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Being a SaaS founder is hard.

Product-market fit. Customer acquisition. Culture. Cash flow. Scaling… It’s a lot!

There’s no roadmap, no magic formula—just hard-earned lessons from those who’ve been there.

The SaaS Builder Podcast cuts through the noise to bring you actionable tactics and fresh perspectives from SaaS founders, growth strategists, and finance leaders.

Join Randy Wootton—CEO of Maxio and seasoned SaaS leader—as he hosts conversations with the voices shaping the SaaS industry. From founders scaling startups to CFOs mastering financial growth, Randy & his guests unpack the decisions, strategies, and challenges that define success in SaaS.

No fluff. No filler. Just the conversations that move your SaaS business forward.

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P.S. We're always on the lookout for SaaS experts. For speaking inquiries, fill out this form. For all other inquiries, email podcast@saasbuilderpod.com.

Produced by I Hear Everything

Credits

Benjamin Shapiro
Randy Wootton

Unlocking Growth: Retention and Metrics in SaaS Fundraising with Todd Gardner

In the season premiere of the Saas Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Todd Gardner, Managing Director at SaaS Advisors and founder of SaaS Capital. Randy and Todd discuss the current state of the capital markets for SaaS companies and the recent deceleration in the growth rate of SaaS companies. Todd emphasizes the value of three key metrics for fundraising: growth, profitability, and retention. He explains that while growth has traditionally been the most important metric, retention is now taking precedence and stresses that SaaS companies need to focus on improving their gross revenue retention and be intentional about their growth and profitability strategies. Todd also encourages companies to test the market for fundraising opportunities, as capital is still available for the right companies.

Quotes

“Gross takes out the effects of cross-selling and price increases and even some usage-based increases. And gross is believed to be, and I think a more pure measurement of the stickiness of the revenue stream. It's not clouded by some of the things that can be included in net retention.” -Todd Gardner [09:38]
“It is really hard to do a pivot in a high-growth SaaS business where there's been an enormous amount of capital invested in the future potential. So a pivot in that case turns into a recap. No investor wants a recap. But if you are looking at the reality of under single-digit growth and not being able to get profitable and running out of cash, it's a come to Jesus moment.” -Randy Wootton [20:12]

Expert Takeaways

Retention is now a top priority for investors, and companies need to focus on improving their gross revenue retention.
Growth, profitability, and retention are the three key metrics for fundraising, with retention currently taking precedence.
SaaS companies should be intentional about their growth and profitability strategies and pick a lane to avoid being caught in the middle.
It is not a bad time to raise capital, as there is a lack of quality SaaS companies in the market and a significant amount of capital available.

Timestamps

[00:00] Randy’s Intro

[01:14] | Todd’s Intro

[02:28] | Productive time for focused SaaS companies to build their product

[04:45] | SaaS valuations have regressed to the mean

[07:00] | Growth, profitability, efficiency, and retention

[11:19 | Logo retention and ACV are important factors in retention analysis

[13:03] | Burn ratio and profitability as key metrics for SaaS companies

[18:21] | Death Valley: Getting out of the low growth, low profitability

[19:37] | Pivot or Recap: Options for companies with low growth

[21:41] | Testing the market for fundraising opportunities

[23:52] | Importance of clarity in value creation plan for funding

[24:00] | Contact Todd Gardner

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Embracing Technology and The Employee Experience with Chris Ortega

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Chris Ortega, CEO and founder of Fresh FP&A. With almost 20 years of experience in accounting and finance, Chris is a leading expert in the field. Randy and Chris discuss the top three changes in the accounting and finance profession over the last 15 years and the impact of technology. Chris talks about the increasing value proposition of CFOs and the era of disruption in the office of the CFO. Listen as they delve into the role of AI in finance and the importance of employee NPS as a metric for success.

Quotes

"People above profits, impact over income, purpose over praise. The more that we can have that inside the business, the more value we're going to bring outside.” -Chris Ortega [26:28]
“You want to be able to find replicable things. The process, the information flow, and the data flow. Then you're able to layer in automation. What's interesting in the office of the CFO is there is this feeling of, I want to look at my spreadsheet because I trust that.” -Randy Wootton [07:02]

Expert Takeaways

Technology has dramatically evolved in the accounting and finance profession, providing tactical advantages and streamlining operations.
The value proposition of CFOs has shifted from being scorekeepers to strategic partners, bringing more value to the organization.
The office of the CFO is poised for disruption, driven by technology and the changing role of CFOs.
AI is not meant to replace CFOs but to level them up and enhance their capabilities.
Employee NPS is an undervalued metric that CFOs should focus on to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement.

