, and that means there will be lots of members on their journey who could learn a lot from you.
We’re open to our members coming to us with suggestions for content, challenges, events, and more.
What will I gain from renewing my membership after the first twelve months?
“Renewing” probably isn’t the right term for what happens at the end of the initial twelve-month membership period.
You are choosing to remain a part of an incredible community; one that will only grow and evolve over time. This gives you ongoing access to an amazing group of modellers from all corners of the world, and continued access to all of our live events – essentially keeping you up to date with the latest updates in the industry year after year.
Skills, Requirements & Experience
Should I join if I’m not very experienced in financial modelling?
Yes. Well, if you have literally zero experience with Excel then you may want to wait a little while and pick up some basic skills before you join us. But if you understand the basics of functions and you’re comfortable with Excel’s general structure then you’re very much wanted in our community.
But I’m worried I will look stupid in front of experienced modellers.
Honestly just wait until you hear some of Giles’ questions!
We run our business and our community with two key underlying principles: honesty and teamwork. Nobody will expect you to suddenly transform into a modelling Jedi, and no question will be too basic for our group. Our more experienced members are challenged to be supportive leaders, and our less experienced members are encouraged to be vocal and open with their thoughts, ideas, and questions.
We are all about engagement. The more we talk and share with each other, the more we all stand to gain from this.
What skills will I have at the end of the year?
You can expect to have the following technical skills:
Excel fundamentals including functions, shortcuts and navigation skills, Excel Tables, Pivot Tables and Charting, Power Query, Modelling Standards and general best-practice modelling principles, actuals + forecast modelling
Advanced financial modelling including three statement modelling, valuations modelling, debt and equity financing and scenario modelling.
Data visualisation and analytics skills. We'll help you understand how to effectively share the insights of your analysis with your stakeholders - a vital part of a modellers skills set, and one which is quite often missing. We also look at the fundamentals of data analytics through our Power BI training course.
Tech skills including modular spreadsheet design tools, Excel review tools, Cloud accounting add-ins, scenario tools, and much more. As new tech comes onto our radar we will continue to expand our training in this area.
Courses & Training
Do I get one-to-one modelling support and training from the Full Stack team?
We would love to provide this, we genuinely would, but we simply do not have the capacity to offer one-to-one training support to all of our members on request. You will have a huge amount of engagement with us as a team, and we have regular check-in sessions at all levels of training as part of our live event series. At times one of the Full Stack team may be able to answer specific modelling questions for you if you post them on the platform, just as any other member of the community could.
And you can always contact us if you have any questions about the programme itself. We never want our members to sit in silence if they are unsure of what is expected of them or what their options are.
Do I have to complete elements of the course by specific dates within my membership year?
Not at all. If you want to become an accredited member by the end of your initial membership then you will have to successfully complete the key case studies within twelve months. But beyond that, you can work through the content at your own pace.
What happens if I haven’t finished the course and reached accredited status before the initial twelve month membership period ends?
If you do want to continue working towards your accreditation and remain a part of the community then you can choose to extend your membership by renewing your annual membership.
However, accreditation is not obligatory. You are equally free to call it a day after twelve months and leave us (hopefully having learned an enormous amount even if you have not gained that accreditation certificate!)
Will there be any exams?
The only assessments are case studies at each level of the content journey. So you do have to prove your modelling skills, but you also have the flexibility to submit these case studies at any point within your membership period (on a monthly rolling schedule).
How is the training content staged?
The core training journey content is delivered through pre-recorded videos, with supporting exercises and case studies. Access to all content is given to members after a short Induction phase at the start of the membership period.
Live events and community engagement facilitated by the Full Stack team are there to add even more avenues for members to learn as they progress through their membership period. Live events will often include specialist trainers and guest speakers who we will have brought in specifically to teach our members on a particular subject area. We want the best of the best for our Full Stack community.
You mention live events. When are they scheduled and what happens if I can’t join them?
Live events take place almost every week of the year. You are not obligated to attend any (attendance is not part of your accreditation assessment), and most sessions are recorded and available to watch back in your own time.
Will I have to go through every single lesson even if I don’t have many gaps in that area?
Although we recommend going through each lesson regardless, it is certainly not an obligation and you are free to skip modules if you believe you are comfortable with the skills being taught already.
Are the courses/trainings/presentations from levels 1-3 available to download upon subscription (pdf or pdf+video)? If not, are they available to be joined/watched several times during the annual subscription?
Training videos and live session recordings are not available for download. They are available via our bespoke app throughout the membership period (all you need is an internet connection).
How many hours per week will I need to commit to?
This is almost impossible to answer because we have members with such varied levels of experience. For inexperienced modellers, please assume that it will take roughly half a day a week to gain accreditation within the initial twelve-month membership period.
How different is this from the FMI course or any other courses?
FMI is not a training course; it is a recognised modelling certification based on a live examination at three levels.
Full Stack is a very comprehensive training course (or series of courses), a community of modellers from all over the world, and access to weekly live events delivered by our team and external experts.
However, we really love what the FMI offer. We are an accredited training provider for FMI, and our members get significant discounts if they choose to enter into one of the FMI certification exams.
How much contact will I have with the FSM founders throughout the journey?
You will be sick of our voices and faces by the end of the year….
Seriously, you’ll have lots of contact with us. This really is more than a set of recorded videos. This is our passion project and we love being involved in the community. If you attend enough live events, you’ll see us very regularly indeed (we’ll leave you to judge whether that’s a good or a bad thing).
Do you train in coding languages like Python and C++?
Coding languages are not a core element of our training journey, and Python and C++ are not covered at all.
How long will it take to complete the course?
We are confident any member can complete the training content and gain accreditation within the initial twelve-month membership period.