Podcasts about cfos

In Episode 47 of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore the evolving role of FP&A through the lens of three forward-looking CFOs. Dan Zhang (ClickUp), John Rettig (Bill), and Josh Schauer (insightsoftware) share how they're driving enterprise agility, leveraging AI to eliminate inefficiencies, and rethinking capital allocation. From Zhang's battle against “SaaS overload” to Rettig's “prove-it mentality” and Schauer's daily forecasting, each CFO reveals a distinct approach to enabling smarter, faster decision-making. Their insights offer a compelling look at how modern FP&A leaders are transforming strategy execution in real time.

Are you building a sales org from scratch? Or rebuilding one in the middle of an AI boom? If so, this episode is your field guide. CJ sits down with Ethan Schechter, SVP of Global Sales and Customer Success at Qodo (and the guy who helped take Snyk from $0 to $100M+ in revenue), to talk about the wild days of early-stage sales leadership. Ethan shares how he navigates “basecamp” moments and the “smile” and “cry” days of year one. He explains his approach to hiring for a new org, building internal trust while over-communicating, designing incentive structures for the early days, trading dollars for speed through discounting, and staying competitive in the fast-changing era of AI. The episode ends with an entertaining roast of LinkedIn's cringe posts, from fake ARR math to self-given nicknames and beyond.—LINKS:Ethan Schechter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanschechterQodo: https://www.qodo.aiCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:A CFO's Guide to Understanding Sales Teams, featuring Snyk's Ethan Schechter — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:07) Sponsor – Navan | Rillet | Pulley(06:10) Ethan's Career as an Early-Stage Sales Leader and Understanding Equity(10:04) The “Basecamp” Mindset and Restarting Strong(12:33) Building Out Your Rules of Engagement(14:25) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev(18:45) Navigating the “Smile and Cry” Days of Year One(24:03) Ethan's Approach to Hiring for a New Org(27:38) Building Trust With Founders as a New Sales Leader(30:19) Incentives: Creating a Commission Plan for the Early Days(34:10) Why You “Can't Divide Zero”: Handling Deal Splits(35:52) Other Early-Stage-Isms or Philosophies(38:52) Discounting at an Early-Stage Company(41:17) Selling in Today's Environment: Competitive Trap-Setting(44:47) Budgets for AI Products: Experimental ARR(45:50) Monthly Deals and Decision Cycles in the Current Environment(47:33) Remaining Competitive in the Era of AI(51:08) The Lighter (and Cringier) Side of LinkedIn(1:03:01) Wrap—SPONSORS:Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.#SalesLeadership #StartupSales #SalesStrategy #SalesCompensation #discounting This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

In Episode 47 of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore the evolving role of FP&A through the lens of three forward-looking CFOs. Dan Zhang (ClickUp), John Rettig (Bill), and Josh Schauer (insightsoftware) share how they're driving enterprise agility, leveraging AI to eliminate inefficiencies, and rethinking capital allocation. From Zhang's battle against “SaaS overload” to Rettig's “prove-it mentality” and Schauer's daily forecasting, each CFO reveals a distinct approach to enabling smarter, faster decision-making. Their insights offer a compelling look at how modern FP&A leaders are transforming strategy execution in real time.

In this episode, Shannon sits down with Pam Jordan, an experienced CFO and founder of Pivot Business Group. Together, they demystify the role of a CFO, discuss the differences between CFOs, CPAs, and bookkeepers, and share actionable advice for business owners looking to scale and build enterprise value.   What You'll Hear: [5:00] What is a fractional CFO? [10:00] The difference between CFOs, CPAs, and bookkeepers [20:00] How to get value from your CFO, even with messy books [30:00] The importance of goals and “money trauma” [40:00]Building a flexible, family-friendly business model   Learn more about our CFO firm and services: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/   Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonweinstein Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMlIuZsrllp1Uc_MlhriLvQ Follow along on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/   The information contained in this podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not individual tax advice. We love enthusiastic action, but please consult a qualified professional before implementing anything you learn.

Areeb Pasha and Khaled Alfakesh, the respective CFOs of fast-growth, consumer-focused tech firms in the Middle East, Dubizzle and Talabat, join Samer Deghali, Co-Head of Capital Markets and Advisory, MENAT, HSBC in this video podcast.They discuss their growth stories (including Talabat's experience post-IPO and Dubizzle's acquisition strategy), how they are adapting to changing consumer needs, the UAE real estate market, and their priorities ahead. They also share their advice for other businesses looking to expand in the UAE.Watch or listen to find out more.This episode was recorded on the sidelines of the HSBC Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Exchanges Conference in London on 18 June 2025. Read more about the GCC conference here https://www.business.hsbc.com/en-gb/campaigns/hsbc-gulf-cooperation-council-conference-gccDisclaimer: Views of external guest speakers do not represent those of HSBC.

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to⁠ outcomesrocket.com Voice AI is no longer a futuristic concept, it's already transforming healthcare operations by automating repetitive administrative calls, driving real ROI, and reshaping workforce strategy. In this episode, Sneh Patel, CEO of Delfino AI, explores how voice AI is transforming outbound administrative calls by fully automating repetitive payer and provider interactions. She explains how their technology handles entire call journeys end-to-end, freeing up staff for higher-value work. Beyond cost savings, Sneh emphasizes the ability to scale operations without hiring and notes a shift in the industry as customers grow more comfortable with AI-driven interactions. From her HFMA conversations, she observes that CFOs are increasingly focused on ROI, and encourages leaders to share their challenges, as today's tech can often build solutions to meet them. Tune in and learn how AI is reshaping administrative operations, how ROI is leading the conversation, and why now is the time to act boldly! Resources: Connect with and follow Sneh Patel on LinkedIn. Follow Delfino on LinkedIn and explore their website! Email Sneh directly here.

Fifteen years ago, Scott Engstrom thought utilities were boring, bureaucratic organizations where people went for job security. But after co-founding GridX in 2010 during the smart meter era, he discovered an industry full of dedicated people tackling complex challenges.GridX went the next five years without a paying customer. Then, in 2015, California mandated time-of-use rates, and the start-up found its footing. Today, Scott helps utilities nationwide design and implement sophisticated rates for a variety of programs, from electric vehicle charging to demand response programs and virtual power plants. Because as load growth from AI data centers and industrial customers strains the grid, sophisticated rate design has become more critical than ever.This week on With Great Power, Scott outlines how rate design helps utilities manage unprecedented load growth from data centers and why "growth pays for growth" protects existing customers from new infrastructure costs.TRANSCRIPT:Brad Langley: 15 years ago, Scott Engstrom had an underwhelming impression of the utility industry.Scott Engstrom: My perception was similar to the general perception of what utilities and the people who work there were like, which was these are maybe not your most motivated crew, like a semi-government job. So you go there for job security and maybe not the most adventurous or smart or energetic or hard charging.Brad Langley: But despite his perception, he still wanted to get in on some of the new action really shaking up things in the power sector.Scott Engstrom: It started in the mid to late nineties. There was a time when the U.S. utility industry was going through deregulation. Almost all 50 states were considering some of this idea of deregulating their utility and allowing for competition for the supply of energy. And it was a really interesting time because this industry that hadn't changed for 90 or a hundred years was now looking at a wholesale financial business model change.Brad Langley: Over the next decade, as Scott dove into the world of utility investing and stock trading, he learned his original perception of the industry was way off.Scott Engstrom: These people worked really hard, and they really cared both about the company – they're very loyal to the companies they worked with – and actually really cared about customers and treating customers well. And so for the most part, all of those stereotypes that I was led to believe turned out to be wrong.Brad Langley: By the late 2000s, a new wave of disruption was taking over the power sector. Smart meters had hit the scene and that gave Scott, who is now deeply entrenched and inspired by this industry, an idea.Scott Engstrom: We really built a set of software that was meant to support what it meant to install smart meters at a utility. And what changes that meant for lots of things in the organization, but particularly for us, was around the fact that smart meters were going to enable a new set of or new type of rates and programs that utilities could offer their customers. And we were going to conquer the world with our new software.Brad Langley: Unfortunately, Scott and his fellow co-founder Jian Zhang were a little bit ahead of their time. And their new company called GridX – yes, the same GridX where I currently work – went five years before finding a paying utility customer.Scott Engstrom: So we spent those five years really going to all those utilities that did invest in smart meters and showing them what we could do with our product, which was essentially a really agile, complex rate engine that could support all the new rates of the future. And they all sort of gave us very nice pats on the shoulders and said, ‘Well, we're really proud of you. Good job. Someday we're going to need this software, but it's just not today.'Brad Langley: But that all changed on July 3rd, 2015 when the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a monumental decision for Scott and his scrappy startup.Scott Engstrom: The California Public Utility Commission had an open docket focused on what they called regulatory rate reform and, in particular, time of use rates and even more specifically about making time of use rates as the default rate for residential customers in California. We had been investing in our software to support that. And so once the commission gavel went down and the order came out and they actually approved this, we were obviously really excited at GridX, not just because of what it might mean for our business, but because we really believed that these rates and new programs will have real impacts for climate change and the clean energy transition.Brad Langley: And ever since then, as rate design has continued to evolve over the past decade, Scott and his team have been working with utilities to deliver different kinds of rates to customers and educate those customers on how the rates actually work. This is With Great Power, a show about the people building the future grid, today. I'm Brad Langley. Some people say utilities are slow to change, that they don't innovate fast enough. And while it might not always seem like the most cutting edge industry, there are lots of really smart people working really hard to make the grid cleaner, more reliable, and customer centric. This week I'm talking to Scott Engstrom, co-founder and chief customer officer at GridX.Scott Engstrom: We believe that end customers have to know more about the cost of energy and that how they use energy impacts utility's ability to change the energy they supply to their customers. And so our mission is to help our clients like utilities and their customers understand the exact value of their clean energy choices.Brad Langley: Today, Scott works with utilities all across the country to implement rates for various programs from electric vehicle charging to the more classic time of use rates mandated by the CPUC now over 20 years ago. And as the economy has grown to be more reliant on electricity, so has the complexity of rate and program design. So I asked Scott about how some of these new electricity users are impacting rates. But first I asked him how he actually ended up securing his first paying customer after CPUC's 2015 mandate. So it obviously had an impact on the California IOUs like PG&E, Southern California Edison, SDG&E. How did you start to approach utilities like that knowing that PG&E is a customer of ours? What was that process to approach PG&E and start helping them comply with this new requirement?Scott Engstrom: Utilities in general have been always a little bit shy about working with startups and new companies. They always feel better when you have another customer. So even in this case where there were requirements from the public utility commission to do rate education and outreach and marketing about how these rates would affect customers and their bills and how they might be able to do better on those rates, there was obviously still some, maybe not obviously, but there still was some reticence about working with a startup like ours. We had been engaged with those utilities. This didn't come completely out of the blue. We had been planting seeds with the utilities that these were capabilities we had. Of course, they wanted to wait to see the final order and to see what the commission was going to require them to do. And once that happened it became clear that the utilities were going to have to send regular bill inserts or letters to customers – I think it was on a quarterly basis or it might've been twice a year – letting them know what time of use rates meant for them.That's no trivial exercise. I doubt many people have thought about this, but say both PG&E and Southern California Edison have around five million residential customers to do this kind of analysis. For five million customers, you've got to calculate 12 bills for each of those customers. That represents one year's worth of data on the current rates that the utility offers. And then you have to do that on the alternate rates, the time of use rates that the utilities were considering. So if there were two or three options they were considering that could be 180 or 240 million bills. So this is way beyond a spreadsheet exercise and something we had been investing in to really differentiate ourselves as the solution provider that could help both PG&E and Edison and the other utilities in California.Brad Langley: So supporting rate education was part of GridX's original product offering, but the company has expanded significantly since then. Spend a minute or two walking us through how GridX's offerings have evolved.Scott Engstrom: We thought initially GridX was going to be a great solution for billing and for back office, and that was a little hard sell. As a very small company handling millions or billions of dollars of revenue for the utilities, that was a hard pill for them to swallow. But then when this idea of rate comparisons came up, the stakes were not quite as high. If you get a rate comparison wrong, it doesn't affect the utilities financially. It may affect their reputation to a certain extent, but also in analysis, you do have a little bit of room to be not penny level accurate. If you're off by a couple of pennies, you can live with that. But we started thinking that there's a lot of systems out there that manage the meter to cash business process for utilities that probably most of your listeners are familiar with, which is really solved by a system called a customer information system and meter data management systems that help the utility really bill customers and care for them.And that's a really important business process. But the emergence of things like time of use rates and the problems they were trying to solve, we saw the emergence and the opportunity really to help utilities with a different cycle, which we call the utility product or rate lifecycle. Kind of taking a different approach to utilities and having them think of themselves more like consumer product companies – that they have their rates, and their programs should be thought of more like consumer products. Think companies. Think of their products and services that they sell. And so in the utility industry, we did really want to get the utilities to change their mindset and think about themselves as more of a product company because more products and services were going to be needed to meet the kind of decarbonization and electrification goals that they were trying to achieve. And they were going to have to figure out which products and services their customers responded to.How do they create the kind of demand flexibility they need and how do they become good? This is a muscle that the utilities didn't typically need to have before the clean energy transition. They just didn't need this. So we really started thinking about what is the utility product lifecycle? And that includes everything from designing new rates and creating the data and testimony that utilities need to bring it to their regulators and validate why those rates or products are needed or how they will impact customers or the utilities' revenue and provide the utilities with tools to create different structures and ideate on the way programs might be able to work and have them have a real data and analytics based approach to understanding those. And that lifecycle continues then from once the rate's approved to now someone is a traditional product manager. More and more we're seeing with rate design that the rates are meant to potentially change customer's behavior. We have a set of solutions that help those product and program owners be successful at driving enrollment and participation in the rate and ultimately success. And then of course, the last piece of that lifecycle then is operationalizing that rate, making it available to your customers. And that's where we've come back to our roots a little bit. And some of our utilities actually get these operationalized and make them available for billing for customers.Brad Langley: What other trends are you seeing now that makes this revolutionary idea of a rate and program lifecycle so necessary?Scott Engstrom: Yeah, for a long time when we met with customers, we would show them a graph of the duck curve here in California and talk about how that certainly has happened in California, may happen in their state as well, at least directionally. And then on top of that, we were seeing, we continue to see lots of investment in renewable energy, which is much more intermittent replacing fossil fuel coal plants. And so we were painting a picture about how those two trends were going to create mismatches in supply and demand and the way that they could solve for that was through rates and programs that created price signals for things like battery storage and electric vehicle charging and things like that to help manage those times of day when you had excess supply or excess demand. And I think that's really true, but certainly have to recognize the politics of the day.And the current administration is I think providing some headwinds to the decarbonization movement. What we do see not as a replacement, but in addition to that is this large load growth being a real force for utilities, having to again look at rate design and think about rate design for a few reasons. One of them is the demands from customers are exceeding the supply and the capacity that the utilities have. So they're scrambling. We work with a lot of our utilities, we work closely with the key account managers who manage the largest customers and are dealing with the large load growth as well. And they are looking across their system to find capacity for this load growth. It's not all AI data centers. Those are the really big chunky ones, but there's a lot of other large industrial customers that are just growing their businesses and need more power from their utilities. And so we talk to them about the ability to use demand side resources, which is calling on your customers to respond to price signals and rates and programs and use less energy at times where the economics make sense for them through the rate and program. And so we are seeing a real need from the large load growth to reconsider rate structures and innovative new programs to support that. Not to mention the tariffs for the large data centers themselves.Brad Langley: When a utility gets a request for a massive data center, or in some cases maybe two or three, what are the key rate design considerations they should be thinking through?Scott Engstrom: In the case of large data centers, the amount of infrastructure investment required to support those can be really high. And the way utility rates work is that oftentimes that investment is spread across all customers. So in this case, it's more of almost tariff design than rate design in the way that we talk about it colloquially. And those tariffs are really important to get the risks and rewards between the customer classes at a utility. I think there's been a common phrase that I've heard a lot at conferences: growth pays for growth, which means if I'm a large new customer and the utility is going to have to buy a new substation and build new transmission for me and a lot of investment in infrastructure just to hook up my data center, and that's going to cost whatever, 10 million, a hundred million dollars, that customer's on the hook for that amount.And then we've seen the other structure where the utilities have more of a take or pay type of arrangement. So the big worry is they're a customer crying wolf. They say, I need you to set up all this infrastructure for me because I'm going to set up a data center. So if the utility goes and spends that money and gets it all set up, but the data center never comes, who's on the hook for paying for that? And so we've seen in the tariff design and the dockets that we've seen around the country that the customer again is on the hook for a minimum payment on an annual basis or something that really covers that cost of infrastructure to set up. And then if they actually use the energy associated with that, great, but they certainly can't harm other customers. And I think that's a consistent theme we see is how do we create these tariffs and rate structures in a way that the system can benefit from bringing in the new load and the new customers, but the customers who otherwise shouldn't be subject to any punishment for a customer that never shows up are protected in that rate structure.Brad Langley: I gather you take this as a real concern. This has to be a focus of utilities and the large data center operators to ensure that customers that aren't using that energy aren't disadvantaged. And are utilities recognizing this and do they see that as a real concern?Scott Engstrom: Definitely. I think that we want the U.S. to be a leader in AI, so we want to create an attractive business environment for the data centers to get set up. We want them to do it quickly. There's a real challenge with supply chain and just getting the infrastructure in place to get the generation, the supply of energy in place to support them, even if you could agree on what the tariff structure is just getting all the facilities in place. And so there's this sort of, I think, interest in what's best for the country and how we want to grow that industry and support it. And it's really exciting to be in an industry like utilities, which is one of those often taken for granted industries to now see it in the center of something so important and in the public eye. And so that's really exciting.I think for our industry it's both a real great opportunity as well as potentially really big risk if this turns out as some are worried about that the demand will never materialize or it's being way overstated and we put in a lot of infrastructure and cost to support this demand and it never shows up. So I think those are really important factors that the industry is grappling with. And I'm really excited about where this goes. Of course, I would love the U.S. to remain at the forefront and for our utilities to grow and prosper by supporting the AI growth.Brad Langley: Spend a little time talking about demand flexibility more generally. Demand flex is becoming critical with supply chain constraints limiting new generation. How can rates and programs help flatten load shapes and manage peak demand more effectively?Scott Engstrom: Certainly what we've seen really consistently at a probably smaller scale are the time of use rates at utilities we've worked with, really in some cases create pretty sensational results. One of the best results we have is one of our customers in Southern California calculated that during one of the heat storms here in California in 2022 on one of the peak days, customers responding to that price signal in the time of use rates to reduce load by 75 megawatts, which at the time was equivalent to about their third largest demand response program. And you probably know, Brad, demand response programs can be pretty clunky, expensive to administer. Time of use rates can be a much more simple, elegant solution to that. So in any case, I think that demand flexibility, as I mentioned before, that as our industry has changed, as more and more customers have put distributed energy resources behind the meter, it just creates a lot more variability on the system.I think sometimes this gets framed as an inconvenience to customers, and I might put it opposite. I might say that this gives an opportunity for customers to manage their bills. There are a lot of customers who have flexibility in the way they use energy, and if the utility was to offer me an incentive to use less electricity at a time when I didn't need to, if I was a business or a residential customer with an electric vehicle, I'd be happy to take advantage of that opportunity and reduce my utility bill. So it's often positioned as an imposition on customers, but actually demand flexibility and programs and rates that are structured in the right way can deliver a lot of benefits both to the customer and to the utility and the grid. So one other example that we hear a lot of these days that certainly the FERC and others have been a lot of papers released about what VPPs or virtual power plants can do to demand or the peak periods help create demand flexibility.And that's definitely true. We see those companies that are out there that are aggregating loads through things like thermostats and electric vehicles and batteries and other resources have a real potential to do that. And we're really excited about that. And in fact, in particular at GridX, I think we're doing a couple things to really accelerate how VPPs can be successful. One is you have to get those devices out there, so you have to have customers with the thermostats, with solar on their roof, with batteries in their houses. And certainly there are early adopters who are very interested and know well the benefits of these, but for a lot of customers, they're just sort of curious, interested. And we have invested heavily in helping them understand the economics of these behind the meter resources so that utilities with incentives and rebates and really have a great value for their customers just in owning them on their own, not to mention participating in a virtual power plant program.So that's a product we call GridX Explorer, and we think it's really important to help customers as they look at more and more of these options and they become more and more economical. And then of course, you have to have the right tariff, the right rate, essentially for customers to be on who then are willing to give over control of those devices to a third party who in that control can be flexible. So helping the utilities design the right rate that create the incentives for customers to recognize the savings they're expecting and the economics they're expecting from acquiring those behind the meter resources.Brad Langley: Scott, we've worked together now for about three and a half years, very happily for me at least. I know you're a fan of the show. So this question should be on your radar here. What superpower do you bring into the energy transition?Scott Engstrom: Well, if I say humility, I think that's too much of a contradiction, right? I like to think of myself as humble and not taking myself too seriously, but I think the superpower that I really truly like to think I have, I hope I have, is the ability to see both the big picture and in detail, particularly at least when it comes to the issues that GridX is focused on. I think my background we talked about in finance and thinking about things at a very high level across lots of utilities, across lots of states, helps me see the big picture in that role. I was talking to CEOs and CFOs, so having a perspective into what's important to the C-Suite helps me think about how GridX should be helpful for those big pictures and solve big strategic problems for utilities. But then having been at a small company for so long where you had to do everything, including working with the customers on implementation, it helped me really understand the details of how do you make this all happen? What has to happen at the detail level, at the individual customer level with the systems, with the integration? So being able to bridge that high level strategic thinking with low level understanding of details, I think provides me with some superpower.Brad Langley: Agreed. Well, Scott, thank you so much for coming on the show. I loved our conversation.Scott Engstrom: Thanks, Brad. Thanks for having me on With Great Power, my favorite podcast of all.Brad Langley: Scott Engstrom is the co-founder and chief customer officer at GridX. With Great Power is produced by GridX in partnership with Latitude Studios. Delivering on the clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. GridX is the enterprise rate platform that modern utilities rely on to usher in our clean energy future. We design and implement emerging rate structures and we increase consumer investment in clean energy all while managing the complex billing needs of a distributed grid. Erin Hardick is our producer. Anne Bailey is our senior editor. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor, Sean Marquand composed the original theme song and mixed the show. The GridX production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and me, Brad Langley. If this show is providing value for you and we really hope it is, we'd love it if you could help us spread the word. You can rate or review us at Apple and Spotify, or you can share a link with a friend, colleague, or the energy nerd in your life. As always, thanks so much for listening. I'm Brad Langley.