Timestamps

[00:00] Randy’s Intro

[00:34] Chris’ Intro

[00:59] Top three changes in the finance profession

[03:45] Embracing technology in the office of the CFO

[07:33] Resistance to AI in the accounting profession

[10:49] Prompting GPT-4 to create an ASE 606 memo for a retail client

[14:24] Impact of AI on every function, data strategy, and go-to-market

[18:21] Finding connections and insights through local meetups and events

[25:25] Undervalued metric: Employee NPS for CFOs to focus on

[26:28] CFOs partnering with HR to improve employee engagement

[28:22] CFOs prioritizing people connections and real-life interactions

[31:06] Legacy and the importance of writing one's own story

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MAXIO

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Maxio Institute Report

Randy Wootton LinkedIn

Chris Ortega LinkedIn

About MAXIO

Maxio helps businesses accelerate growth efficiency with the industry’s only all-in-one billing and financial operations platform purpose-built for the needs of B2B SaaS. With Maxio, businesses unify and...

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Redefining the CFO Role and Navigating the Changing Landscape with Kevin Sonsky

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Kevin Sonsky, a finance executive with extensive experience in the SaaS industry. They discuss the evolving role of the CFO in the face of technological disruption and the importance of understanding and leveraging SaaS metrics. Kevin shares his insights on the transition from traditional accounting to business intelligence analytics, the dynamics between the executive team, and the challenges of implementing a metrics policy. He also highlights the need for CFOs to educate sales and customer success teams on SaaS metrics and the importance of aligning incentives with ARR growth.

Listen as Randy and Kevin discuss the role of the CFO in driving strategic go-to-market partnerships and the potential for AEs to act as CEOs of their territories.

Quotes

"When you're not in the room while difficult decisions are being debated, you don't always appreciate the fact that sometimes there's not always an easy or even great answer. Sometimes you're choosing from two suboptimal choices. It's not always easy. You do your best to do what's best for the company, for the employees, for the customers, and sometimes you have to take trade-offs on that.” -Kevin Sonsky [04:21]
“I think that's what we're seeing even more broadly in the disruption of the office, the CFO. It's a new way of aggregating data. It's a new way of connecting technology. It's a new way of thinking about the reporting. It's not just the financial close and the three financial statements. But now you have a limitless number of operating metrics tied to the SaaS business model that you can pull together.” -Randy Wootton [09:07]

Expert Takeaways

The CFO plays a critical role in educating the business on SaaS metrics and helping teams understand how to measure success in a subscription-based model.
A metrics policy is essential for defining and standardizing SaaS metrics within an organization, including definitions, reporting cadence, and incentive structures.
CFOs can add value by running analytics on customer ARR and providing insights to account executives for better decision-making.
Net retention value is a key metric to track the growth of existing customers and determine if the business is expanding without adding new customers.
CFOs can help sales teams understand the sensitivity of churn rate on ARR growth and the impact of retaining existing customers.

Timestamps

[01:00] Kevin's background and career transitions

[04:00] Importance of educating sales and CS leaders about the business

[06:11] Challenges in measuring ARR and SaaS metrics

[08:07] The Role of the CFO in educating teams and leaders

[10:03] Components of a metrics policy and its importance

[11:03] Ensuring data integrity and system alignment in reporting metrics

[12:52] Importance of consistent metrics and reporting

[14:58] Shifting salespeople's focus to incremental dollars from customers

[18:45] Alignment between the executive team and ARR growth

[21:26] FP&A adding value through analytics and cohort analysis

[22:24] Strategic pricing, packaging, and understanding unit cost economics

[24:46] CAC metric: payback period for sales and marketing investment

[26:07] Best way to contact Kevin Sonsky: LinkedIn

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The Changing Role of the CFO in the Era of Disruption with Dan Owens

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Dan Owens, CFO of Maxio, about the disruption of the Office of the CFO and the changing role of the CFO. Dan shares his insights and experiences from working with various portfolio companies and PE firms, highlighting the importance of data organization, the challenges of managing multiple systems, and the need for tech savviness and adaptability in the modern CFO role. Dan discusses the value of soft skills, such as leadership and communication, and the integration of sustainability in finance operations.

