Run the Numbers

Oct 28 2024 109 ep. 51 mins 9
Run the Numbers Podcast artwork

Run the Numbers is a twice-weekly podcast about financial metrics and business models, designed for ambitious people operating tech startups. It's a collection of things host CJ Gustafson (CFO at Partstech and writer of Mostly Metrics) has learned and thought about in the trenches as a tech CFO. This show is meant to serve as a playbook of sorts for the stuff CJ wishes he knew earlier in his career, both from experience and from copying people smarter than himself. Topics frequently touch upon Startup SaaS Metrics, Annual Budgeting, Financial Forecasting, Headcount, Equity, Dilution, and Fundraising – and how all of these drive business performance and growth.

www.mostlymetrics.com

  Business
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Monetizing Community Engagement: The Business of Fitness with Strava CFO Lily Yang

Oct 28 2024 51 mins  
In this episode, CJ Gustafson interviews Lily Yang, CFO of Strava, to delve into the company's business model, growth strategies, and the role of community engagement in driving user retention. They discuss how Strava's business model has evolved as they've moved into diverse activities, demographics, and countries. Lily sheds light on Strava’s growing revenue streams and the imp

Is ARR Dead? SaaS Metrics in the Age of AI with Kyle Poyar of Growth Unhinged

Oct 24 2024 55 mins  
Kyle Poyar, author of Growth Unhinged and a leading expert in pricing, packaging, and product-led growth, joins CJ for this episode. Together they explore the evolving landscape of SaaS metrics in the age of AI with a focus on the paradigm shift from access-based pricing to outcome-based models. They also examine success-based pricing and how to attach metrics to these models. The

Pixar Movies and Wealth Management Tech: Finance and Storytelling with Altruist’s Marc Greenberg

Oct 21 2024 55 mins  
In this episode, CJ sits down with Marc Greenberg, former VP of Finance & Strategy at Pixar and current CFO at Altruist, for a fascinating conversation about his career in finance. Marc sheds light on the complex budgeting process at Pixar and the long lead times, challenges, and seasonality of the movie industry. He explains how decisions are made about sequels and other financial

Forecasting Revenue and Managing Volatility with Naeem Ishaq of Checkr, Inc.

Oct 17 2024 56 mins  
In this episode, CJ interviews Naeem Ishaq of Checkr, Inc., and three-time CFO. Naeem shares insights into what a CFO should aim to accomplish in their first 100 days at a new company, including key topics for their first board meeting and the importance of training the board on relevant metrics. The discussion delves into navigating diverse business models, where Naeem unpacks the

A Masterclass in Annual Planning: Budgeting for Hypergrowth

Oct 14 2024 63 mins  
In this solo episode, CJ provides a comprehensive guide on annual planning and delves into the complexities of budgeting for hypergrowth companies. He covers topics such as building sales capacity, modeling out rep time, over-assignment, designing marketing budgets, and costing out the full P&L. He discusses the role of various departments in the annual planning process, including

Redefining Buy Now, Pay Later: A Customer-First Approach with Affirm’s COO & CFO Michael Linford

Oct 10 2024 61 mins  
Michael Linford, the COO and CFO of Affirm joins CJ to delve into the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) business model and its rise to mainstream popularity. They discuss the importance of transparent, consumer-friendly financial products and how Affirm differentiates itself by avoiding the predatory practices common in traditional credit models. Michael explains how Affirm structures its

Decoding SaaS Growth: Maxio’s 2024 Benchmarking Report with VP of Strategy Jon Cochrane

Oct 07 2024 58 mins  
In this episode, CJ sits down with Jon Cochrane, VP of Strategy at Maxio, to unpack the latest insights from Maxio’s newly released benchmarking report. Maxio, known for its industry-leading SaaS metrics and billing solutions, serves over 2,400 subscription customers. Jon and CJ dive into practical takeaways from the report, revealing the real rate at which companies are growing,

A CFO’s First 100 Days – A Playbook by Seven-Time CFO Stephen Grist

Oct 03 2024 52 mins  
In this episode, CJ interviews Stephen Grist, a seasoned seven-time CFO, to discuss what a CFO should aim to accomplish in their first 100 days at a company. Stephen provides an extensive playbook. He covers assessing and shoring up a team, understanding cash drivers, and implementing necessary systems and processes. He also emphasizes the importance of evaluating potential exit st

Efficiency Metrics, Management, and Consolidation - Tony Boor’s CFO Playbook for Scaling Blackbaud

Sep 26 2024 59 mins  
In this episode, CJ interviews Anthony “Tony” Boor, Executive Vice President and CFO of Blackbaud, who shares the unique path he took from working at a motorcycle shop in New Mexico to becoming a CFO. Tony reflects on his first management experiences and the lessons learned as he navigated his early career. The conversation dives into the evolving role of CFOs, particularly as

“You’re Spending Too Much Time on Planning!” — The Seven Maxims of Annual Planning With Mercury’s Daniel Kang

Sep 23 2024 57 mins  
Daniel Kang, VP of finance at Mercury, joins CJ for a dive deep into the nuances of annual planning. Dan talks about why if annual planning feels like a finance exercise, it is destined to fail and will feel like pulling teeth. He describes how to use this exercise to lead a broader strategic discussion about a company's direction for a process that is more impactful and less tedio