What if HR could be measured with the same rigor as finance? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we're diving into how human capital can—and should—be treated as a value-creating investment. Dave is joined by Dr. Solange Charas, founder of HC Moneyball, co-author of Humanizing Human Capital, and professor at Columbia University. Dr. Charas shares how HC Moneyball is equipping human capital practitioners with the quantitative tools they need to speak the language of finance—helping shift HR from a qualitative support function to a strategic business partner. You'll hear insights on: Why aligning HR with financial metrics is essential for earning a seat at the executive table The impact of AI on workforce management and decision-making How to calculate and apply key metrics like HCROI The global movement toward standardized human capital reporting How to reframe the workforce from a cost center to a driver of business value This episode is a must-listen for business leaders, CFOs, and HR professionals looking to bridge the gap between people and performance. ----more---- About Solange Charas: In this enlightening episode of Behind the Numbers, host Dave Bookbinder welcomes Dr. Solange Charas to discuss the significant role of human capital in driving business success. Dr. Shirah, a professor at Columbia University and founder of HC Moneyball, shares her expertise on preparing human capital practitioners with quantitative skills to transform HR from a qualitative to a more data-oriented function. The conversation explores the importance of HR professionals speaking the language of finance to gain a strategic seat at the table, the impact of artificial intelligence on human capital, and how HC Moneyball helps organizations perceive human capital as an investment rather than an expense. Additionally, Dr. Charas introduces her co-authored book "Humanizing Human Capital," which combines future HR perspectives with data analytics for value creation. With insights into the global landscape of human capital reporting and metrics, the episode breaks down crucial formulas like the HCROI and offers a roadmap for improving workforce efficacy. The discussion also addresses challenges and opportunities within HR functions and the need for a business-minded approach to human capital management. About the Host: Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and entrepreneurs reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.    Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.    He's on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people's contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company's most valuable asset.”   Dave's book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions. He's also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.  

Is your product really ready to sell itself?Plenty of founders spot Slack, Loom, or Canva and claim, “We'll just go product-led.” The idea feels neat. No big sales team. Faster cycles. Viral growth. Yet Product-led Growth only works when the product already clears tough hurdles for ease, onboarding, and unmistakable value. Miss those, and momentum never starts.In Episode 88 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, host Brian Graf sits down with long-time CMO Stijn Hendrikse to explore why early teams often overrate PLG—and how investors can identify the warning signs before wiring funds.You'll hear hands-on ways to test whether a product can truly pull in its own demand, along with the questions VCs should ask to be sure the numbers make sense.Critical topics in this episodeThe appeal and the reality of PLG:  Why founders romanticize the model and where hidden costs creep in.A “10×” rule for product-market fit:  Milestones that must scale from tens to thousands before PLG is viable.Metrics investors must see:  Value moments and pay–stay–refer ratios (share of users who pay, stick around, and invite others) needed when ARPU is small.Keeping costs in check:  How careless spending on ads, onboarding, or extras can turn a lean approach into a cash fire.Mixing self-serve with sales:  When a small sales touch helps—start small, then grow each account.Using new capital wisely:  Deepening the winning niche instead of chasing every shiny segment.By the end, you'll know how to vet a PLG claim—whether you're shipping code or writing checks. Get ready to rethink the checklist for PLG readiness and to ask sharper questions before betting on a self-service vision. B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks is one of the most respected voices in the SaaS industry. It is hosted by two leading marketing and revenue growth experts for software:Stijn Hendrikse: Author of T2D3 CMO Masterclass & Book, Founder of KalungiBrian Graf: CEO of KalungiB2B SaaS companies move through predictable stages of marketing focus, cost and size (as described in the popular T2D3 book). The best founders, CFOs and COOs in B2B SaaS rely on a balance of marketing leadership, strategy and execution to produce the customer and revenue growth they require. Staying flexible and nimble is a key marketing asset in a hard-charging B2B world.Resources shared in this episode:How to Assess If Your B2B SaaS Company Is Ready for Scalable GrowthBSMS 23 - Product led growth vs. sales led growthLooking for a Startup Marketing Agency? Here's What Every B2B SaaS Founder Needs to Know T2D3 CMO MasterclassSubmit and vote on our podcast topicsABOUT B2B SAAS MARKETING SNACKSSince 2020, The B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast has offered software company founders, investors and leadership a fresh source of insights into building a complete and efficient engine for growth.Meet our Marketing Snacks Podcast Hosts: Stijn Hendrikse: Author of T2D3 Masterclass & Book, Founder of KalungiAs a serial entrepreneur and marketing leader, Stijn has contributed to the success of 20+ startups as a C-level executive, including Chief Revenue Officer of Acumatica, CEO of MightyCall, a SaaS contact center solution, and leading the initial global Go-to-Market for Atera, a B2B SaaS Unicorn. Before focusing on startups, Stijn led global SMB Marketing and B2B Product Marketing for Microsoft's Office platform.Brian Graf: CEO of KalungiAs CEO of Kalungi, Brian provides high-level strategy, tactical execution, and business leadership expertise to drive long-term growth for B2B SaaS. Brian has successfully led clients in all aspects of marketing growth, from positioning and messaging to event support, product announcements, and channel-spend optimizations, generating qualified leads and brand awareness for clients while prioritizing ROI. Before Kalungi, Brian worked in television advertising, specializing in business intelligence and campaign optimization, and earned his MBA at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business with a focus in finance and marketing.Visit Kalungi.com to learn more about growing your B2B SaaS company. 

