CFO Insights
Business & Finance
About
Startup CFO is a digital first, peer to peer group where finance people working in disruptive tech come together and advise on certain topics, ask questions and grow their peer network. This podcast was designed to cover topics that add value to CFOs and senior finance professionals. We invite industry leaders to cover technical and non-technical topics to help finance professionals grow professionally and personally. As the group has been around for 10 years, we know the ins and outs of building relationships between peers and support great conversations. By visiting our website, you can learn more about the group. https://startupcfo.tech
Episodes
- Špela Prijon, Co-founder EquityPeople.co, on the financial challenges around incentivisation
Špela Prijon, co-founder of EquityPeople.co, discusses incentivisation challenges. She covers topics such as salary benchmarking, share option schemes, and the role of secondary share sales in driving behavior.
- Alexander Wulff CEO & Co-founder at Scaleup Finance and Nume discusses the advent of the AI CFO
Alexander Wulff, CEO and Co-founder of Scaleup Finance and Nume, discusses the use of fractional CFOs supported by tech platforms and the initial stages of an AI CFO. The episode covers financial challenges for smaller businesses and how N…
- Freddie Dixon, CFO at Bright Network, shares his lessons on an optimal approach to Board Meetings
Freddie Dixon discusses his career journey and leadership as CFO at Bright Network. He shares practical insights on optimizing board meetings, focusing on purpose and stakeholder alignment for effective discussions.
- Arnon Shimoni, VP of Growth for Solvimon with a focus on AI Monetization and Marketing
Arnon Shimoni of Solvimon discusses AI monetization and billing infrastructure, highlighting the complexities and the multidisciplinary nature of billing projects. He explains why a unified approach across product, engineering, and finance…
- Joel Nordstrom, CEO and Co-founder at Atlar, discusses how AI will shape the Treasury function of the future
Joel Nordstrom, CEO and Co-founder of Atlar, discusses how AI is shaping the treasury function of the future. The conversation covers current AI applications and future developments in treasury for scaling finance teams.
- Atish Patel, CFO at Feeld, shares his insights on strategies for bootstrapped growth
Atish Patel, CFO at Feeld, shares his insights on strategies for bootstrapped growth. He discusses taking an intentional mindset on growth, margin development, and protecting gross margin for reinvestment in key business drivers.
- Emma Game, Partner at Wilson Sonsini, discusses common tax related considerations for CFOs in Tech
Emma Game discusses tax-related considerations for CFOs in technology companies. The conversation covers permanent establishment risks, sales taxes, VAT, and issues that may arise during an acquisition process.
- Albert Malikov, founder and CEO of Stacks, discusses the future of Finance teams with Guy Hutchinson
Albert Malikov, founder and CEO of Stacks, shares insights on the future of finance teams, drawing from his background at Uber and Plaid. He discusses automating month-end financial close, the impact of AI on finance, and the evolving role…
- Vivek Manipadam, founder of Gemfield Partners, highlighting important lessons for CFOs focused on an exit
Vivek Manipadam of Gemfield Partners discusses M&A and funding rounds. He shares insights on exit readiness and appraising the buyer universe for CFOs.
- Arti Modhwadia shares insights on what it takes to succeed as a Fractional CFO
Arti Modhwadia, a Fractional CFO, shares her journey in the Tech industry, offering advice for those considering a portfolio CFO career. She discusses frameworks for managing multiple businesses and balancing professional life with family…
- Rory Ribeiro, VP Finance and Operations at Vara, shares his perspective on tech-enabled finance teams and MedTech metrics
Rory Ribeiro shares insights on tech-enabled finance teams and MedTech metrics. He also discusses key narratives in high-growth businesses and the role of AI in ERP systems.
- Sanjay Bowry, CFO at Gravitee, on business partnering and the importance of hitting critical career milestones for finance leaders in Tech
Sanjay Bowry, CFO at Gravitee, discusses his career progression and the critical milestones for finance leaders in the tech industry. He shares insights on becoming an effective partner to the CEO.
- Steve Coulson, Founder and CEO at Kitt, shares his perspective on going from CFO to Founder
Steve Coulson, Founder and CEO at Kitt, shares his experiences and key learnings from transitioning out of a CFO role to become a founder and CEO. He discusses founding a business from scratch and managing work-life balance.