Listen this week as Dan gives recommendations for those starting their careers in finance and shares his favorite and most misunderstood metrics in the SaaS industry.

Quotes

"Technology can be your friend, or it can actually be a burden when you look at all the nice shiny tools out there that are going to solve your problem. But at the core, you have to get to the fundamentals, the tool and the technology will help you get faster and more efficient at the fundamentals. But I think I never want to be in a position where I can't get to the answer or have to do it.” -Dan Owens [10:39]

“I think as I describe it, the worst thing about a CEO and a CFO going to a board meeting is going into math camp, where the investors start poking and they find inconsistencies between what you may have represented last quarter or the quarter before. So one of the things is having a common understanding of where the data is coming from, a framework for reporting on it, and then making sure it's consistent .” -Randy Wootton [05:33]

Expert Takeaways

Data organization is crucial for CFOs to meet the needs of investors and partners and make informed decisions.
The tension between different metrics reported by sales and finance teams can be resolved by having a unified data system.
The modern CFO needs to be tech-savvy and adaptable to effectively use data and technology tools.
Soft skills, such as leadership and communication, are essential for CFOs to partner with go-to-market teams and drive growth.
The integration of sustainability in finance operations is becoming increasingly important for companies.
The challenges for CFOs include attracting talent, managing remote teams, and making strategic decisions on technology investments.

Timestamps

[01:16] Dan's experience with portfolio companies and the need for better data organization

[08:17] Changing skill set of CFOs: tech savviness, soft skills, and integration of systems

[01:06] Importance of data architecture and interoperability between systems

[13:33] The value of bi-directional data sharing across departments

[14:17] CFOs transitioning from back office to front office roles

[17:41] The benefits of using the Maxio solution

[20:19] The shift towards analysis and providing insights in finance

[22:38] Balancing technology investments with ROI considerations

[26:06] The importance of bringing people together in a remote team

[27:39] Budgeting for internal use software

[31:46] Favorite SaaS metric: Gross retention

[33:07] Most misunderstood metric: Leverage ratio

[34:29] Cash engine and growth engine in a business

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The Keys to Subscription-Based Membership Models with Robbie Baxter

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Robbie Baxter, CEO of Peninsula Strategies and a leading expert on subscription business models and monetization. She has worked with companies like Netflix and has written two books on the topic: "The Membership Economy" and "The Forever Transaction." Robbie shares her background and interest in subscription models, as well as the key concepts and best practices outlined in her books. Robbie shares insights on the importance of designing products for ongoing value, the need for organizations to focus on customer outcomes, and the challenges of scaling and staying relevant in a subscription-based business. She also highlights the example of Strava and how they successfully built a community of loyal customers.

Quotes

"You need a lot of discipline, I think, in a SaaS model. So you need to know this kind of customer, this is how the relationship is going to expand over time and I think together to kind of start to set expectations about where is this relationship going to go after the moment of sale. The moment of transaction is the starting line, not the finish line.” -Robbie Baxter [13:03]
“One of the interesting things about the SaaS business model, in general, is, obviously for Maxio, we help people understand their SaaS operating metrics, and we're able to pattern match across the 2300 customers. I think all VCs and PE firms are doing the same. So they say, look, if you're a SaaS company, this is what your net retention should be. This is how much you spend on sales and marketing. So I do think there's pattern matching going on, and everybody has the playbook now.” -Randy Wootton [21:50]

Expert Takeaways

Subscription business models require products that solve ongoing problems and are designed for easy deployment and expansion over time.
Organizations need to focus on customer outcomes and align their pricing with the value they provide.
Balancing acquisition metrics with retention metrics is crucial for long-term success in the subscription economy.
Subscription fatigue is a real challenge, and companies need to continuously demonstrate value to retain customers.
Listening to the voice of the customer means considering not just existing customers, but also lapsed customers and prospects.

Timestamps

[01:28] Robbie's career journey

[08:33] Focus on customer success and engagement for retention

[11:44] Sales-led growth vs. product-led growth models

[13:35] Aligning pricing with customer outcomes in SaaS models.

[17:06] Moving from short-term revenue to long-term customer relationships.