Send us your thoughtsIn this episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro chats with Andrew Brummer, CFO at Distributed, about the realities of finance leadership in early-stage and high-growth businesses. From managing cashflow crises to building future-ready finance teams, Andrew shares lessons from his unconventional journey and startup experience.Topics covered include:Andrew's unique path from event management to CFOBuilding lean, scalable finance functions for startupsManaging cashflow challenges with creativity and clarityThe strategic role of FP&A in early-stage businessesNavigating investor relationships across VC and PEAdvice for new CFOs on due diligence, early wins, and adding value fastLinks mentioned:Andrew's LinkedinLearn more about Distributed  Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

40% of California's licensed doctoral psychologists come from one university that nearly failed a decade ago. Their turnaround didn't come from diversifying programs or chasing enrollment—it came from making the hardest decision in higher ed: cutting what wasn't excellent. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Andy Vaughn, President and CEO of Alliant International University, about how institutional leaders can drive university transformation by making tough calls, realigning programs, and embedding scalable mental health support into their core operations. Drawing from Alliant's strategic shift, Vaughn explains why program focus and transparent leadership are more effective than traditional diversification models. He shares how embedding mental health services into academic programs created both a market advantage and a support system for students, faculty, and staff. Topics Covered: Why eliminating underperforming programs can drive institutional transformation How program realignment strengthens financial stability and market positioning Embedding scalable mental health services into academic programs and operations The leadership imperative: transparency, inclusion, and decisive action Codifying organizational values to guide behavior and decision-making Managing faculty-administration relations with professionalism and respect Preparing for unprecedented policy and legislative changes impacting higher ed Real-World Examples Discussed: Alliant International University's strategic focus on licensure-driven programs The integration of Alliant Clinics, providing community mental health services Leadership communication practices to maintain trust during operational changes Partnering with psychology schools for scalable mental health service delivery Three Key Takeaways for Leadership: Codify and normalize institutional values so that decision-making and behaviors align across all levels. Be transparent with stakeholders about challenges and solutions, fostering trust and shared ownership of outcomes. Involve the entire institution—including part-time staff—in transformation efforts to ensure unified execution during critical periods. This episode offers a practical framework for institutional leaders navigating transformation, operational challenges, and the rising demand for campus-wide mental health support. Recommended For: Presidents, trustees, provosts, CFOs, student affairs leaders, and higher education executives focused on institutional sustainability and student success. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/university-transformation-program-focus-scalable-mental-health/   #UniversityTransformation #HigherEdLeadership #MentalHealthSupport #ProgramRealignment #HigherEducationPodcast

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1112: Carvana's stock hits jaw-dropping highs while negative equity haunts car buyers. At the same time, a new report says Gen X may quietly be the most powerful consumer group of the next decade.Show Notes with links:What once seemed like a dying online used‑car startup has roared back. Carvana's share price hit an all‑time high in late July 2025—up over 10,000% from the December 2022 bottom—while short-sellers suffered nearly $7.42 billion in losses.Q2 2025 sales hit $4.84 billion, up 42% year-over-year. Retail units sold jumped 41% to 143,280; wholesale units rose 44.5% to 72,770.Net income surged to $308 million with record profit margins across the board.Traditional peers have seen modest stock gains by comparison — AutoNation is up about 80% and Lithia around 44% — with CarMax actually down roughly 7% in the same period.CEO Ernie Garcia III called Carvana “the fastest‑growing and most profitable automotive retailer.”“This rally…is one of the most spectacular recoveries in modern market history,” said Dave Mazza, CEO of Roundhill Financial.A growing share of U.S. car buyers are finding themselves stuck in negative equity, with Edmunds reporting the average underwater loan balance at $6,754 in Q2 2025 — one of the highest levels seen in years.26.6% of new‑car trade‑ins were upside down, a four‑year high.Average negative equity climbed to $6,754, up $500 from 2024.Nearly one in three underwater trade‑ins carried $5,000–$10,000 in debt.The average monthly payment for these buyers hit $915 — $159 above the industry average.Edmunds' Ivan Drury warns: “Many are at risk of getting stuck in a cycle of debt that only grows harder to break over time.”While millennials and Gen Z grab headlines, new research shows Gen X — those born between 1965 and 1980 — may be the most influential consumer group of the next decade.Gen X is set to remain the world's highest-spending demographic through 2033.In 2025 alone, they're projected to drive $507B in food and beverage sales, $80B in beauty, and $42B in alcohol.Nearly 40% use AI assistants for shopping recommendations, defying “tech-averse” stereotypes.72% prefer name brands over private label, bucking the store-brand trend.“Gen Xers are the gatekeepers of trillions in spending, effectively serving as the CFOs of three generations,” said Wolfgang Fengler of World Data Lab.Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

AI is here, and it's sparking conversations about everything from how we work to how we report. This episode of The Pre-Read, brought to you by Workiva, dives into the heart of what happens when artificial intelligence meets the real world of finance and risk. We're talking about why CFOs, general counsels, and audit chairs are all leaning in—and what questions they're asking.  Our own CFO, Jill Klindt, spills the beans about how finance teams can use AI to make their jobs better, not replace them. Think augmenting expertise and making those tedious tasks disappear. She's also got the inside scoop on why data quality is like gold for AI success and why CFOs should lead the charge when it comes to experimenting with this new tech.  Plus, Alan Wilson, Partner at WilmerHale, gives us the straight talk on the legal side of things. He emphasizes getting your legal team involved early, treating AI just like any other business risk, and keeping an eye on how regulatory accountability is already shaping up. It's a must-listen for anyone ready to navigate the exciting, and sometimes head-scratching, world of AI.    Timestamps: 02:30 Jill K. on AI: Enhancing human expertise versus automating the mundane.  05:10 Unlocking value: Where AI fits into your income statement.  08:00 Inside Workiva's AI strategy: Collaborating to build better tech.  10:45 Why clean data is the secret sauce for AI success.  13:30 Jill K's candid advice for executives embracing the AI future.  15:45 Alan W. on looping in legal when implementing AI.  18:30 Public perception: How to talk about AI without overselling it.  21:00 Navigating the legal maze: Agencies, juries, and the “AI washing” problem.  24:30 Peering into the crystal ball: Unforeseen risks and the future of AI.     

Have you ever tried running a business like it's a utility function? Today's guest has. CJ is joined by Michaela Lehr, a seasoned FP&A leader and former CFO of ActionIQ, who breaks down how CFOs can pull levers like growth, retention, margin, and cash runway to maximize value without blowing something up. Michaela explains how not all growth is created equal and why how you grow matters as much as how much you grow. She talks about gross margin as the most sensitive area of the P&L and how to communicate with engineers about their impacts on it. The conversation also covers the rise of “experimental recurring revenue” in AI-first products, why investors are obsessed with net dollar retention, the risks of over-servicing customers, looking out for your own finance team, and what it means to budget in the real world when everything changes after board approval.—LINKS:Michaela Lehr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaela-lehr-2908996/ActionIQ: https://www.uniphore.com/actioniqCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: Loveable: https://lovable.devCanva: https://www.canva.comConcourse: https://www.concourse.co—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:20) Sponsor – Rillet | Pulley | Brex(07:33) What It Means To Run a Company Like a Utility Function(10:45) An Example of Optimising for This Utility Function Regarding AI Spend(15:36) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(19:35) Less Visible but High-Impact Levers That Drive Revenue(22:15) Gating Headcount Based on Performance Milestones(25:09) Cloud Costs as a Hidden Lever(27:30) Why How You Grow Matters As Much as How Much You Grow(30:08) Professional Services as a Necessary Investment(32:43) What ERR (Experimental Recurring Revenue) Is(36:39) Margin As the Most Sensitive Area of the P&L(38:13) Communicating With Engineers About Gross Margin(41:56) Why Investors Care So Much About Net Dollar Attention(43:53) Making Sure Your Upsells Don't Mask a Churn Problem(44:40) What Over-Servicing Your Customer Looks Like(46:58) Why the “Just Give Me My Budget” Mindset Doesn't Work(49:23) Brokering the Budget With Execs in Real Time(51:38) Looking Out for Your Own Team as a CFO(56:26) The First Sign of an Erosion of Trust(59:50) Finance's Role in Upholding Capital-T Truth(1:01:31) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A COVID-Era Multitasking Mistake(1:02:06 ) Advice to Younger Self(1:04:07) Michaela's Favorite Finance Tool(1:04:17) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.#UtilityFunction #FPandA #BusinessStrategy #GrossMargin #NetDollarRetention This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

Listen now: Spotify, Apple and YouTubeWhat happens to product management when building becomes nearly frictionless—and AI threatens to replace the “busy work” PMs have traditionally done?In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc and Ben sit down with legendary product coach Rich Mironov to explore the shifting value of product leadership in the AI era. They unpack why great PMs must now double down on customer insights, business understanding, and organizational influence rather than execution—and how this shift impacts hiring, mentorship, and career paths.From the dangers of AI-washing and backlog bloat to the rise of lifestyle businesses and the blurred line between product and business leadership, this conversation is packed with perspective for Product Leaders, aspiring founders, and anyone navigating today's chaotic tech landscape.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Imagine, it is 2026, a semiconductor plant in Penang, Malaysia is running at peak efficiency—not because of more workers, but because of agentic AI. Autonomous digital agents, each with goals, context, and decision rights, now orchestrate production lines, dynamically rerouting workflows when a machine falters or a shipment delays. These aren't rule-based bots—they reason, collaborate, and learn. In Vietnam, agentic AI forecasts monsoon-driven port congestion weeks in advance, renegotiating logistics routes with shipping partners via API—without human intervention (but with human oversight). Across ASEAN, supply chains are no longer reactive; they're anticipatory.For COOs, this is transformative. Agentic AI slashes unplanned downtime by up to 50%, optimizes inventory in real time, and ensures compliance across fragmented regional regulations. Imagine AI agents acting as autonomous supply chain managers—balancing cost, carbon, and speed across Thailand, Indonesia, and India. The future isn't just automation—it's intelligent agency. Leading manufacturers are already piloting multi-agent systems that simulate, decide, and act. The question is no longer if you adopt agentic AI—but how fast you can scale it. The next competitive edge is self-driving operations.Joining us on PodChats for FutureCOO is Tony Tay, founder and CEO, AgileAlgo1.       Give us a brief about AgileAlgo.2.       To what extent is agentic AI a good fit for process operations?3.       Which functions or workflows are the biggest candidates for autonomous agent-driven transformation?4.       What new skills or roles should we develop among our workforce to maximize human-AI collaboration?5.       What measurable ROI have early adopters in Asia achieved after implementing agentic automation?6.       What human oversight is necessary to maintain trust and accountability in automated decisions?7.       Gartner predicts that by 2027 40% of organisations will Agentic AI projects will fail. Other analysts estimate that up to 70% of current systems are hybrid and may be tied to legacy system. How do we ensure agentic AI solutions integrate smoothly with existing IT and business systems?8.       With technology refresh occurring faster than in the past, how do you see agentic AI reshape core operational processes over the next 12–24 months?9.   What is your advice for COOs and other functional leaders, perhaps working closely with the CIO and IT teams, to optimise and improve their use of agentic AI technologies?10.   As for CFOs, how should they approach the adoption of agentic AI?