- Saagar Mehta, Co-founder at Northlane, shares his insights on how CFOs can influence pricing strategy
Saagar Mehta, Co-founder at Northlane, shares insights on how CFOs can influence pricing strategy. He discusses key principles of pricing, including packaging structure, price model, and price levels, to optimize sales velocity and net rev…
- Kiran Hebbar, CFO at Alloy, takes us through key takeaways for the Operational CFO
Kiran Hebbar, CFO at Alloy, shares insights on the operational CFO, including partnering with founders, investment decisions, metrics, revenue operations, and building finance teams. He also discusses his background in engineering and vent…
- Paul Barnhurst shares lessons on FP&A and commercial partnering for Tech CFOs
Paul Barnhurst shares insights on FP&A and commercial partnering for Tech CFOs. The discussion covers critical FP&A concepts, the significance of leading indicators, and communication adjustments for finance leaders.
- Joe Knowles of Smedvig Ventures shares insights on the importance of the CFO hire in a high growth tech business
Joe Knowles, VC at Smedvig Ventures, shares insights on the critical role of a CFO in high-growth tech businesses. He discusses Smedvig's investment strategy, the challenges of hiring a finance leader, and the return on investment for foun…
- Guy Hutchinson, founder of the Startup CFO Community, discussing key lessons and development steps for CFOs with Emily Lincoln-Gordon
Guy Hutchinson, founder of the Startup CFO Community, discusses its resources for Tech CFOs. He also shares insights on peer-to-peer support and career advancement within the community.
- Eleena Broadfoot, CFO at Beauty Pie, discusses critical steps managing your career path as a finance professional
Eleena Broadfoot, CFO at Beauty Pie, discusses her career path, including her experience with Virgin Group and working with passionate founders. She shares insights on assessing new roles, scaling a business, and the importance of professi…
- Anthony Danon shares insights on what Tech CFOs can learn from investors
Anthony Danon, an investor and co-founder of the Cocoa fund, discusses insights for tech CFOs. He shares tips on how to identify a great tech business and key identifiers for successful founders, based on his experience in fintech investme…
- Douglas Squirrel, coach and consulting CTO, on how Technology and Finance professionals can work in partnership
This episode features Douglas Squirrel, a Consulting CTO, who shares his expertise on fostering collaboration between technology and finance professionals. He discusses developing high-performing tech leaders and how CTOs can support busin…
- Christian Wattig, founder of FP&A Prep, on how CFOs can take their FP&A process to the next level
Christian Wattig, founder of FP&A Prep, speaks about improving the FP&A process for CFOs. He provides insights on optimizing the planning process and using advanced tools like machine learning models.
- Shane Leonard, an experienced CFO with an entrepreneurial background, on becoming a trusted advisor to founders
Shane Leonard, a CFO with an entrepreneurial background, discusses how Tech CFOs can become trusted advisors to CEOs. The conversation covers the expansive role of CFOs in VC-backed tech, where they often work with founders focused on prod…
- Ian Sutherland, CFO at Tide, discusses how CFOs can deliver on NetZero
Ian Sutherland, CFO at Tide, explains how CFOs can lead their companies to achieve Net Zero. He discusses why this objective fits within the established skills and responsibilities of a CFO.
- Mitchell Fasanya, founder at SearchLand and Fanbytes discussing pivots and the power of staying lean
In this episode, Mitchell Fasanya, founder of SearchLand and Fanbytes, discusses startup pivots and the importance of staying lean. He shares insights on making fast platform decisions and his approach to hiring for finance roles.
- Patrick Hoogendijk shares insights on operating as a strategic CFO
Patrick Hoogendijk, an accomplished professional with 25 years of experience, discusses what it takes to operate as an in-demand portfolio CFO in the US tech scene. He shares insights on how CFOs can operate commercially and work closely w…
- Alysha Randall on finance professionals and developing leadership qualities
Alysha Randall, an experienced FD and CFO, discusses leadership qualities for finance professionals. She shares her insights on managing and leading, offering tips for developing leadership behaviors expected of CFOs.
