> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://gridos.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build financial models with AI in GridOS

> Learn how to build DCF, budget, and revenue models in GridOS by chatting with the AI finance agent — no formulas to write by hand.

GridOS routes financial prompts to a dedicated Senior Financial Analyst agent that understands multi-section models, COGS percentages, growth rates, and discounting. You describe the model you want, the agent declares a plan, and then fills each section one step at a time — either interactively (click Apply after each preview) or hands-free using Chain Mode.

## Start your model

You have two entry points:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Hero prompt on the landing page">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the landing page">
        Navigate to the GridOS landing page at `http://127.0.0.1:8000`.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Describe your model">
        Type your model description into the hero prompt field. Be specific — include the time periods, drivers, and growth rates you want.

        ```text theme={null}
        Build a 4-quarter revenue forecast with 10% QoQ growth starting from 100
        ```

        ```text theme={null}
        Create a simple DCF model with 5-year projections and a 10% discount rate
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Submit">
        Press Enter or click the arrow button. GridOS clears the kernel, opens a fresh workbook, and auto-submits your prompt — you land on a sheet that's already building.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Open a template">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Browse templates">
        On the landing page, select one of the built-in starters: **Simple DCF**, **Monthly Budget**, **Break-Even Analysis**, **Loan Amortization**, or **Income Statement**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open and extend">
        The template pre-populates a structured workbook. Open the chat panel and ask the agent to add or adjust sections:

        ```text theme={null}
        Add a sensitivity table showing NPV at discount rates from 8% to 14%
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How the finance agent plans your model

When you ask for a multi-section build — a DCF, budget, 3-statement model, or any forecast — the agent declares a **plan** on the first turn before writing any cells. The plan shows you every section it intends to fill, the target cell range, and brief notes.

```text theme={null}
Create an operating model: revenue, COGS at 40%, gross profit, OpEx, and EBITDA across 4 quarters
```

The agent responds with a plan like:

| Section      | Target range | Notes                       |
| ------------ | ------------ | --------------------------- |
| Header row   | B2:F2        | Metric, Q1–Q4               |
| Revenue      | B3:F3        | 100 in Q1, 10% QoQ growth   |
| COGS         | B4:F4        | =MULTIPLY(revenue, 0.4)     |
| Gross Profit | B5:F5        | =MINUS(revenue, COGS)       |
| OpEx         | B6:F6        | Fixed 20 per quarter        |
| EBITDA       | B7:F7        | =MINUS(gross\_profit, OpEx) |

On that same first turn it writes the header row. Subsequent turns fill one section at a time. Click **Apply** after each preview, or use [Chain Mode](/guides/chain-mode) to apply every step automatically.

## Column alignment — the most important rule

GridOS models use a labelled layout: the first column holds row labels (text), and data starts one column to the right. The agent enforces this, but it helps to understand why.

<Warning>
  Formulas written in the wrong column produce silent errors. A formula like `=MULTIPLY(B3, 0.4)` in column C of a COGS row references the **label** cell ("Revenue"), not Q1 revenue, and returns 0.
</Warning>

For a model anchored at column B:

| Column | Content                     |
| ------ | --------------------------- |
| B      | Row labels — text, not data |
| C      | Q1 data                     |
| D      | Q2 data                     |
| E      | Q3 data                     |
| F      | Q4 data                     |

The COGS row (anchored at B4) must look like:

```text theme={null}
B4 = "COGS"
C4 = =MULTIPLY(C3, 0.4)   ← Q1 revenue, correct
D4 = =MULTIPLY(D3, 0.4)   ← Q2 revenue, correct
E4 = =MULTIPLY(E3, 0.4)   ← Q3 revenue, correct
F4 = =MULTIPLY(F3, 0.4)   ← Q4 revenue, correct
```

If the agent makes a column-alignment mistake, GridOS detects it from the formula observations and tells the agent to retry the section with corrected cell references before moving on.

## Common financial formulas

GridOS uses named formula primitives — no infix operators (`+`, `-`, `*`, `/`) are used in cells. Here are the patterns you'll see most often:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="COGS as a percentage of revenue">
    ```text theme={null}
    =MULTIPLY(C3, 0.4)
    ```

    COGS at 40% of the revenue value in C3. Replace `0.4` with your margin assumption.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Quarter-over-quarter growth">
    ```text theme={null}
    =MULTIPLY(C3, 1.1)
    ```

    10% growth over the previous quarter's value in C3.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Gross profit">
    ```text theme={null}
    =MINUS(C3, C4)
    ```

    Revenue in C3 minus COGS in C4.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Gross margin percentage">
    ```text theme={null}
    =DIVIDE(MINUS(C3, C4), C3)
    ```

    This nested call is only valid inside a [macro body](/guides/macros). In a grid cell, define a `MARGIN` macro first, then call `=MARGIN(C3, C4)`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Discounted cash flow">
    ```text theme={null}
    =DIVIDE(C3, MULTIPLY(1.1, 1.1))
    ```

    Discounting by 10% over two periods. For longer projections, ask the agent to build the full DCF structure with a terminal value row.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Example prompts to try

```text theme={null}
Build a 4-quarter revenue forecast with 10% QoQ growth starting at 100
```

```text theme={null}
Create a simple DCF model with 5 years of free cash flows and a 10% WACC
```

```text theme={null}
Add a monthly budget with headcount, salaries, and a variance column vs. actuals
```

```text theme={null}
Build an income statement: revenue, COGS, gross profit, SG&A, and net income
```

## Tips for large models

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use Chain Mode" icon="link">
    For models with more than four or five sections, enable [Chain Mode](/guides/chain-mode). The agent auto-applies each section and keeps going until the entire plan is done — no clicking Apply on every step.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Start from a template" icon="copy">
    Built-in templates give you a correct skeleton to extend. Opening **Simple DCF** and then asking the agent to add rows is faster than building from a blank sheet.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Define macros for ratios" icon="function">
    Ratio formulas like gross margin or EBITDA margin repeat across many rows. Define a [macro](/guides/macros) once and call it from every cell — cleaner and less error-prone.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Lock your assumptions" icon="lock">
    After entering your base assumptions, right-click the cells and lock them. The AI can't overwrite locked cells, so your inputs stay safe during subsequent chain runs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>