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,The innovation landscape is facing a difficult paradox: Even as R&D investment has increased, productivity per dollar invested is in decline. In his recent co-authored paper, The next innovation revolution—powered by AI, Michael Chui explores AI as a possible solution to this dilemma.Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, Chui and I explore the vast potential for AI-augmented research and the challenges and opportunities that come with applying it to the real-world.Chui is a senior fellow at QuantumBlack, McKinsey's AI unit, where he leads McKinsey research in AI, automation, and the future of work.In This Episode* The R&D productivity problem (01:21)* The AI solution (6:13)* The business-adoption bottleneck (11:55)* The man-machine team (18:06)* Are we ready? (19:33)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. The R&D productivity problem (01:21)All the easy stuff, we already figured out. So the low-hanging fruit has been picked, things are getting harder and harder.Pethokoukis: Do we understand what explains this phenomenon where we seem to be doing lots of science, and we're spending lots of money on R&D, but the actual productivity of that R&D is declining? Do we have a good explanation for that?I don't know if we have just one good explanation. The folks that we both know have been both working on what are the causes of this, as well as what are some of the potential solutions, but I think it's a bit of a hidden problem. I don't think everyone understands that there are a set of people who have looked at this — quite notably Nick Bloom at Stanford who published this somewhat famous paper that some people are familiar with. But it is surprising in some sense.At one level, it's amazing what science and engineering has been able to do. We continue to see these incredible advances, whether it's in AI, or biotechnology, or whatever; but also, what Nick and other researchers have discovered is that we are producing less for every dollar we spend in R&D. That's this little bit of a paradox, or this challenge, that we see. What some of the research we've been trying to do is understand, can AI try to contribute to bending those curves?. . . I'm a computer scientist by training. I love this idea of Moore's Law: Every couple of years you can double the number of transistors you can put on a chip, or whatever, for the same amount of money. There's something called “Eroom's Law,” which is Moore spelled backwards, and basically it said: For decades in the pharmaceutical industry, the number of compounds or drugs you would produce for every billion dollars of R&D would get cut in half every nine years. That's obviously moving in the wrong direction. That challenge, I don't think everyone is aware of, but one that we need to address.I suppose, in a way, it does make sense that as we tackle harder problems, and we climb the tree of knowledge, that it's going to take more time, maybe more researchers, the researchers themselves may have to spend more time in school, so it may be a bit of a hidden problem, but it makes some intuitive sense to me.I think there's a way to think about it that way, which is: All the easy stuff, we already figured out. So the low-hanging fruit has been picked, things are getting harder and harder. It's amazing. You could look at some of the early papers in any field and it have a handful of authors, right? The DNA paper, three authors — although it probably should have included Rosalyn Franklin . . . Now you look at a physics paper or a computer science paper — the author list just goes on sometimes for pages. These problems are harder. They require more and more effort, whether it's people's talents, or whether it's computing power, or large-scale experiments, things are getting harder to do. I think there's ways in which that makes sense. Are there other ways in which we could improve processes? Probably, too.We could invest more in research, make it more efficient, and encourage more people to become researchers. To me, what's more exciting than automating different customer service processes is accelerating scientific discovery. I think that's what makes AI so compelling.That is exactly right. Now, by the way, I think we need to continue to invest in basic research and in science and engineering, I think that's absolutely important, but —That's worth noting, because I'm not sure everybody thinks that, so I'm glad you highlighted that.I don't think AI means that everything becomes cheaper and we don't need to invest in both human talent as well as in research. That's number one.Number two, as you said, we spend a lot of time, and appropriately so, talking about how AI can improve productivity, make things more efficient, do the things that we do already cheaper and faster. I think that's absolutely true. But we had the opportunity to look over history, and what has actually improved the human condition, what has been one of the things that has been necessary to improve the human condition over decades, and centuries, and millennia, is, in fact, discovering new ideas, having scientific breakthroughs, turning those scientific breakthroughs into engineering that turn into products and services, that do everything from expand our lifespans to be able to provide us with food, more energy. All those sorts of things require innovation, require R&D, and what we've discovered is the potential for AI, not only to make things more efficient, but to produce more innovation, more ideas that hopefully will lead to breakthroughs that help us all.The AI solution (6:13)I think that's one of the other potentials of using AI, that it could both absorb some of the experience that people have, as well as stretch the bounds of what might be possible.I've heard described as an “IMI,” it's an invention that makes more invention. It's an invention of a method of invention. That sounds great — how's it going to do that?There are a couple of ways. We looked at three different channels through which AI could improve this process of innovation and R&D. The first one is just increasing the volume, velocity, and variety of different candidates. One way you could think about innovation is you create a whole bunch of candidates and then you filter them down to the ones that might be most effective. Number one, you can just fill that funnel faster, better, and with greater variety. That's number one.The candidates could be a molecule, it could be a drug, it could be a new alloy, it could be lots of things.Absolutely, or a design for a physical product. One of the interesting things is, this quote-unquote “modern AI” — AI's been around for 70 years — is based on foundation models, these large artificial neural networks trained on huge amounts of data, and they produce unstructured outputs. In many cases, language, we talk about LLMs.The interesting thing is, you can train these foundation models not just to generate language, but you can generate a protein, or a drug candidate, as you were saying. You can imagine the prompt being, “Please produce 10 drug candidates that address this condition, but without the following side effects.” That's not exactly how it works, but roughly speaking, that's the potential to generate these things, or generate an electrical circuit, or a design for an air foil or an airframe that has these characteristics. Being able to just generate those.The interesting thing is, not only can you generate them faster, but there's this idea that you can create more variety. We're usefully proud as humans about our creativity, but also, that judgment or that training that we have, that experience sometimes constrains it. The famous example was some folks created this machine called AlphaGo which was meant to compete against the world champion in this game called Go, a very complex strategic game. Famously, it beat the world champion, but one of the things it did is this famous Move 37, this move that everyone who was an expert at Go said, “That is nuts. Why would you possibly do that?” Because the machine was a little bit more unconstrained, actually came up with what you might describe as a creative idea. I think that's one of the other potentials of using AI, that it could both absorb some of the experience that people have, as well as stretch the bounds of what might be possible.So you come up with the design, and then a variety of options, and then AI can help model and test them.Exactly. So you generate a broader and more voluminous set of potential designs, candidates, whether it's molecules, or chemicals, or what have you. Now you need to narrow that down. Traditionally you would narrow it down either one, through physical testing — so put something into a wind tunnel or run it through the water if you're looking at a boat design, or something like that, or put it in an electromagnetic chamber and see how the antenna operates. You'd either test it physically, and then, of course, lots of people figured out how to use physics, mathematical equations, in order to create “digital twins.” So you have these long acronyms like CFD for computational fluid dynamics, basically a virtual wind tunnel, or what have you. Or you have finite element analysis, another way to model how a structure might perform, or computational electromagnetic modeling. All these ways that you can use physics to simulate things, and that's been terrific.But some of those models actually take hours, sometimes days, to run these models. It might be faster than building the physical prototype and then modeling it — again, sometimes you just wait until something breaks, you're doing failure testing. Then you could do that in a computer using these models. But sometimes they take a really long time, and one of the really interesting discoveries in “AI” is you can use that same neural network that we've used to simulate cognition or intelligence, but now you use it to simulate physical systems. So in some ways it's not AI, because you're not creating an artificial intelligence, you're creating an artificial wind tunnel. It's just a different way to model physics. Sometimes these problems get even more complicated . . . If you're trying to put an antenna on an airplane, you need to know how the airflow is going to go over it, but you need to know whether or not the radio frequency stuff works out too, all that RF stuff.So these multiphysics models, the complexity is even higher, and you can train these neural nets . . . even faster than these physics-based models. So we have these things called AI surrogate models. They're sort of surrogates. It's two steps removed, in some ways, from actual physical testing . . . Literally we've seen models that can run in minutes rather than hours, or an hour rather than a few days. That can accelerate things. We see this in weather forecasting in a number of different ways in which this can happen. If you can generate more candidates and then test them faster, you can imagine the whole R&D process really accelerating.The business-adoption bottleneck (11:55)We know that companies are using AI surrogates, deep learning surrogates, already, but is it being applied as many places as possible? No, it isn't.Does achieving your estimated productivity increases depend more on further technological advances or does it depend more on how companies adopt and implement the technology? Is the bottleneck still in the tech itself, or is it more about business adaptation?Mostly number two. The technology is going to continue to advance. As a technologist, I love all that stuff, but as usual, a lot of the challenges here are organizational challenges. We know that companies are using AI surrogates, deep learning surrogates, already, but is it being applied as many places as possible? No, it isn't. A lot of these things are organizational. Does it match your strategy, for instance? Do you have the right talent and organization in place?Let me just give one very specific example. In a lot of R&D organizations we know, there's a separate organization for physical testing and a separate organization for simulations. Simulation, in many cases, us physics-based, but you add these deep-learning surrogates as well. That doesn't make sense at some level. I'm not saying physical testing goes away, but you need to figure out when you should physically test, when you should use which simulation methods, when you should use deep-learning surrogates or AI techniques, et cetera, and that's just one organizational difference that you could make if you were in an organization that was actually taking this whole testing regime seriously, where you're actually parsing out when the optimal amount of physical testing is versus simulation, et cetera. There's a number of things where that's true.Even before AI, historically, there was a gap between novel, new technologies, what they can do in lab settings, and then how they're applied in real-world research or in business environments. That gap, I would guess, probably requires companies to rewire how they operate, which takes time.It is indeed, and it's funny that you use the word “rewiring.” My colleagues wrote a book entitled Rewired, which literally is about the different ways, together, that you need to, as you say, rewire or change the way an organization operates. Only one of those six chapters is around the tech stack. It's still absolutely important. You've got to get all that stuff right. But it is mostly all of the other things surrounding how you change and what organization operates in order to bring the full value of this together to reach scale.We also talk about pilot purgatory: “We did this cool experiment . . .” but when is it good enough that the CFOs talks about it at the quarterly earnings report? That requires the organization to change the way it operates. That's the learning we've seen all the time.We've been serving thousands of executives on their use of AI for seven years now. Nearly 80 percent of organizations say they're regularly using AI someplace in the business, but in a separate survey, only one percent say they're mature in that usage. There's this giant gap between just using AI and then actually having the value be created. And by the way, organizations that are creating that value are accelerating their performance difference. If you have a much more productive R&D organization that churns out products that are successful in the market, you're going to be ahead of your competitors, and that's what we're seeing too.Is there a specific problem that comes up over and over again with companies, either in their implementation of AI, maybe they don't trust it, they may not know how to use it? What do you think is the problem?Unfortunately, I don't think there's just one thing. My colleagues who do this work on Rewired, for instance — you kind of have to do all those things. You do have to have the right talent and organization in place. You have to figure out scaling, for instance. You have to figure out change management. All of those things together are what underpins outsized performance, so all those things have to be done.So if companies are successful, what is the productivity impact you see? We're talking about basically the current technology level, give or take. We're not talking about human-level AI, superintelligence, we're talking about AI more or less as it exists today. Everybody wants to accelerate productivity: governments around the world, companies. So give me a feel for that.There are different measures of productivity, but here what we're talking about is basically: How many new products, successful products, can you put out in the market? Our modeling says, depending on your industry, you could double your productivity, in other words, of R&D. In other words, you could put out double the amount of products and services — new products and services — that you have been previously.Now, that's not true for every industry. By the way, the impact of that is different for different industries because for some industries you are dependent — In pharmaceuticals, the majority of your value comes from producing new products and services over time because eventually the patent runs out or whatever. There are other industries, we talk about science-based industries like chemicals, for instance. The new-product development process in chemicals is very, very close to the science of chemistry. So these levers that I just talked about — producing more candidates, being able to evaluate them more quickly, and all the other things that LLMs can do, in general, we could see potential doubling in the pace of which innovation happens.On the other hand, the chemicals industry — let's leave out specialty chemicals, but the commodity chemicals — they'll still produce ethylene, right? So to a certain extent, while the R&D process can be accelerated a great deal, the EBIT [Earnings Before Interest and Taxes] impact on the industry might be lower than it is for pharmaceuticals, for instance. But still, it's valuable. And then, again, if you're in specialty chem, it means a lot to you. So depending on where you sit in your position in the market, it can vary, but the potential is really high.The man-machine team (18:06)At least for the medium term, we're not going to be able to get rid of all the people. The people are going to be absolutely important to the process.Will future R&D look more like researchers augmented by AI or AI systems assisted by researchers? Who's the assistant in this equation? Who's working for who?It's “all of the above” and it depends on how you decide to use these technologies, but we even write in our paper that we need to be thoughtful about where you put the human in the loop. Every study, the conditions matter, but there are lots of studies where you say, look, the combination of machines and humans — so AI and researchers — is the most powerful combination. Each brings their respective strengths to it, but the funny thing is that sometimes the human biases actually decrease the performance of the overall system, and so, oh, maybe we should just go with machines. At least for the medium term, we're not going to be able to get rid of all the people. The people are going to be absolutely important to the process.When is it that people either are necessary to the process or can be helpful? In many cases, it is around things like, when is it that you need to make a decision that's a safety-critical decision, a regulatory decision where you just have to have a person look at it? That's the sort of necessity argument for people in the loop. But also, there are things that machines just don't do well enough yet, and there's a little bit of that.Are we ready? (19:33). . . AI is one of those things that can produce potentially more of those ideas that can underpin, hopefully, an improved quality of life for us and our children.If we can get more productive R&D, and then businesses get better at incorporating this into their processes and they could potentially generate more products and services, do we have a government ready for that world of accelerated R&D? Can we handle that flow? My bias says probably not, but please correct me if I'm wrong.I think one of the interesting things is people talk about AI regulation. In many of these industries, the regulations already exist. We have regulations for what goes out in pharmaceuticals, for instance. We have regulations in the aviation industry, we have regulations in the automobile industry, and in many ways, AI in the R&D process doesn't change that — maybe it should, people talk about, can you actually accelerate the process of approving a drug, for instance, but that wasn't the thing that we studied. In some ways, those processes are applied now, already, so that's something that doesn't necessarily have to changeThat said, are some of these potential innovations gated by approval processes or clinical trials processes? Absolutely. In some of those cases, the clinical trials process gait is not necessarily a regulation, but we know there's a big problem just finding enough potential subjects in order to do clinical trials. That's not a regulatory problem, that's a problem of finding people who are good candidates for actually testing these drugs.So yes, in some cases, even if we were able to double the amount of candidates that can go through the funnel on a number of these things, there will be these exogenous issues that would constrain society's ability to bring these to market. So that just says, you squeeze the balloon here and it opens up there, but let's go solve each of these problems, and one of the problems that we said that AI can help solve is increasing the number of things that you could potentially put into market if it can get past the other necessities.For a general public where so much of what they're hearing about AI tends to be about job loss, or are they stealing copyrighted material, or, yeah, people talk about these huge advances, but they're not seeing them yet. What is your elevator optimistic pitch why you may be worried about the impact of AI, but here's why I'm excited about it? Why are you excited by it?By the way, I think all those things are really important. All of those concerns, and how do we reskill the workforce, all those things, and we've done work on that as well. But the thing that I'm excited about is we need innovation, we need new ideas, we need scientific advancements, and engineering that turns them into products in order for us to improve their human condition, whether it's living longer lives, or living higher quality life, whether it's having the energy, whether it's to be able to support that in a way that doesn't cause other problems. All of those things, we need to have them, and what we've discovered is AI is one of those things that can produce potentially more of those ideas that can underpin, hopefully, an improved quality of life for us and our children.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were PromisedMicro Reads▶ Economics* The Tariffs Kicked In. The Sky Didn't Fall. Were the Economists Wrong? - NYT Opinion* AI Disruption Is Coming for These 7 Jobs, Microsoft Says - Barron's* One Way to Ease the US Debt Crisis? Productivity - Bberg Opinion* So far, only one-third of Americans have ever used AI for work - Ars▶ Business* Meta and Microsoft Keep Their License to Spend - WSJ* Meta Pivots on AI Under the Cover of a Superb Quarter - Bberg Opinion* Will Mark Zuckerberg's secret, multibillion-dollar AI plan win over Wall Street? - FT* The AI Company Capitalizing on Our Obsession With Excel - WSJ* $15 billion in NIH funding frozen, then thawed Tuesday in ongoing power war - Ars* Mark Zuckerberg promises you can trust him with superintelligent AI - The Verge* AI Finance App Ramp Is Valued at $22.5 Billion in Funding Round - WSJ▶ Policy/Politics* Trump's Tariff Authority Is Tested in Court as Deadline on Trade Deals Looms - WSJ* China is betting on a real-world use of AI to challenge U.S. control - Wapo▶ AI/Digital* ‘Superintelligence' Will Create a New Era of Empowerment, Mark Zuckerberg Says - NYT* How Exposed Are UK Jobs to Generative AI? Developing and Applying a Novel Task-Based Index - Arxiv* Mark Zuckerberg Details Meta's Plan for Self-Improving, Superintelligent AI - Wired* A Catholic AI app promises answers for the faithful. Can it succeed? - Wapo* Power Hungry: How Ai Will Drive Energy Demand - SSRN* The two people shaping the future of OpenAI's research - MIT* Task-based returns to generative AI: Evidence from a central bank - CEPR▶ Biotech/Health* How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI - Nature* Why living in a volatile age may make our brains truly innovative - NS▶ Clean Energy/Climate* The US must return to its roots as a nation of doers - FT* How Trump Rocked EV Charging Startups - Heatmap* Countries Promise Trump to Buy U.S. Gas, and Leave the Details for Later - NYT* Startup begins work on novel US fusion power plant. Yes, fusion. - E&E* Scientists Say New Government Climate Report Twists Their Work - Wired▶ Robotics/Drones/AVs* The grand challenges of learning medical robot autonomy - Science* Coal-Powered AI Robots Are a Dirty Fantasy - Bberg Opinion▶ Up Wing/Down Wing* A Revolutionary Reflection - WSJ Opinion* Why Did the Two Koreas Diverge? - SSRN* The best new science fiction books of August 2025 - NS* As measles spreads, old vaccination canards do too - FT Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe

In this deeply moving and high-impact episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, Bo and Luke are joined by Maureen O'Brien, CEO of the Global Wisdom and Leadership Forum, keynote speaker, cancer survivor, and self-proclaimed “Sales Sage.” Together, they explore the powerful intersection of leadership, sales, mindset, and purpose in healthcare HR and beyond.This is not your typical sales conversation.Maureen shares transformative insights on how HR professionals can build internal sales acumen to effectively pitch strategic initiatives to executives like CEOs, CFOs, and Boards. She introduces the concept of the “18-inch vertical drop”… connecting head and heart, and how tapping into authentic communication is key to winning support for HR-led projects in today's complex healthcare environment.