[17:46] "The Forever Transaction" as a playbook for B2B SaaS success.

[20:52] Loyalty vs. Inertia

[25:31] Subscription fatigue and managing multiple subscriptions is complex.

[29:30] Staying current and responding to market evolution is crucial.

[31:31] Subscription dieting and the pressure to demonstrate value and justify prices.

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Value-Based Pricing and Adapting to Change with Ron Baker

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Ron Baker, CEO of Verasage Institute, author, and long-time influencer in the finance and accounting space. Ron and Randy discuss the concept of value-based pricing and the need for businesses to move away from the traditional hourly billing model. Ron also highlights the need for CPAs to shift from being problem solvers to strategic advisors, guiding businesses toward their desired future state. Ron and Randy discuss the value of taking risks and adapting to change to stay ahead in a disruptive market as a business.

Quotes

"For value pricing, it is just a different mindset. It's more of an entrepreneurial mindset than a production mindset. It's more of being a true professional, a definition of a professional, somebody who's accountable for creating a result, not performing a series of tasks. If I want a series of tasks, I'll hire a day laborer to walk my dog, mow my lawn, and clean my gutters. But if I hire a professional, I'm looking for some type of outcome. Perfect eyesight from an eye doctor, that type of thing. And the problem with the timesheet and the billable hour, the mindset that it creates is that's what we sell.” -Ron Baker [04:47]
“The distinction between a series of tasks versus result orientation, one of the keys is vertical expertise. So, understanding the nuances, I used to talk about that with selling. You could sell into travel, but selling travel is super different when you're selling to hotels versus airplanes versus car rentals and seats versus heads and beds. The language you used, how they thought about getting people, and the acquisition costs, are all very unique to the sub-verticals. 20% of accounting firms that are doing well by being advisors is they have context, industry context, probably they know a bunch of people and they've got a bunch of. They're able to do pattern matching.” -Randy Wootton [12:49]

Expert Takeaways

Value-based pricing is a more effective approach than hourly billing, as it focuses on customer value rather than time spent.
CPAs should move from being problem solvers to strategic advisors, guiding businesses toward their desired future state.
Subscription business models offer simplicity, convenience, and peace of mind to clients while providing firms with planned capacity and the ability to offer additional services.
Deep industry expertise and specialization are key factors in the success of advisory services.
Businesses should be willing to take risks, as profits come from risk-taking.

Timestamps

[00:02] Introduction to Ron Baker and his work on value-based pricing

[02:43] The need to move away from billing based on time

[03:37] The problem with timesheets and the importance of measuring results

[06:10] The pricing revolution in corporate America

[08:46] Moving away from cost-plus pricing to customer-value pricing

[12:43] Characteristics of successful accounting firms

[16:33] Subscription business model for accounting services

[21:37] Amazon's acquisition of One Medical and the subscription model

[23:12] Differentiation in willingness to pay and understanding customer needs

[31:13] Evolution of accounting and finance function to strategy and possibility

[33:21] Profits come from risk, not just past data

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The Evolution of the CFO: Navigating Disruption and Embracing Technology with Bebe Kim

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks to Bebe Kim, a seasoned entrepreneur and CEO of Basis, to shed light on the changing landscape of the office of the CFO and the evolving role of finance professionals. They take an in-depth exploration into the intersection of finance, technology, and leadership, offering valuable insights for those in the SaaS industry. Bebe shares the three-stage evolution of the office of the CFO and how financial acumen is crucial in today's fast-paced, software-driven business environment. With an emphasis on data-driven decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous learning, Bebe provides a wealth of knowledge on becoming a strategic financial leader in the 21st century.

Quotes

"Growth at what cost is more of the question than growth at all cost.” -Bebe Kim [08:35]

“As a CFO, you need to move from just reporting to helping your entire executive team become financially literate so they can understand how decisions are made in trade-offs. So you have this team dynamic versus the CFO off by themselves, building their budget and getting it approved.” -Randy Wootton [34:40]

Expert Takeaways

The office of the CFO is undergoing significant transformation, driven by advances in technology like AI, software managed services, and out-of-the-box financial tools.
The evolution of the CFO's role can be marked in three stages: working in spreadsheets (no box), software-managed services (out-of-the-box phase), and finally, the incorporation of AI (black box).
For modern CFOs, successful execution relies on understanding databases, trusting system-driven calculations, and adapting QA methods beyond traditional bottom-up approaches.
Automation and AI are pivotal in scaling the finance function, necessary to counteract the dwindling pool of accounting and finance professionals entering the workforce.
Continuous learning and adaptability in finance are indispensable, enabling CFOs to transition from mere reporting to becoming key strategic partners to executive teams.