- Jonny Plein of YASO, on building a tech business for the Chinese market
Jonny Plein, cofounder at YASO, discusses building a tech business for the Chinese market, including key learnings from YASO's preseed funding round. He shares how YASO facilitates western brands' access to the Chinese consumer market and…
- Edward Keelan of Octopus Ventures on CFOs and a return to fundamentals
Edward Keelan of Octopus Ventures and Guy Hutchinson of Startup CFO discuss the shift from "growth at all costs" to a focus on business fundamentals. They explore why CFOs are adept at pursuing these fundamentals and examine the key growth…
- Kyle Brennan, COO at Feeld, on driving growth in innovative businesses
Kyle Brennan, COO at Feeld, speaks with Guy Hutchinson about his finance career and insights into business risk, financial models, and product development for business growth.
- Nick Rose CFO at Enable. A deep dive on Series C funding
Nick Rose, CFO at Enable, shares insights from their Series C funding. He discusses rebate-enabling technology and the challenges of securing equity raises in difficult market conditions.
- Phil Dorman: executive coaching and Tech CFOs
Phil Dorman, of Startup CFO, joins Guy Hutchinson to discuss the benefits of executive coaching for CFOs. They explore topics such as professional development, personal growth, and the role of businesses in society.
- Aaron Awan: building a finance career in early-stage startups
Aaron Awan, Finance Director at Hometree, shares insights on building a finance career in early-stage startups. He discusses the value of varied experiences and understanding founders and business fundamentals.
- Geoff Tamman: what CFOs can learn from Amazon
In this episode, Geoff Tamman shares insights from his 12 years at Amazon, focusing on how finance professionals can improve their interactions with businesses. He discusses the "learn and be curious" principle and the role of a customer l…
- Paul Lehair: a finance career in startups as a foundation for venture capital
Paul Lehair, Investment Director at AlbionVC, shares insights from his finance career. He discusses his experience as Finance Director at Citymapper and his transition into venture capital.
- David Rose, founder and CEO, on how to optimise your US market launch
David Rose, founder and CEO, shares insights on optimising a US market launch, drawing from his experience in sales, marketing, and business leadership. He discusses topics such as hiring in the US, compliance, bookkeeping, and investor ta…
- Rob Walker and Gabriel Huntley from Headland Communications take us through CFO considerations ahead of an IPO
This episode features Rob Walker and Gabriel Huntley from Headland Communications, who discuss CFO considerations ahead of an IPO. They cover data verification, building a corporate narrative, governance, and BAU communications.
- Prakash Shah: working closely with the Board as a Tech CFO
Prakash Shah, a portfolio CFO, discusses how Tech CFOs can effectively interact with and support their board. He shares insights on maximizing board meetings and accelerating career paths through professional coaching.
- Paddy Fletcher: a finance career as an entrepreneurial foundation
Paddy Fletcher, Founder of Port of Leith Distillery, shares insights from his finance career in tech businesses such as Hailo and WeWork, and how this became an entrepreneurial foundation. He discusses the investment process in tech focusi…
- Mary-Anne Moffatt: scaling finance in Fintechs
Mary-Anne Moffatt, CFO at Ramp Network, shares her experience in financial services and scaling finance functions in Fintechs. She discusses her role at Ramp Network, covering commercial strategy, reporting, controls, and fundraising.
- Michael Tefula: the interwoven worlds of entrepreneurship, authoring and venture investing
Michael Tefula, Head of Finance at CIRCA5000, discusses his career journey, including his time as a venture capitalist and his current role in making impact investing accessible. He shares how his entrepreneurial leanings and focus on educ…
- Philip Kelvin: From CFO to Fintech
Philip Kelvin, Co-Founder and CEO of Tranch, shares his journey from CFO to co-founding a FinTech company. He discusses how his background in finance influenced his understanding of cash flow management and led to the creation of Tranch.
- Tom Coward: What CFOs can learn from story telling
Tom Coward, CFO at Cytora, explores how storytelling can benefit CFOs. He shares his background in finance and his role at a growing technology company.
- Jay at Leela Capital: the path from CFO to Corporate Finance
Jay Dias, Founder and Managing Partner of Leela Capital, details his career trajectory from CFO to corporate finance. He shares experiences from operating finance roles and his tenure in turnaround and insolvency at PwC, with Guy Hutchinso…
- Steven Dunne at Frog Capital: CFO focus points for scaleups
Steven Dunne, Senior Partner and Head of Portfolio at Frog Capital, is featured on this episode of CFO Insights. He discusses CFO focus points for scaleups.
- Jenny Bloom: a CFO career in Tech
Jenny Bloom, a global financial executive, shares insights from her career as a CFO in tech, including her experience scaling SaaS companies like Zapier and MailChimp.