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I welcomed back Sumit Johar, CIO at BlackLine, for a timely conversation about how AI is transforming finance operations from the inside out. When we last spoke earlier this year, AI was still in the early stages of enterprise experimentation. Just a few months later, everything has shifted. Sumit shared how AI has moved well beyond pilot programs and into a space where business leaders themselves are actively requesting implementations. What stood out in our conversation was how this change has reshaped the relationship between CIOs and CFOs. The skepticism is fading, and a stronger sense of collaboration is emerging as both sides work together to drive transformation, align strategies, and reimagine outcomes. We explored the growing need for CIOs to be “multilingual”—not in the linguistic sense, but in their ability to navigate both technology and business. It's no longer enough to speak in code or technical jargon. CIOs must understand finance workflows, end-to-end processes, and the operational pressures CFOs face every day. This alignment is critical when evaluating how and where to deploy AI. Sumit also unpacked some of the core challenges around AI integration, including data quality, long-term sustainability, security, and ethical use. Unlike previous SaaS waves, AI adoption carries more complex risk vectors. Demos might impress, but real-world deployments demand rigorous controls, responsible governance, and the right culture. The conversation covered the ongoing build versus buy dilemma, why it's context-specific, and how BlackLine approaches those decisions with long-term scalability in mind. Sumit also shared how internal councils and cross-functional collaboration have helped guide AI strategy across the organization. If you're leading digital transformation or building the next phase of AI integration in your finance or IT teams, this episode offers clear, experience-driven insights. What's your organization doing to prepare for AI not as a concept, but as a day-to-day operational reality?

When Konstantin Dzhengozov turned down a corporate development role in the U.S., he wasn't walking away from opportunity—he was running toward a different kind of growth. Having helped lead the FP&A function at a fast-scaling Bulgarian tech firm through its acquisition by a U.S. public company, Dzhengozov knew what came next if he stayed the course. But “the unknown… just felt right,” he tells us. So he stayed close to Bulgaria's booming startup scene—and co-founded Payhawk.In the early days of Payhawk, Dzhengozov was a one-man finance team, juggling everything from chart of accounts and payroll to fundraising and compliance. “You kind of become a bottleneck at some point,” he tells us. “The sooner you realize that, the better.” His approach: build ahead of need. His first finance hire brought Big Four audit expertise. Next came senior hires in FP&A and tax as the company expanded across Europe and the U.S.Rather than compete as another card issuer, Payhawk positioned itself as a software company from the start, charging a subscription to solve real pain points Dzhengozov had faced firsthand: poor data visibility, lack of control, and disjointed processes. The company's dual-revenue model and international-first mindset helped it raise $240 million and become Bulgaria's first unicorn, he tells us.Today, Dzhengozov envisions AI helping CFOs compress decision cycles and model complex scenarios instantly. Still, he remains grounded in principle: “Finance should be enabling the business to grow,” not just reporting on it.

Just like the slides before a big meeting, The Pre-Read gets CFOs and execs ready for what's next. Each week, hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter connect the dots between finance, sustainability, audit, and risk — with sharp insights and unfiltered conversations from leaders navigating change at scale. If you're driving transformation or need to understand the ones who are, this is your prep. Subscribe now! 

Melissa Di Donato sees caution and volatility tightening liquidity, pressuring executives on how they use company cash for acquisitions, paying down debt, or other business activities. Short-term liquidity for U.S. corporates with revenues of $1B+ was $3.2T at the end of 1Q, a $500 billion drop from last year. Long-term debt rose as well, while available undrawn credit fell. Melissa addresses the “trust gap”: Kyriba's survey of CFOs show that 5 out of 10 are excited about the transformational impact of AI, but 8 of 10 are concerned about security and privacy risks.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper welcome digital transformation expert Tariq Munir to explore how AI and data are reshaping finance leadership. The conversation centers on the core message of Tariq's upcoming book, Reimagine Finance: A Guide to Leading in the Age of Data, AI and Digital, and how finance professionals can drive transformation without needing deep technical expertise. The episode emphasizes mindset shifts, the human role in AI adoption, and the practical use of digital twins and reasoning models in finance.Tariq Munir is a keynote speaker, writer, and digital transformation consultant with over two decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies. Formerly with PepsiCo, Tariq recently transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship. His work focuses on empowering CFOs and finance teams to lead enterprise-wide digital transformations. He's also the author of the forthcoming book Reimagine Finance, scheduled for global release with Wiley.In this episode, you will discover:Why mindset, not technical expertise, is the key to digital transformation in finance.How AI is changing leadership expectations and essential skillsets.What digital twins are and how they can optimize finance processes.The challenges of applying reasoning models in financial AI use cases.Why critical thinking and human judgment remain vital in an AI-driven world.Tariq shared his inspiring transition from corporate executive to digital transformation leader, making this episode a compelling listen for anyone aiming for future-proof finance in the AI era. His reflections on leadership, his vision for human-centered AI adoption, and practical strategies like digital twins offer essential insights for finance professionals seeking to embrace innovation, drive change, and lead with purpose in an increasingly data-driven world.Follow Tariq:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tariq-munirWebsite - https://www.tariqmunir.me/Join hosts Glenn and Paul as they unravel the complexities of AI in finance:Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[02:23] - Writing "REIMAGINE FINANCE"[03:45] - Key Takeaways For Finance Leaders[06:02] - Career Shift And Current Update[09:56] - AI And The New Breed Of Leaders[14:57] - Balancing AI And Human-Centricity[20:21] - Jobs And Technological Change[28:42] - Challenges With AI Reasoning Models[36:00] - Fun Questions & Episode Wrap-Up

We've been hard at work on our new podcast and wanted to give you a taste! Just like the slides before a big meeting, The Pre-Read gets CFOs and execs ready for what's next. Each week, hosts Alyssa Zucker and Steve Soter connect the dots between finance, sustainability, audit, and risk — with sharp insights and unfiltered conversations from leaders navigating change at scale. If you're driving transformation or need to understand the ones who are, this is your prep. Search for "The Pre-Read" wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe now!

In this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Nick Powills, CEO of Mainland and franchise marketing veteran, to unpack why many franchise brands struggle to scale. Nick breaks down the true cost of growth, the absence of RevOps thinking in franchising, and why critical metrics like LTV and CAC are often overlooked. He shares how integrating strategic CFOs, aligning operations, and rethinking technology can drive long-term value. Drawing from 20+ years of experience and his book Sticks and Stones, Nick offers a roadmap for building resilient, scalable businesses.Key Takeaways:Why capital and realistic expectations are make-or-breakThe untapped role of strategic CFOs in franchise growthAligning people, process, data, and tech for enterprise valueHow personal challenges can shape stronger business leaders Explore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

In this episode of the Super CMO Show, Srinjoy Das, a marketing leader with experience at digital-first companies like Krafton, Tencent, and Airtel, reveals the future of marketing. From his civil engineering background at NIT Trichy to his finance-heavy education at IIM Calcutta, Srinjoy brings a unique analytical perspective to modern marketing. He discusses why marketers must become fluent in finance to gain credibility with CEOs and CFOs, shares the science behind viral content creation, and explains how to authentically engage Gen Z audiences. The conversation covers everything from building content-first campaigns to understanding the metrics that matter in digital marketing, offering actionable insights for marketers navigating today's competitive landscape.About SrinjoySrinjoy Das is a marketing professional with extensive experience in digital-first companies including Krafton (PUBG Mobile), Tencent, and Airtel.  He has worked across gaming, entertainment, and telecom sectors, specialising in viral marketing, Gen Z engagement, and data-driven marketing strategies. At Krafton, he has led marketing campaigns that achieved record-breaking engagement and helped launch BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) with the “India Ki Heartbeat” campaign.5 Marketing Insights from Krafton's Srinjoy Das:

How do you keep innovating and disrupting when you're already the incumbent? And how do you prevent a $200B+ company from becoming slow and complacent? In this episode, CJ is joined by Sandeep Aujla, CFO of Intuit, who shares how one of the world's largest software companies continues to operate with the agility of a startup. With QuickBooks, TurboTax, Credit Karma, and MailChimp all falling in the Intuit family tree, serving both consumers and businesses, Sandeep breaks down the company's platform strategy, explains how he tells a unified story across these product lines, and describes how he prioritizes capital allocation. He also talks about Intuit's efforts to leverage AI to improve internal efficiencies, insights into the ideal CFO-CTO relationship, tactics for saying no, the benefits of letting stuff break, and how finance helped uncover a major growth opportunity for Intuit in the mid-market. The conversation touches on the company's 25 golden metrics, why leap years and the Super Bowl affect revenue, and the lesson Sandeep learned from a $2 coffee.—LINKS:Sandeep Aujla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aujla/Intuit: https://www.intuit.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:30) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(07:11) Sandeep's Career Journey at Intuit(09:41) The Stigma Around CFOs and Seriousness(11:01) Being the Disruptor When You're Already the Incumbent(14:04) Intuit: Software, Payments, or Services Company?(15:21) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | NetSuite |(19:00) The Intuit Family Tree(20:14) Cross-Platform Network Effects(21:54) Telling a Unified Story Across Multiple Product Lines(25:24) How Finance Discovered a Mid-Market Growth Opportunity(28:56) Reducing Churn by Keeping Customers on Platform(31:04) How Small Businesses Are Evolving To Leverage Tech and AI(34:11) How Sandeep Prioritises Capital Allocation(37:17) Tactics for Saying No Gracefully as a CFO(39:39) The Benefits of Letting Stuff Break(43:10) Reinvesting Across the Business: Consumer Versus Business(45:36) The CFO-CTO Relationship in the Age of AI(49:45) Tracking Intuit's Target for Internal AI Efficiency(52:06) Surprising Usage Patterns: Leap Years, Game of Thrones, etc(53:15) The Different Use Cases for AI Internally(55:48) The 25 Golden Metrics That Matter(58:45) Leap Years and Other Surprising Things That Impact the Business(1:00:04) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Deadline Mistake(1:02:04) Advice to Younger Self(1:03:48) Finance Software Stack(1:04:36) A Bonus Question: Printed Notes(1:05:17) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.#platformbusiness #innovation #disruption #CapitalAllocation, #FinancialSoftware Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Tired of the outdated “thirds” model in executive search? Andrew Mears was too. That's why he co-founded Lead Candidate—a niche search firm serving the pharma and bio-outsourcing sector—based on a transparent, fixed-fee subscription model that's up to 30% more cost-effective than traditional pricing. In this episode, Andrew reveals how Lead Candidate went from break-even to 133% revenue growth by rethinking everything: pricing, positioning, sales, and even internal rituals like “Tom's Day of Bad Ideas.” You'll hear how they grew entirely through referrals—no cold calls, no job scraping, no outbound—and why clients commit to 3–18 month subscription agreements that provide predictable revenue for the firm and budgeting certainty for their CFOs. If you're a recruitment firm owner frustrated with unpredictable billings, client churn, or the limitations of contingent search, this conversation will show you what's possible when you lead with values, relevance, and partnership—not pitches. Episode Highlights [3:24] Why Andrew left a COO role to start over during COVID—and how a health scare changed his outlook [12:22] The broken search pricing model—and how Lead Candidate built a better one [22:30] Defining a niche within a niche: how their positioning sets them apart [31:55] Capsule vs. Scale vs. Annual Subscription: how their pricing tiers work [43:39] Why they broke even for 2 years—then tripled revenue during a downturn [56:42] How they land clients without cold outreach [1:08:06] Tom's Day of Bad Ideas: the internal ritual that drives innovation [1:19:20] How they're using AI tools like Quill to free up human interaction Why This Subscription Model Works Instead of charging a percentage of salary in staged fees, Lead Candidate scopes each project based on hiring volume, role complexity, and delivery effort. Pricing is fixed, agreed upfront, and delivered via subscription—typically 3, 6, or 12+ months. This approach gives clients cost transparency and spending predictability—especially valuable for VC-backed, resource-constrained companies—and positions Lead Candidate as a strategic partner rather than a transactional vendor. No Cold Calls, Just Clients Lead Candidate didn't rely on cold outreach. Before launching, Andrew's team surveyed the market, co-created their offer with prospects, and built deep trust through relevance and listening. Their early clients didn't need convincing—they were already bought in. “We never sold. We just listened. The worst outcome was a great conversation.” This approach helped them create a high-conviction pipeline, long-term client relationships, and sticky recurring revenue—without chasing unqualified leads or relying on outdated biz dev tactics. A Values-First Growth Story The journey wasn't easy. For the first two years, they broke even. But Andrew and his co-founders stayed true to their niche, hired with care, and grew by reputation. By 2024, the firm had grown 133% in revenue and 250% in headcount—without compromising on culture or delivery quality. “We built the business the market told us it needed—and just stayed true to it.” About Andrew Mears Andrew is the CEO of Lead Candidate, a search firm he co-founded in 2020 to champion talent in the global life sciences sector. He began his career in HR before moving into executive recruitment, where he's spent 16+ years building national and international practices. Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn Visit Lead Candidate People and Resources Mentioned Quill AssistCV (by Odro) ChatGPT “Buy Back Your Time” by Dan Martell “Built to Sell” by John Warrilow “Molecule to Market” Podcast Connect with Mark Whitby Book a free strategy call Mark on LinkedIn @RecruitmentCoach on Instagram @MarkWhitby on Twitter

Healthcare HR is at a crossroads, and Michael Olson is one of the leaders showing the way forward. In this future-focused episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Michael, VP of HR Operations at Avera Health, to explore what it truly means to operate HR as a strategic business partner in today's high-stakes healthcare environment.