Timestamps

[01:19] Bebe Kim's journey as an entrepreneur and the evolution of her role

[05:25] Challenges and lessons learned from raising venture capital

[09:47] The importance of growth efficiency and discipline

[11:32] Lessons learned in a growth-conscious, VC-backed company

[12:03] Capital allocation and starting basis

[13:29] The challenge of understanding financials for non-finance executives

[16:47] The three stages of CFO role transformation

[19:47] The importance of cash management for the CFO

[22:06] The skill sets required for stage two CFOs

[23:41] The challenges of working with databases for CFOs

[29:48] The availability of enterprise tools at SMB and mid-market prices

[32:57] AI's potential to replace repetitive tasks

[34:40] The role of CFOs in partnering with fast-growing companies

[37:03] Contact Basis

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The Rule of 35: A New Metric for SaaS Profitability with Thomas Lah

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Thomas Lah, co-founder of the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA). Randy and Thomas take an in-depth exploration of the journey from traditional software models to SaaS, the dynamics of profitability within the industry, and the development of key success metrics. Thomas shares valuable experiences from his tenure at Silicon Graphics to his groundbreaking approach in founding an association focused on data and insights for the technology services industry. Randy and Thomas navigate through the transformational shift from on-premises software models to cloud-native SaaS businesses, revealing trends, challenges, and strategies for acclimating to new market realities.

Quotes

"If your RAC (revenue acquisition cost) number is higher than your competitors, you have a problem. You have a serious problem because you are not as efficient at generating revenue growth. And that's going to catch up with you. How much time and treasure you're going to have to spend to get market share.” -Thomas Lah [22:20]

“SaaS companies can be replaced. As a CEO or CFO, you have to think about your unique value in a way that doesn't lock the customer in. You have to continue to give value. It's a value conversation versus a price increase conversation.” -Randy Wootton [38:58]

Expert Takeaways

The Rule of 35, proposed by TSIA, serves as a new benchmark for operational efficiency, complementing the well-known Rule of 40 in guiding SaaS companies towards profitability.
Monetizing service motions, migrating commercials, and leveraging data for growth are crucial levers for improving SaaS profitability.
The RAC (Revenue Acquisition Cost) to CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) metric provides a clearer picture of growth efficiency compared to CAC alone.
There has been an increase in focus on financial austerity among SaaS companies, with significant layoffs marking a move toward more sustainable growth strategies.

Timestamps

[03:25] Transformation from on-prem to cloud-native software

[07:13] Migration from on-prem to managed service offers

[10:19] Challenges of achieving profitability in the SaaS business model

[13:07] Tech companies have eliminated almost a million jobs

[14:18] Importance of being profitable and the rule of 40

[22:10] Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Zscaler's rack numbers compared to competitors

[24:37] CFOs need to shift from Excel to database models for data analysis

[29:15] CFOs need to shift from compliance to strategic partnership

[31:44] The "porpoise principle" of becoming profitable before making growth investments

[40:01] Changing the operating model is the hard work for profitability

[40:57] "Digital Hesitation" and "As a Service Playbook" are recommended books

Links

MAXIO

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Maxio Institute Report

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The Maxio Institute Report: Insights for SaaS Experts

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Jon Cochrane, VP of Strategy at Maxio and Director of the Maxio Institute, to discuss the Maxio Institute Growth report and the future of the Maxio Institute. Randy and Jon delve into key insights from the report, including the resilience of B2B businesses and the impact of the pandemic on different industries. They discuss how data can drive growth and inform business strategies and the challenges faced by sales and marketing tech companies amid competitive pressures and shifting budgetary priorities. Listen as they explore the unique paths to growth among small SaaS businesses, emphasizing the importance of predictable invoicing and cash management.

