In this episode, CJ is joined by Lee Kirkpatrick, the former CFO of the cloud communications platform, Twilio. Lee shares his journey of leading Twilio through its 2016 IPO, shedding light on the preparations, roadshows, and decisions (bankers, soundtrack, tv appearances) made at different stages of the process. This is inside baseball to taking your company public - a must listen.  If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics
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SPONSORS:
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Tropic is the next-generation Procurement Platform that’s helping modern CFOs take control of their budgets and bottom line. By combining approval workflows, supplier management, and pricing benchmarks all in one place, Tropic makes savings opportunities easy to find and act on. 🌴 Visit www.tropicapp.io/metrics to learn how.
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LINKS:
RingCentral's CFO on Public Earnings Calls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUxRD89qTJc
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro + Sponsors: NetSuite | Thoropass
(05:20) Lee's Preparation for Going Public
(07:05) Twilio had No Comps
(12:39) Twilio's IPO Day Experience
(18:29) Sponsors: Maxio | Tropic
(20:46) IPO Pricing Strategy
(24:44) Choosing the Right Bankers for an IPO
(27:00) Selecting Investors for a Successful IPO
(28:34) The Reality of Investor Promises
(29:53) The Grueling Roadshow Experience
(34:56) Preparing for the First Earnings Call as a Public CFO
(39:38) The Art of Disclosing and Guiding Metrics
(41:10) The Qualities of a Great CFO
(42:29) Learning from Mistakes and Ego in Leadership
(45:58) The Craziest Expense Report Story

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com