How do you build a sales culture where top performers are empowered and poor performers are not protected? In this episode, CJ is joined by Daniel Lentz, whose career has spanned sales, taking an e-commerce platform public during a global pandemic, and, interestingly, seminary. Daniel Lentz is the CFO of BigCommerce and an expert in designing comp plans that work. In this episode, he breaks down his approach to this and how to avoid the pitfalls that can easily discourage your salespeople. He explains how to align sales and marketing efforts, touching on multi-touch attribution models, before discussing why he focuses on input metrics over output metrics. The conversation covers the importance of having an operator-first mindset, the skill of having a BS detector, the challenges of navigating macroeconomic factors, the role of mentorship, and why teaching your team how the company actually makes money is the ultimate unlock.—LINKS:Daniel Lentz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-lentz-5ba8134/BigCommerce: https://www.bigcommerce.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:Customer-First Finance: PagerDuty's Secret to “Small” Public Company Success — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:28) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev(07:04) Daniel's Unconventional Career Arc(11:40) Being an Operator-First CFO(14:05) The Skill of Having a Good BS Detector(15:45) Sponsor – Navan | NetSuite | Pulley(19:16) Why People Make Things Sound More Complicated Than They Are(21:33) Transitioning From a Top Sales Rep to a Top Sales Leader(24:46) Daniel's Philosophy When Designing Comp Plans(28:53) A Hot Take on Capping Big Deals(35:01) Onboarding Great Sales Leaders(38:17) Multi-Touch Attribution Models(42:36) How Finance Can Reduce Sales Versus Marketing Turf Wars(44:52) The Metrics That Matter: Input Versus Output(47:30) Misdiagnosing Problems in SaaS Go-to-Market Models(49:00) Why Benchmarking Can Be Misleading(51:06) How Small Companies Can Compete With Big Companies(52:22) The Power of Explaining to Employees How the Company Makes Money(55:56) Why Daniel Doesn't Want Employees To Be Distracted by the Macro(57:19) Explaining Rational Interest Rates to Employees Under 30(59:24) How Mentorship Has Influenced Daniel's Career(1:01:12) Advice for Taking Investor Advice(1:03:04) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Big Career Mistake(1:04:51) Advice to Younger Self: Careerism Is a Trap(1:06:49) Finance Software Stack(1:10:32) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.#SalesComp #SalesCompPlan #InputMetrics #SalesCulture #SalesLeaders Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

We're coming to you LIVE from Riskworld 2025! In this episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl sits down with Pete Kranz, Senior Vice President at Alliant Insurance Services, for an in-depth discussion on controlling your risk finance destiny through strategic alternatives to traditional insurance. Discover why many companies are buying too much insurance, how to strike the right balance between retention and transfer, and the critical importance of actuarial analysis in making informed risk decisions. Learn about the essential relationships between risk managers, CFOs, and general counsel, and why Pete believes the key to success isn't selling products—it's delivering the right strategic advice.

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to⁠ outcomesrocket.com Patients are now the fastest-growing payer group in healthcare, and providers must adapt their financial strategies accordingly. In this episode, Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy for Cedar, addresses the growing healthcare affordability crisis, fueled by the rise of self-pay patients and high-deductible health plans. He introduces Cedar's AI agent, Kora, which helps reduce billing-related inbound calls by up to 30% through personalized, data-driven support that integrates with payors, HSAs, Medicaid, and more. Dugan stresses that as patients bear more of the financial responsibility, health systems must move beyond generic portals and adopt tailored billing strategies. He advises CFOs to view patients as key financial stakeholders and to partner with AI vendors who can prove real-world impact, not just promise innovation. Tune in and learn how smarter financial engagement and actionable AI can help health systems survive tighter margins and better serve their patients! Resources: Connect with and follow Dugan Winkie on LinkedIn. Follow Cedar on LinkedIn and explore their website! Listen to Dugan's previous episode on our podcast here!

Authvia is pioneering conversational commerce, building the infrastructure that enables businesses to accept payments through text messages, WhatsApp, and other messaging platforms. With $30 million in funding raised, the company has connected over 250 payment processors and gateways with 300+ messaging networks globally, creating a seamless payment experience that Chris Brunner believes will become bigger than traditional e-commerce. In this episode, Chris shares his journey from identifying SMS as the most ubiquitous communication channel to building a platform that processes payments with just a four-digit code, all while navigating the complex world of channel partnerships and enterprise sales.   Topics Discussed: The evolution from app fatigue to messaging-first commerce solutions Building infrastructure that connects 250+ payment processors with 300+ messaging networks The challenge of creating a new payment category without established buyers or budgets Why channel partnerships take years to mature but ultimately provide massive scale The technical innovation behind tokenized payments over messaging platforms How regulatory compliance and paper elimination drive enterprise adoption   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Sometimes being early means waiting for the market to catch up: Chris spent years building Authvia before the market was ready, describing how "channels sit" for years before they eventually activate. He emphasizes that conviction in your vision is crucial when you're ahead of market demand. B2B founders building transformative solutions should prepare for extended timelines and focus on building deep partnerships that will pay off when the market matures. Focus on the financial buyer when there's no established category: Without a clear buyer or budget line item, Chris found success by targeting CFOs and finance teams who could immediately see the cash flow impact of faster payments. He noted, "When you get into the office of the CFO, that group cares... I can get what was going to be paid in 30 days, paid in two hours." B2B founders should identify who benefits most financially from their solution and lead with those metrics. Build infrastructure that makes partners look good: Rather than trying to sell standalone solutions, Chris focused on creating technology that could be white-labeled by major payment and messaging companies. He explained, "Getting them to sell your stuff that looks and feels like your stuff is next to impossible. Getting them to sell their stuff that looks and feels like them is the home run." B2B founders should consider how their technology can enhance partners' existing offerings rather than compete with them. Channel partnerships require massive upfront investment: Chris candidly shared that the first five years of channel partnerships showed little return, saying "channels sit, right? And channels do nothing until they eventually do." However, this strategy ultimately provided access to enterprise customers that would have been impossible to reach directly. B2B founders pursuing channel strategies should prepare for long development cycles and ensure they have sufficient runway. Target the intersection of multiple pain points: Authvia succeeds by solving messaging, payments, and compliance challenges simultaneously. Chris described how customers quickly identify 17 different use cases once they understand the platform. B2B founders should look for solutions that address multiple related problems rather than point solutions, as this creates stronger value propositions and higher switching costs.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co   //   Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM 

Send us a textEpisode 140: Financial integrity isn't just about compliance—it's the cornerstone of organizational trust and success. In this thought-provoking exploration of the audit function, we dive deep into how forward-thinking CFOs are transforming what's often viewed as a necessary evil into a strategic advantage.The most effective finance leaders understand that auditing isn't about hunting for mistakes or satisfying regulators; it's about building a foundation of accuracy that enables better decision-making at every level. We examine three essential pillars that should guide your audit strategy: fostering a team with unwavering professional ethics, ensuring meticulous financial accuracy in reporting, and implementing robust internal controls to safeguard company assets. These elements aren't just technical requirements—they're competitive advantages in a business landscape where trust is increasingly valuable currency.Risk assessment emerges as a critical companion to effective auditing. By creating and continuously updating a comprehensive risk matrix, the CFO can ensure audit resources are deployed where they'll have the greatest impact. Whether you lead a small private company or a publicly traded enterprise, this strategic approach to audit planning transforms compliance activities into valuable insights that support long-term business goals. Remember, a truly effective audit function should regularly uncover areas for improvement—if your auditors never find issues, it's time to review your testing processes. The journey toward financial excellence begins with embracing auditing not as a basement-dwelling afterthought but as a spotlight illuminating your path to organizational integrity and sustainable success.Episode outline:Why is a solid audit plan essential for your organization,Measuring and assessing organizational risk, andHow the CFO shapes the audit plan to support long term strategy. Please connect with me on:1. Instagram: stephen.mclain2. Twitter: smclainiii3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiiiFor more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com.Support the show

Higher education leaders are facing the most sweeping set of federal regulatory and funding changes in over a decade. In this Washington Update episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton welcomes back frequent guest Tom Netting, president of TEN Government Strategies, to discuss the July 2025 budget reconciliation bill—federal legislation that significantly alters student loans, Pell Grants, institutional accountability, and the rules governing program eligibility. While not a formal reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the bill introduces statutory earnings-based accountability for degree programs, lifetime loan caps, professional judgment changes, and new eligibility requirements for short-term Pell programs. Netting also discusses concurrent developments in accreditation and distance education oversight, including the rise of a new accreditor in Florida and its potential implications for NC-SARA and federal triad stability. This episode is a must-listen for presidents, trustees, CFOs, and compliance officers preparing for upcoming reporting deadlines, new negotiated rulemaking cycles, and long-term institutional planning under new federal constraints. Topics Covered How the July 2025 reconciliation bill rewrites federal student aid and accountability rules What the new earnings-based accountability measure means for degree programs Pell Grant expansion for short-term workforce programs and the required outcomes thresholds The elimination of Grad PLUS loans and new lifetime borrowing caps for students and families Changes to professional judgment authority and how institutions can apply it by cohort New 90/10 revenue guidance and how it affects distance education classifications Delayed implementation of Borrower Defense and Closed School Discharge regulations The emergence of Florida's state-based accreditor and its expected NACIQI review Why NC-SARA recognition may be impacted by nontraditional accreditation The likelihood of a second reconciliation bill or technical corrections package Three Key Takeaways for Leadership Institutional leaders must prepare now for dual accountability frameworks and new reporting obligations. Expanded professional judgment offers new flexibility but must be applied with consistency and clear documentation. Accreditation and state authorization pathways are shifting—compliance teams must monitor evolving standards across federal and state lines. This episode provides critical insights for leaders navigating a changing regulatory environment, with practical implications for finance, compliance, and academic planning. Recommended For: Presidents, trustees, chief financial officers, compliance officers, and accreditation liaisons responsible for institutional strategy and Title IV eligibility. Read the transcript:  https://changinghighered.com/washington-update-july-2025-reconciliation-bill-impact-on-higher-ed/ #HigherEdPolicy #July2025ReconciliationBill #FinancialAidCompliance #FederalLegislation #HigherEducationPodcast  

This week, Sasha Orloff and Zuora CFO Todd McElhatton discuss the growing complexity of finance operations and the critical role of AI in modern accounting. They talk about the insights from the 'Modern Finance Leader' report, strategies for overcoming legacy systems, and practical advice for finance leaders navigating technological change. -- SPONSORS: Notion Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Puzzle

In this episode, CJ is joined by Chris Greiner, CFO of Zeta Global and former CFO of IBM's analytics division, where he worked on AI during the development of Watson. He's had a front-row seat to the evolution of AI across industries. He's also on a 15-quarter streak of beat-and-raise performance in his current role. Chris breaks down how strong financial stewardship can be a launch pad for innovation, not a constraint, and unpacks his “Closest to code, closest to customer” philosophy. The conversation covers how to determine whether a company's data advantage is real or just storytelling, what Chris learned from cataloging every task in the finance org, and why some things are better left unautomated. He explains what's on his personal IPO pre-flight checklist, how and why Zeta Global tracks daily revenue, and the “hustle metric” as a predictor of good salespeople. He also shares many lessons and anecdotes from his time at IBM, including one where he played tennis with the Emperor of Japan.—LINKS:Chris Greiner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgreiner1Zeta Global: https://zetaglobal.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:Monetizing Community Engagement: The Business of Fitness with Strava CFO Lily Yang - Everything You Need to Know About Sales Rep Comp + Commissions Planning w Ryan Walsh, CEO of RepVue - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:22) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(06:28) Chris's Tenure at IBM During the Development of Watson(08:24) The Evolution of Chris's Relationship With Data and AI(11:40) Why “Showing Not Telling” Is Key in Finance and Investor Relations(12:56) A Company's Data Advantage: Real Versus Storytelling(15:07) Cataloging Tasks in the Finance Org To Identify Automation Opportunities(17:02) Sponsor – NetSuite | Pulley | Brex(20:53) Enabling Internal Data Exploration Without Conflicting Results(23:13) The One Thing Chris Refuses To Automate and Why(26:46) Forecasting: The Tension Between Trusting AI and Your Own Calculations(28:58) Zeta Global's 15-Quarter Beat-and-Raise Streak(31:40) Daily Pacing and Confident Forecasting(33:58) Sizing Up Zeta Global by Daily Active Users and Usage-Based Activity(36:50) Unexpected Predictors of Customer Behaviour(38:47) The “Hustle Metric”: The Best Predictors of Good Salespeople(43:05) Chris's IPO Preflight Checklist(45:49) Strong Financial Stewardship as a Catalyst, Not a Constraint(48:10) The Top Controls That a CFO Should Have Their Eye On(49:55) The Fallacy of Having To Choose Between Growth and Margin Expansion(53:26) Finance Teams: Closer To Code Versus Closer to Customer(55:47) Value-Based Pricing(57:42) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(58:20) Making Friends With the Emperor of Japan(1:02:32) Advice to Younger Self(1:03:57) Finance Software Stack—SPONSORS:Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. Head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metrics#BeatAndRaise #CFOInsights #AIinFinance #AutomationInFinance #FinancialStewardship Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan dive deep into the critical role of the CFO in sales deals, especially in uncertain times. Joined by Elastic's Chief Sales Officer, Michael Cremen, the discussion revolves around the importance of understanding and addressing the CFO factor, failing fast, and asking the hard questions. The episode provides valuable insights for sales professionals on navigating financial implications, engaging champions effectively, and using strategic language to secure deals.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:00:36] Competing Beyond Competitors: Salespeople must recognize they're not just competing against direct competitors but against all the other potential investments the CFO could make.[00:01:44] Stacking Up Against Priorities: The real competition lies in how your cost justification compares to all the other initiatives the CFO is juggling.[00:03:24] The Timing Dilemma: Discussion on whether to go early and seek advice or go late and face critique from CFOs. Emphasis on the importance of early engagement and seeking guidance before formal proposals.[00:05:08] Champion Dynamics: The significance of going with a champion and the potential pitfalls of leaving them out of crucial conversations with CFOs.[00:07:36] Strategic Language: The hosts and Michael Kremen discuss the importance of using precise language that conveys the value proposition and justifies the presence of the sales team at the CFO level.[00:09:28] Embracing Paranoia: Encouragement for sales teams to be paranoid and vigilant, especially when dealing with high-stakes deals and engaging CFOs.HIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:08:18] "The best sales teams on the planet are paranoid, like viciously paranoid. If you think it's going to sail through and everything's fine, be careful, be paranoid."[00:10:09] "People rarely argue with their own conclusions. When you ask them to walk you through a scenario and they realize that they've just answered the question, it just makes it a lot easier."[00:11:38] "It needs to be in their language, in their parameters. If you're forcing your goals, the way you read things, the way you're measuring your customers, they don't understand it."Listen to the full episode with Michael Cremen through this link:https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/connecting-to-value-with-michael-cremenCheck out John McMahon's book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management's Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