Quotes

"Build a great team, make sure that you have great data that you can access regularly, that can be surprisingly hard. And then talk to somebody who has been there and done that and who has done this well in the past. I think you'll find that the community is quite generous with their thoughts and their insights and sharing that, because all the people who love number crunching and data crunching, this stuff is fun too, to be able to share and analyze.” -Jon Cochrane [25:49]

“[What] we're trying to do is help the SaaS industry get better through better insights. And for CEOs like me who are freaked about what's unfolding day to day and how are we going to continue to grow in this world and deliver shareholder value, being able to share insights that create a collective understanding of reality is better for everyone.” -Randy Wootton [32:33]

Expert Takeaways

The Maxio Institute Growth report provides essential benchmarks for private SaaS businesses based on real-time invoicing data.
The SaaS industry appears to be returning to normalized growth rates with an average annualized growth rate of about 15% in 2023.
Industry-specific differences are pronounced with the restaurant, hospitality, and leisure sectors leading year-over-year improvement.
Early-stage SaaS companies with a consumption-based monetization strategy under one million dollars in billings show minimal growth.
Potential future expansions of the report include deeper industry analysis and coupling quartile analyses with industry benchmarks.

Timestamps

[03:44] Maxio Institute: providing real industry benchmarks and insights for the private markets

[05:00] The challenge of obtaining accurate data in the private markets

[06:01] The importance of timely data in the Maxio Institute report

[09:20] Key insight: B2B businesses have proven resilient and have returned to more normalized growth rates

[10:59] Impact of the pandemic on different industries

[13:51] Challenges in marketing tech with numerous competing vendors

[18:27] Importance of predictable invoicing for early-stage companies

[21:48] Cash management and milestones in SaaS growth

[33:01] Investing in insights for growth and shareholder value

Links

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The Rise of AI in Accounting: How Technology is Transforming the Finance Function with Matthew May

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, welcomes Matthew May, President of Acuity and CEO at Verify IQ, for a deep dive into the evolving world of SaaS finance and the transformative roles of CFOs within technology companies. Randy and Matthew discuss the strategic evolution of the CFO's office and the vital adaptations necessitated by rapidly advancing technologies. Matthew talks about the impacts of technology automation and AI on traditional finance roles and the convergence of CFO and COO responsibilities. Listen this week as Randy and Matthew explore the upward shift from data processing to data strategy and the importance of proactive business planning.

Quotes

"The office of the CFO has changed in that there's this excuse that there's no talent there, but really what there is. There is just a harder training problem that people haven't solved yet.” -Matthew May [07:15]
“So CPQ historically has been something I would say runs up through sales op. It's a CRO decision to buy because it's usually a salesperson that's using it. We found that CFOs are now influencing that decision in a way because they want to make sure that the contract's accurate. They can ingest it from the CRM system into something like a Maxio or have it go into the other financial systems.” -Randy Wootton [21:30]

Expert Takeaways

CFOs are increasingly taking on COO roles as finance functions automate and require more strategic focus.
Content creation success hinges on consistency and authenticity; an essential lesson for finance professionals considering digital channels for their messaging.
Emerging CFOs find themselves needing to understand the forward-looking aspects of the business, such as weekly operating metrics, rather than focusing solely on traditional financial reports.
Global staffing and training present opportunities and challenges for modern CFOs, underlining the international expansion of talent acquisition.
Utilizing employee churn as a critical metric, reflecting company stability and the overall health of its operations.

Timestamps

(02:20) Publishing content: consistency and authenticity

(03:42) Evolution of the role of the CFO in the tech space

(05:29) Key technologies enabling CFOs to step into the COO role

(06:09) Automation of general ledgers and challenges with data diversity

(09:16) Global staffing and the importance of a globalized workforce

(11:48) CFOs moving from compliance to strategic advisory services

(12:26) The shift from translating accounting to focusing on KPIs.

(15:18) CEOs gaining fluency in accounting around $3-5 million in revenue.

(17:03) Lagging and leading indicators: financial metrics and operating metrics.

(19:43) Recommended KPI tools: sift, giraffe, and 90 for EOS adoption.

(20:51) Shifting from reviewing financial statements to predictive KPIs.

(25:36) App fatigue and consolidation in the market.

(27:59) Building AI into accounting products for 2024.

(32:23) AI trends and building partnerships for AI tools.

(35:15) The challenge of balancing change and safety as a CFO.

(36:00) Focusing on prevent controls rather than detect controls

(39:33) Attrition has decreased due to fewer job opportunities, with employees hunkering down and staying in their current roles

Links

MAXIO

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