If you're an accountant, AI might be coming for your job, but today's guest believes that there's never been a better time to be in the profession. CJ is joined by Scott Spiegel, the COO and former CFO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has decades of experience in finance and leadership at the intersection of business, mission, and membership. He breaks down how the accounting profession has changed and what skills you need to embrace in order to thrive in today's world. He also shares insights into the surprising overlap between accounting and sales, the soft skills required for a successful accounting career, and the business dynamics of nonprofits, which, contrary to public belief, can and do make money. He also tells the story about how he uncovered fraud before making his predictions for the future of accounting.—LINKS:Scott Spiegel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-spiegel-cpa/American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/homeCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.comRELATED EPISODES:Netflix Co-Founder Shares the Secrets to Being a Great CFO - Scoring Big: The Playbook for Nonprofit Financial Success with USA Hockey CFO Kelly Mahncke - Budgeting Your External Facing Time as a CFO: Tipalti's Sarah Spoja - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:43) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | NetSuite(07:21) An Intro to the AICPA(09:25) How the Accounting Path Has Changed in 20 Years(13:37) The Talent Crunch and the Relationship Side of Accounting(15:05) If You're an Accountant, Your Job Is Sales(16:02) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(20:12) The Relationship Side of Sales(23:00) Scott's Personal Product Market Fit at AICPA(24:55) Making Lateral or Downward Career Moves(27:39) Fighting for the Role You Want(30:48) Why Leaders Don't Have To Know All the Answers(33:57) A Nonprofit Can Make Money(36:16) How AICPA Has Changed the Way They Recruit for Talent(40:35) The Constraints That Come With Being a Nonprofit(42:41) No Mission Without Margin(44:35) AI in AICPA and the Accounting Industry(49:14) Keeping Your Job in the Era of AI(52:13) Stories About Fraud(55:57) How Fraud Has Changed Over the Past 5 – 10 Years(58:04) The Future of the Accounting Career Path—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run#accounting #AIAndAccounting #AICPA #FutureOfAccounting #FinanceCareers Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Julio Martinez, co-founder and CEO of Abacum. Julio shares his path from investment banking and FP&A roles to building a top-tier financial planning and analysis platform that supports companies from Series B through IPO and beyond. He dives into how Abacum is redefining business planning for finance teams, empowering them to manage increasing complexity as they scale. Julio discusses the fundraising journey, including what it took to secure over $100 million in capital and the different expectations at each round. He also breaks down the key SaaS metrics investors care about, strategies for efficient and sustainable growth, and the importance of building strong foundations rather than chasing shortcuts. If you're interested in metrics-driven growth, scaling SaaS businesses, or want a firsthand look at what it takes to lead a high-growth fintech startup, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Tune in to hear how Abacum is leveraging AI, developing a customer-obsessed platform, and what's next on their roadmap. Show Notes: 00:00 Versatile Business Planning Platform 04:23 Finance Targets in Diverse Sectors 07:08 Series B: From Ambition to Rationality 11:09 Building Strong, Sustainable Businesses 15:32 "Scaling Cold Outreach with Tech" 16:14 Targeted Email Outreach for CFOs 22:01 "Building Unbeatable, Sustainable Products" 23:43 "Building a Long-Term Iconic Business" Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/abacum-raises-25-million-in-series-a https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/abacum-raises-60-million-in-series-b Julio Martinez's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliomartinez/ Abacum's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abacum-io/ Abacum's Website: https://www.abacum.ai/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

B2B marketing has long been stuck with a somewhat boring reputation: rational, buttoned-up and forgettable. Tim Hoppin is on a mission to change that. As chief brand and creative officer at SAP, he's helping one of the world's largest software companies embrace big creative swings — and prove that business buyers are humans too. Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio. Damian Fowler (00:00):I'm Damian Fowler.Ilyse Liffreing (00:02):And I'm Ilyse Liffreing. And welcome to this edition of The Big Impression.(00:09):You might be wondering, wait, what? Isn't this The Current Podcast? I'm here to listen to brand marketers talk about the highs and lows of their brand campaign. I know I am. Well, rest assured, we've just had a little bit of a brand refresh. We're now the big impression, andDamian Fowler (00:27):That's official shout out to our creative team for the new name, which I really love actually.Ilyse Liffreing (00:32):So without further ado, let's kick off this new season with a great guest.Damian Fowler (00:39):And today we are delighted to be joined by Tim Hoppin, the chief brand and creative officer at SAP.Ilyse Liffreing (00:45):Now, SAP makes software that helps big companies run everything from payroll to supply chains, all in one integrated system. It was recently hailed by brand Z as a 23rd most valuable brand on the planet.Damian Fowler (01:00):And no doubt, some of that's thanks to Tim. He's a brand builder who spearheaded the tech company's recent B2B campaign, unstoppable, which was shortlisted at this year's Cannes Lion, and that's where we sat down with him. So we're going to start out with this sort of philosophical frame. Ryan, you have said that a brand must influence everything a company makes, says and does. Could you explain that philosophy a little bit?Tim Hoppin (01:29):Yeah, sure. I think a lot of people even just kind of reduce it down to branding, like the colors and things like that and maybe the expression a little bit. But the way I think about a brand transmits meaning to people, and it does that through lots of different formats. So when I say what a brand is, what you make, you're actually affecting the service or the product that you're actually delivering to the world. So my classic example is Harley Davidson. Those motorcycles don't use plastic and they do that very specifically because they want the brand to be expressed a certain way in products. And then when I say a brand is what a company says, that's your marketing, your communication, and then what you do is your activations, your choices on what kind of companies you're going to invest in and so on and so forth. But it's all three.Ilyse Liffreing (02:25):Yeah. Can you walk us through your recent SAP campaign, which I believe is called Unstoppable?Tim Hoppin (02:31):The campaign was built to communicate a new way we're going to market with our products, which is bringing together all the different parts of the software that we make. We tie together, we call it the SAP Business suite, and we're dramatizing it with sort of metaphors that bring it to life. For instance, sometimes if you're in business and you're in charge of something, like being head of it could feel like you're literally underwater. So we recreated what literally happens when the entire office goes underwater. So we filmed the entire office submerged underwater, and people are trying to go about their business. And of course at the end we introduced our product, which kind of drains it and gets things back to normal. And another example, sometimes when you're trying to innovate, it's like an uphill battle. So you start off and the entire building tilts on its side and we kind of go in this metaphor world where the COO is trying to march up a hill and things are coming at her and she's trying to dodge it. So they're all metaphors that we can kind of associate, but they're also very real stories. Every one of 'em is based on an actual customer story.Ilyse Liffreing (03:47):Very fun. What would you say are the key consumer business insights behind this campaign?Tim Hoppin (03:54):Yes, because purely B2B, our research is a little bit, you have to be more precise in getting those insights. So a lot of it has to do with doing interviews because there's not like a survey you're going to send out to a bunch of CFOs or CEOs and they're going to respond. They're pretty busy people. But we can do other things like get some individual interviews. We do quant studies as well as well, but it's easier to get real insights when you actually talk to real people. So more like anthropology research, I'd say, than sort of traditional marketing broad surveys.Ilyse Liffreing (04:35):Some people might say that emotional storytelling and B2B business campaigns are almost like a oxymoron of sorts. Is that at a conundrum would you say,Tim Hoppin (04:51):How many times have you seen a piece of content that's using just stock imagery talking about functional stuff and you just ignore it? And so there's this perception that that's what everybody wants and does. We are seeing a renaissance in B2B where emotional, strong, insight-driven work is what works. And so I think you're going to see more and more of that as people realize that it actually is more effective.Damian Fowler (05:22):It's interesting to me that the B2B is being put out on what you might consider consuming channels. I'm just curious to hear your take on why that was important and basically how did you activate this campaign and where did you want to put it?Tim Hoppin (05:38):Yeah, so our media team and working with their agency took the brief that we're trying to do two things. We're trying to both lead people that are maybe in market ready to buy, lead them into our ecosystem and get in touch with our salespeople. But we also recognize that SAP as a 50 plus year old company has some perceptions out there and we need to constantly reeducate the marketplace about who we are, what we stand for, and then also present ourselves to the next generation. 71% of all B2B buyers are either millennials or Gen Z, 71%.Damian Fowler (06:20):Wow, that's a amount.Tim Hoppin (06:22):Yeah, it's a lot. So to become and stay relevant, even as the world's largest enterprise software company, you can't rest on your laurels. So some of those media tactics, like being in airports or some television buys in very targeted ways is designed to get broad enough reach so that we can get people familiar with us and start to understand what we stand for so that when they're ready to buy, they're not just hearing about us for the first time. And then of course we're looking at the real data, what's happening out there? Happy to say that all of our creative work has got five stars, or hybrid is the highest you can get the system one, we're beating every industry benchmark. And then in market, the performance that we're seeing in the market is also way above all of our benchmarks. So we're excited because as we like to say, if creative doesn't work, it's not working.Ilyse Liffreing (07:14):Was there an insight that you say you took away?Tim Hoppin (07:18):I had a strong hypothesis that there would be some disruption just from visually the way the campaign is presented, especially the films. I think the thing that's really surprised me as we did our research, what a chord. It's striking with people. There's one comment that came through just from the qual study that we did where people were saying, you finally get me. Not only is the content visually arresting, but emotionally resonant, people really feel seen. And to your comment earlier about like, Hey, B2B is seen as traditional and there's such a, I'd say a traditional and sort of safe approach to just use business people doing businessy things and boats and cars moving fast and satellites flying by the camera and putting a logo at theIlyse Liffreing (08:14):End. I've seen that one. Yeah.Tim Hoppin (08:15):Yeah, I've made that one unfortunately. But to really take this risk and tell interesting stories that are based on real human insights and have emotion and are disruptive and have the very people that we're trying to reach go, thank you, thank you for seeing us, telling us a story that's different. I have this saying, if you want to be disruptive, you actually have to disrupt. And so there's also sort of a hungered SAP, we have to reinvent ourselves. We are in our product and our go-to market. And so the brand platform that we created over the last three years, now this is the next level, is taking the campaign higher. So I think we're on this momentum of transformation, and so it just felt natural to do it. And the way we're investing the does part's also coming true, frankly, the way we're investing in AI and kind of transforming what's possible from a 50 plus year old company. It's exciting.Ilyse Liffreing (09:12):Let's talk a little bit about ai.Tim Hoppin (09:14):Yeah, sure.Ilyse Liffreing (09:15):On that note, how are you guys investing in AI and what do you foresee(09:16): Damian Fowler (09:23):Creation play? Yeah, as a creative person, do you feel threatened by it orTim Hoppin (09:26):Not at all.Damian Fowler (09:29):Jump on your question. That is the question.Tim Hoppin (09:31):Yeah, it's the question of the week. Big question. It's come up so much. Actually, I was talking about this the other day.Ilyse Liffreing (09:35):You're probably tired of people talking about it.Tim Hoppin (09:38):No, I actually think what's been really refreshing is two things, always the first part of your question, which is as a company, we are basically transforming into a data and AI company. I think pretty much anybody who's going to survive has to do that. So we've made software for 50 years, but what all the companies that run on our platforms, it's the data that's the most valuable part, of course. And so the AI that we've developed is allowing people to run their businesses completely different ways. So we're investing in that as a creative person.(10:14):We're also starting to experiment with ai, for instance, trying to understand how people might react to our messages. I don't think that AI is going to replace creatives, but I think creatives are going to have to change. So you're going to have to act more like a director than a executor. I remember when I started in the business a few years ago, 25 ish, I remember the people who were still laying down typography by hand and everything. Every piece of printed material was proofed. The proofs would come into the agency and people were looking at it. And so all those people's jobs changed. And that's all this is. Human creativity will not and cannot be replicated, but it will require us to get better at being creative and know how to use these new tools.Ilyse Liffreing (11:10):Yeah, that's a great answer. We've transformed so much in 25 years. It's kind of bafflingDamian Fowler (11:18):Completely. Yeah.Ilyse Liffreing (11:19):So you're an agency guy. It does seem that B2B is getting better. Is it because of all these agency folks moving in? How?Tim Hoppin (11:30):Yeah, I think so. We're seeing, look, the agency world has changed and is contracting in some ways and it's really tough, but also it's creating opportunities for those same creative talents to move. And so it becomes a, I'd say rebalancing. I remember early in my career if you worked in a in-house agency, it was sort of looked down on like you're just not good enough for a real creative job, which was totally mean and not nice. But that was the perception. And now it's completely not that Some of the best work that's being produced is coming from in-house agencies. So you're seeing a migration from, and frankly, it's caused by clients. So clients are reducing what they're willing to pay agencies, which puts economic pressure on the agencies and they have to downsize. And then those great talented people need to pay their mortgage and put their kids through college and they're coming in house. And so my team is almost exclusively on my creative group, our exag agency people. And that's what I am too. And so that actually makes us better clients so we can work with our agencies and we know how to work with them and who they are, and sometimes we even know them from past lives. So it just makes the work better all around.Ilyse Liffreing (12:52):Is there anything in the creative realm that you're looking at or data about creativity that you think brands should co-op for B2B campaigns?Tim Hoppin (13:05):Yeah, I absolutely, interestingly, as we've seen this sort of spike in the AI chatter and everybody talking about it and sort of wringing their hands about what it's going to do for our jobs, there's been sort of a pushback in a really healthy way where people are saying, actually no humanity and really putting AI in its place, which is, it's just another tool. Yes, it's going to disrupt jobs. That is a true statement 100%, but it's not going to replace human creativity. And so as I said before, that reality is getting people back to what's important, which is storytelling, human storytelling, creativity, finding those interesting combinations that only humans can do. And that's where you're starting to see that come to life in B2B marketing is that, I said it earlier, I think it's a bit of a renaissance and a not cheesy way.Ilyse Liffreing (14:05):We have some last minute Rapid, rapid and fire, fire.Tim Hoppin (14:08):And this is your homeDamian Fowler (14:08):Stretch. Oh yeah, stretch. Stretch. Is there anything, Tim, that you're obsessed with figuring out right now?Tim Hoppin (14:17):Yeah, how to keep getting better. It's like I love seeing what people can do and I want to use new tools and new solutions. And so I'm trying to figure out where's all this AI stuff going to go and where's it going to be helpful? And how do you avoid the pit of generic communications that is a real threat from ai?Ilyse Liffreing (14:44):Did you have a favorite Cannes moment that made you stop and say, wow?Tim Hoppin (14:49):Yeah, I was in line for a session and there was a group of young lions, and this one kid, he had to be maybe 18, maybe 19, he still has his braces on, and he was so excited, so excited to be there and to go in. And I've been really worried that our industry doesn't have the next generation coming up. And I saw this kid and I was just so relieved that this kid was as excited about the start of his career as I was when I started. I mean, I would fall asleep with award animals to learn how to do this stuff better and that you could feel the energy from this kid. It was awesome.Damian Fowler (15:39):I'm so happy that a lot of students come to Cannes.Ilyse Liffreing (15:43):It is great. It fills your heart. Yeah, it does. It does.Damian Fowler (15:48):Last one.Ilyse Liffreing (15:49):So who beyond SAP, who else is doing B2B brand work very well in your view?Tim Hoppin (15:56):Well, GoDaddy won the Grand Prix for, I thought, a really fun piece of work, and it's targeted to small business, so I think you can be a little bit more courageous than sometimes we get to, but I just loved it for its wackiness and just audacious. And then also the way that they really just kind of carried across different mediums. The thing that was the best about it was they're trying to make the case for starting a small business, and they literally did that with a celebrity. It was brilliant.Ilyse Liffreing (16:41):And that's it for this edition of The Big Impression.Damian Fowler (16:44):This show is produced by Molten Hart. Our theme is by Love and caliber, and our associate producer is Sydney Cairns.Tim Hoppin (16:50):And remember, 71% of all B2B buyers are either millennials or Gen Z.Damian Fowler (16:57):I'm Damian. And I'm Ilyse,Tim Hoppin (16:59):And we'll see you next time.

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1094: Today we celebrate the industry's next generation with Automotive News' 40 Under 40,  explore why used EVs are the hottest deal on the lot, and dig into Tesla's underwhelming Grok rollout.It's time to recognize the rising stars shaping the future of the retail automotive business. Automotive News has released its 14th annual “Retail 40 Under 40” list, spotlighting the next generation of dealership leadership.This year's honorees include GMs, dealer principals, CFOs, and department heads making real moves in their stores and communities.Dealerships represented range from large groups like Hendrick and Lithia to family-run independents.Standouts include Stephanie Frink, president of Hennessy Auto Cos., and Jake Sodikoff, dual-store dealer principal and president of Steven Nissan and Kia.The list highlights broad roles—from finance and marketing to fixed ops—showing leadership can come from any department.“These honorees are driving change, growth, and innovation in one of the most competitive industries in the world,” said Automotive News in its announcement.In a cooling EV market, used electric vehicles are emerging as the best deal on the lot—thanks to deep discounts and looming tax credit expirations.Used EV sales hit a record 100,000+ units in Q2, buoyed by steep price drops of nearly 32% in 2024.Buyers like Christopher Andrzejczak scored vehicles for less than half their original sticker prices.Used EVs depreciate faster than gas cars due to concerns about battery life and tech obsolescence.Demand is surging ahead of the $4,000 used EV tax credit's scheduled end in September.Eli Cook and his wife, preparing to move from Missouri to California, bought a used 2020 Tesla Model 3 for $15,000 in cash to avoid high Bay Area gas prices and missing out on the soon-to-expire tax credit. “It really seems like we're buying the dip for used EVs right now,” Cook said.Tesla's latest software update (2025.26) includes the long-awaited arrival of Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot. But before you get too excited…Grok currently doesn't do much inside the car.Grok is only available in U.S. vehicles with AMD infotainment chips—basically, Teslas made after mid-2021.It's in beta and can't issue voice commands or interact with vehicle systems yet.Right now, it's just like having Grok on your phone… but on your car's touchscreen.Other software tweaks include syncing ambient lighting to music, personalized audio presets, and enhanced Dashcam Viewer tools.0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier1:10 Paul and Kyle are attending the 4th Annual Beaver Toyota and Mazda Golf Tournament2:20 The Automotive News 40 Under 40 List4:28 Used EVs are the Best Deal Right Now6:37 What Grok Currently Does In The Tesla AIJoin Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

M&A deals usually involve a vast amount of legal fine print, and small oversights can have very costly consequences. To help you navigate this, CJ is joined in this episode by Trey O'Callaghan, a partner in Tech, M&A, and Emerging Companies at Goodwin. Trey breaks down the strategic role M&A lawyers play throughout the deal process in terms of both legal and business advice to help avoid costly missteps. The conversation explores when to involve legal counsel, issues like sales tax and contractor classification, and common deal-killers such as IP ownership and unresolved co-founder disputes. Trey also explains why earn-outs are the most litigated part of M&A deals and how to handle them wisely. The discussion touches on the personal implications of M&A deals for CFOs and how to negotiate adequate compensation. Trey also covers non-compete and non-solicit agreements, and the importance of understanding working capital fluctuations.—LINKS:Trey O'Callaghan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trey-o-callaghan-3196896a/Goodwin: https://www.goodwinlaw.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:12) Sponsor – Navan | NetSuite | Pulley(06:55) The Types of Law Trey Specialises In(10:08) When a Company Should Engage With an M&A Lawyer(16:52) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev(21:24) Deals That Have Fallen Apart(24:15) Unpaid Sales Tax as a Common, Solvable Issue(25:27) Issues With Contractors and How To Solve Them(27:08) Problems With IP Ownership(28:37) Co-Founder Issues(29:43) The Most Litigated Part of M&A Deals: Earn-Outs(34:30) Choosing the Right Plan To Use To Sell the Company(37:11) Deal Fatigue(38:36) The TLDR on Earn-Outs(39:57) The Ideal Mindset for the CFO During the Deal Process(42:33) When and How To Negotiate Compensation as a CFO(47:55) Understanding Working Capital Fluctuations(52:25) Non-Competes: How They Work(56:34) Considerations for Non-Solicits(59:51) Closing Words for Anyone Doing an M&A Deal—SPONSORS:Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit navan.com/Runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.#MandA #MergersAndAcquisitions #MandALawyer #earnouts #CFO Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Send us a textIn this episode of The Wall Street Skinny, we're back with fan-favorite guest Justin Resnick, Managing Director at Evercore, for a deep dive into the evolving world of private equity secondaries. This follow-on to our original “Secondaries 101” episode goes beyond the basics to explore how LP- and GP-led transactions are shaping today's deal landscape. With volatility still roiling the IPO and M&A markets, secondaries have become a vital tool for investors to unlock liquidity—and Justin walks us through the key innovations and trends driving this $200 billion+ market.We get into everything from the rising use of continuation funds to newer, more complex structures like collateralized fund obligations (CFOs) and subscription lines. Justin explains how these tools are being used strategically by endowments, GPs, and secondary buyers alike, and what it all means for fund liquidity, pricing dynamics, and return profiles. We also discuss why single-asset deals are booming, how secondaries are increasingly attracting retail capital, and why this space is becoming one of the hottest desks to recruit into on Wall Street.Plus, we couldn't ignore the headlines—so we weigh in on the growing tension between banks and private equity firms over early recruiting, Goldman's controversial new loyalty oaths, and what the new on-cycle freeze means for junior talent. Whether you're a student considering a finance career, an investor curious about secondaries, or just trying to make sense of how all the pieces fit together, this episode is packed with insight.For a 14 day FREE Trial of Macabacus, click HEREOur Investment Banking and Private Equity Foundations course is LIVEnow with our M&A course included! Shop our LIBRARY of Self Paced Online Courses HEREJoin the Fixed Income Sales and Trading waitlist HERE Our content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

When Josh Schauer joined Longview, a Toronto-based software company, he had no idea that a transformative chapter of his career was just a few years away. In 2020, Longview was acquired by insightsoftware—a turning point that brought both uncertainty and opportunity. “It's kind of equal parts fear and optimism,” he tells us. “You wonder: Am I going to have a job coming out of this?”But his then-CFO advocated for him, making clear to the acquiring company, “they can't lose you.” That moment, Schauer tells us, “swung the pendulum to the opportunistic side.”Rather than move on, Schauer leaned in—ultimately rising to become CFO of insightsoftware five years later. Today, he leads finance for a company that has completed 31 acquisitions and delivers AI-powered tools for CFOs—tools Schauer uses himself.Early in his career, a mentor CFO gave Schauer full ownership of budgeting, board reporting, and strategic analysis. That experience shaped his belief that finance is “a strategic operating partner.” It's a mindset that drives his approach today, from implementing daily agile forecasting to integrating AI across functions.“We are an AI-first organization,” he explains, with AI liaisons and company-wide training supporting adoption. Though measuring ROI can be tricky, he sees clear returns in efficiency and insight.Still, he keeps people at the center: “Is the team taken care of? Do they feel engaged?” For a CFO who's navigated acquisitions and transformation, Schauer tells us, team satisfaction remains one of his top priorities.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Jimmy Bonds Podcast, where we delve into the art of leadership with CEO and visionary executive advisor Ken Merritt. Known for his transformative leadership in Fortune 500s, nonprofits, and private enterprises, Ken shares his expertise on strategy execution, organizational redesign, and enhancing leadership gravitas. Join us as we discuss the importance of humility in leadership, the critical role of CFOs, and the journey to finding one's purpose through service and mentorship. Ken's insights on financial thought leadership and the nuances of leading in today's fast-paced, disruptive business environment are not to be missed. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, established business leader, or aspiring to make a difference in your community, this episode offers valuable lessons on aligning values with strategic goals and the power of optimism in overcoming challenges.

In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, Cameron is joined by Jennifer Barnes, CEO and Founder of Optima Office, a fractional CFO service provider.During the conversation, you'll get a glimpse behind the curtain of business leadership to explore one of the most misunderstood yet essential disciplines for sustainable growth. Cameron and Jennifer discuss how executives can move from instinct-driven decisions to data-informed strategies, and why the ability to forecast with precision might be the difference between thriving and simply surviving. With real-life examples and personal anecdotes, Jennifer highlights how even successful leaders can miss critical signs when they aren't looking in the right places.You'll hear cautionary tales from companies that looked strong on the surface but were blindsided by deeper operational missteps. These stories serve as powerful reminders that misjudging certain internal dynamics can have cascading effects—especially when scaling, managing rapid change, or weathering financial uncertainty. Yet, within each challenge lies a roadmap toward clarity, if you're willing to look under the hood.Whether you're an entrepreneur wearing too many hats or part of a leadership team seeking sharper insights, this episode sheds light on how the right support structure can bring discipline, flexibility, and strategic alignment to your organization.If you've enjoyed this episode of the Second in Command podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!Enjoy!In This Episode You'll Learn:The differences between the roles of a CFO and a controller, including why a CFO looks forward to strategy and forecasting, while a controller focuses on historical accuracy and processes. (0:14)Common pain points such as not knowing gross margins by customer or product, and the importance of understanding these metrics. (8:35)The process of balance sheet cleanup and the importance of having accurate balance sheet accounts to ensure the P&L is correct. (14:11)Creating a P&L budget, balance sheet forecast, and cash flow forecast to predict future financial performance. (16:20)The potential for fractional CFOs to help companies build out their finance teams and eventually replace themselves as the company grows. (22:24)And much more...Guest Bio:Jennifer Barnes is the CEO and Founder of Optima Office, a firm that provides outsourced accounting, fractional CFO, and human resources support to nearly 300 companies nationwide, with a strong focus on the West Coast. With a commitment to flexibility and employee satisfaction, Optima operates on an hourly billing model and embraces a hybrid work environment, guided by the motto “Happy Staff = Happy Clients.” Jennifer earned her Finance and Marketing degree from the University of Arizona, completed her MBA at San Diego State University, and brings over 15 years of experience as a Controller. She has received numerous accolades, including SDBJ's Woman of the Year and the Top 50 Women of Influence in Accounting and Finance. Jennifer currently serves on several boards and is active in multiple leadership and mentorship organizations.Resources:Connect with Jennifer: Website | LinkedInConnect with Cameron:

Forget endless product certifications. Kyle Asay shows you how to get reps talking to buyers (and generating pipeline) in two weeks — so you can crush quota with a team that stands on its own.

Patch Tuesday. An Iranian ransomware group puts a premium on U.S. and Israeli targets. Batavia spyware targets Russia's industrial sector. HHS fines a Texas Behavioral Health firm for failed risk analysis. The Anatsa banking trojan targets financial institutions in the U.S. and Canada. Hackers abuse a legitimate commercial evasion framework to package infostealer payloads. Researchers discovered malicious browser extensions infecting over 2.3 million users. Joe Carrigan, co-host on Hacking Humans discusses phishing kits targeting CFOs. Can felines frustrate algorithms? Purr-haps… Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we are joined by Joe Carrigan, a co-host of Hacking Humans, as he discusses phishing kits targeting CFOs. Selected Reading Microsoft July 2025 Patch Tuesday fixes one zero-day, 137 flaws (Bleeping Computer) SAP Patches Critical Flaws That Could Allow Remote Code Execution, Full System Takeover (SecurityWeek) CISA Releases One Industrial Control Systems Advisory (CISA) Iranian ransomware group offers bigger payouts for attacks on Israel, US (The Record) New spyware strain steals data from Russian industrial companies (The Record) Mental Health Provider Fined $225K for Lack of Risk Analysis (BankInfo Security) Anatsa mobile malware returns to victimize North American bank customers (The Record) Legitimate Shellter Pen-Testing Tool Used in Malware Attacks (SecurityWeek) Researchers Reveal 18 Malicious Chrome and Edge Extensions Disguised as Everyday Tools (Infosecurity Magazine) Cat content disturbs AI models (Computerworld) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title: