Run the Numbers

In this episode, CJ is joined by Matt Gallatin, CFO of Stack Overflow, the largest online community for developers and one of the most popular websites in the world. They cover the impact of doing SaaS 101 learning sessions with departments across the org, how CFOs can get involved in customer lifecycle reviews, CFO career stories that demonstrate high stress decision-making in action, and more.  If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics

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SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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.—

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@turpentinemedia

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview

(02:25) Sponsors: NetSuite by Oracle | Thoropass

(05:05) Tying Together the SaaS Model for the Whole Company

(06:54) SaaS 101 Sessions

(09:36) Understanding SaaS Metrics

(13:51) Customer Life Cycle Review

(17:16) Sponsor: Maxio

(18:29) Matt’s Bold Decision at Drawbridge

(25:57) The Aftermath and Lessons Learned from that Decision

(27:33) Not All Revenue is Created Equal

(28:14) Understanding Business Growth and Trajectory

(29:55) Using Public Companies As Aspirational Benchmarks

(37:59) Digging Into S1s

(40:30) Matt’s Favorite Benchmark Reports

(43:50) CFOs are like NFL Coaching Trees

(48:20) Matt’s Finance Software Stack Brought to you by Tropic

(50:51) Wrap

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

Today CJ welcomes back Jim Cook, a renowned coach to chief financial officers throughout Silicon Valley via his company BenchBoard Advisory -- and a co-founder of Netflix. Jim takes us through a number of frameworks for decision making and communication, including the three eras of CFO requirements, the concept of disagreeing, but still committing as a management team, challenging the problem, not the person, how the most valuable skill CFOs can learn is communication, the leadership SECS talk, and much more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics

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PSA: Run The Numbers has a new Spotify and Apple show link. Follow the links to subscribe and ensure you'll never miss an episode

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/run-the-numbers/id1723787140

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zQCkklNnVgMD364kCW5SV?si=7fa9ea2d53ae404a

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SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

Attio is the next generation of CRM. It’s powerful, flexible and easily configures to the unique way your startup runs, whatever your go-to-market motion. The next era deserves a better CRM. Join OpenAI, Replicate, ElevenLabs and more at https://bit.ly/AttioRTN

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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.

-

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@cookflix (Jim)

@turpentinemedia

-

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Introduction: The Power of Data-Driven Decisions

(02:32) Sponsor - Netsuite | Attio

(04:46) The Return of Jim Cook: A Masterclass in CFO Communication

(07:06) The Four C's of Teams: A Framework for Decision Making

(16:40) Sponsor - Maxio | Thoropass

(23:29) The Three Eras of a CFO: From Ownership to Leadership

(26:10) The Five Steps to Ownership

(31:20) Sponsor - Tropic

(32:33) Communication> Who is in the room?

(37:16) SECS Talk 

(40:10) Being Comfortable in Silence

(40:40) 3 Things Humans Remember 

(48:00) Captain of Three Ships: Relationships, Partnerships, and Leadership

(49:06) Wrap

Seven Frameworks Timestamps:

(23:29) The Three Eras of CFO Requirements 

(07:03) The Four Cs 

(26:10) The Five Ownership Steps 

(32:33) Communication> Who is in the room 

(37:16) SECS Talk 

(40:40) 3 Things Humans Remember 

(48:00) Captain of Three Ships

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

On Today’s episode, CJ welcomes Chad Gold, the CFO of G2 and the former CFO of Salesloft. Gold shares valuable insights on the role of finance in startups and the qualities that set you on the path for a successful CFO career in venture-backed ecosystems.

Chad has raised money from some of the best investors in the business, including Vista Equity, Permira, Accel, IVP, and Insight. And he’s built world class finance teams for hypergrowth.

On this episode we cover 

* The concept of building lines, not dots, with investors

* How to decide how much time to dedicate to investor meetings vs running the business

* How majority recaps work, and the equity implications for execs and employees

* How finance teams can make the news, in a good way

* And we go way back to get some early lessons he learned on the finance team at Home Depot when he was just starting his career

Not only does Chad have the best name for a CFO, he’s extremely thoughtful about how FP&A and finance can plug into the business to be drivers, not passengers, during periods of hypergrowth. He’s also one of the people who comes to mind when I think about building a durable, successful career as a reputable venture backed chief financial officer. 

If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics

—

SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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.

—

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@chadjgold (Chad)

@turpentinemedia

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(02:32) Sponsors: NetSuite | Thoropass  

(05:04) Building Relationships with Investors

(11:28) Understanding Majority Recapitalization

(18:16) Sponsor: Maxio 

(22:07) Building Great Finance Teams

(25:06) Ownership Mentality

(25:42) How Finance Teams Can Empower Their Company

(29:39) Making The News and proactivity

(33:15) Feedback Cycle

(37:20) The Importance of Relationships

(40:16) The Role of Finance in Business Operations

(42:03) Chad’s Past Mistakes 

(45:55) Chad’s software stack brought to you by Tropic 

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

In this episode, CJ welcomes Andre Retterath, investing partner at Earlybird Venture Capital. This is a masterclass on AI where they cover the different levels of the AI tech stack and how to implement AI across tech organizations in the months and years ahead. They also cover how AI is changing back office functions for finance and operations folks, why large language models aren't necessarily built to deal with numbers, and Andre’s favorite decision-making frameworks. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics

Andre has a PhD in AI and machine learning. He writes the popular Data-driven VC Substack and he is one of the foremost thought leaders of the intersection of machine learning and data to make investment decisions within the private markets.

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SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

Attio is the next generation of CRM. It’s powerful, flexible and easily configures to the unique way your startup runs, whatever your go-to-market motion. The next era deserves a better CRM. Join OpenAI, Replicate, ElevenLabs and more at https://bit.ly/AttioRTN

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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.

—

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@andreretterath (Andre)

@EarlybirdVC (Earlybird)

@turpentinemedia

–

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:02) Welcome to Run the Numbers Podcast

(02:36) Sponsor Break: NetSuite by Oracle

(03:55) Sponsor Break: Attio CRM

(04:50) Interview with Dr. Andre Retterath

(05:40) Understanding the AI Tech Stack

(09:53) The Role of AI in Finance and Operations

(17:44) The Impact of AI on Sales and Marketing

(27:35) AI in Contract Management and Reporting

(30:38) Sponsor Break: Maxio and Thoropass

(33:00) The Role of AI in Contract Management

(33:43) The Limitations of AI Models

(34:59) The Challenges of AI in Financial Analysis

(35:30) Understanding the Mechanism of AI Models

(36:58) The Downside of AI Models

(40:22) AI in Finance: Fraud Detection and Dynamic Pricing

(42:48) The Human Element in Venture Capital

(50:54) The Future of Venture Capital with AI

(54:48) The VC Software Stack: A Data-Driven Approach

(1:00:16) Closing Remarks and Contact Information

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

In this episode, CJ welcomes Dan Zhang, the CFO of ClickUp for a highly tactical and transparent conversation about getting–and staying– in the CFO seat. They cover her time at Amazon, her personal finance philosophy, and important frameworks for decision-making such as the Trust Formula and the Empty Boat Test. 

 If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics

--

SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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.

--

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@turpentinemedia

–TIMESTAMPS: 

(00:00) Intro

(02:40) Sponsors: NetSuite | Thoropass

(05:30) From journalism to business

(07:10) Dan’s finance philosophy

(10:42) Lessons from Amazon

(13:48) Framework for improving communication

(19:35) Sponsor: Maxio

(21:00) Balancing short term and long term views as CFO

(22:55) Tactics and time management

(25:50) When to be optimistic vs pessimistic

(30:30) The traits of an ideal CFO

(34:04) Dan’s framework for decision making: the Trust Formula

(39:57) Dan’s framework for being 10x more effective: the Empty Boat Test

(42:25) Biggest myths 

(44:49) Best career story

(47:03) Biggest career screw up

(47:50) Dan’s software stack at ClickUp brought to you by Tropic

(50:00) Craziest expense

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

Listen now on:

* Apple

* Spotify

* YouTube

In this episode, CJ dives into the complexities of IPOs and acquisitions with Philip Watson, the CFO of Paddle. Philip covers acquisitions for tech versus acquisitions for revenue, what it's like to operate within debt covenants and how to track them as an FP&A professional, FP&A's role in the IPO process, picking which metrics you'll disclose, frameworks for decision making and communication, and much more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics

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SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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.

--

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@turpentinemedia

–TIMESTAMPS: 

(00:00) Intro

(01:59) Sponsors: NetSuite | Thoropass

(04:52) The Surprises of Being a First-Time CFO

(08:52) The Role of FP&A in Major Acquisitions

(12:09) The Journey to IPO and Post-IPO Challenges

(19:07) Sponsor: Maxio

(26:19) The Future of IPOs and Market Trends

(28:43) Understanding KPIs for IPO

(29:16) Building the Model for IPO

(29:43) The Beat and Raise Process

(30:35) The Importance of Accurate Forecasting in IPO

(30:44) The Billings Number Incident

(31:43) Choosing Metrics 

(32:41) The Impact of Billing Methods on Financial Numbers

(33:06) The Importance of Accurate Forecasting and Communication

(35:18) Frameworks for Decision Making and Communication

(40:47) Learning from Past Mistakes and Embracing Growth

(44:35) Philip’s Rep Yo Stack - Sponsored by Tropic

(47:04) The Craziest Expense Stories

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

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:
NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customised KPI checklist.

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒

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
--
FOLLOW US ON X:
@cjgustafson222 (CJ)
@turpentinemedia
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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

Today CJ hosts Dave Yuan, the founder and partner at Tidemark — a legend in the world of vertical SaaS. Dave has been investing, advising, and building technology companies for over 20 years. Before founding Tidemark, Dave spent 15 years as a general partner at Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), where he was fortunate to invest in and help 25 companies scale and win. Twelve companies have gone public, and eight have been acquired. Today’s conversation covers key heuristics, what’s wrong with classical vertical SaaS strategies, and the importance of thinking multi-product early on. This is a master class in how vertical SaaS companies come to dominate a market and a deep dive into the metrics they stay close to along the way.

As mentioned during the episode, Tidemark is launching its first annual Vertical and SMB SaaS Benchmark survey. You can complete the survey here if you’re a vertical SaaS or SMB/horizontal leader (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DXPNVWM). It is completely anonymous and takes ~10 minutes to complete. If you’re interested, the Tidemark team can walk you through your results compared to your peers. Survey participation also helps provide valuable insights in support of the broader vertical SaaS ecosystem and benefits your fellow operators.
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SPONSORS: Maxio | Tropic | Thoropass

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

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.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒
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LINKS:
Tidemark's 2024 SMB and Vertical SaaS Benchmarks Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DXPNVWM
If you liked this episode, check out Alex Clayton of Meritech on Run the Numbers: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-saas-metrics-deep-dive-with-alex-clayton/id1704418764?i=1000638155836
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FOLLOW US ON X:
@cjgustafson222 (CJ)
@davelyuan (Dave)
@tidemark_vskp (Tidemark)
---
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro + Sponsors: Maxio | Tropic
(04:26) Understanding Vertical SaaS
(07:16) Dave’s Investing Strategy
(09:55) Understanding Control Points in Vertical SaaS
(12:40) Sponsor: Thoropass
(19:24) The Journey to Multi-Product
(22:35) Debunking the Layer Cake Model in Vertical SaaS
(27:19) Exploring Multiplayer vs Marketplace in Vertical SaaS
(28:53) Marketplaces
(32:11) Challenges Faced by Marketplaces
(34:00) Vertical SaaS Companies: Obstacles and Opportunities
(36:01) Vertical Integration
(40:16) Key Metrics 
(48:58) Fair Harbor case study: A Vertical SaaS Success

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

Tony Kim, Managing Director at Blackrock, joins CJ this week to touch on the secrets of durable businesses, why TAM is an unreliable measure of potential, competitive moats and 2nd/3rd acts as necessary means for sustainable growth, and more. Supercharge your financial operations with Maxio. Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.
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SPONSORS: Maxio | Tropic | Thoropass

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

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.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒
---
FOLLOW US ON X:
@cjgustafson222 (CJ)
@TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)
---
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00: Introduction
00:03:03: Definition and importance of durable revenue
00:05:35: Evaluating net dollar retention rate
00:09:08: Importance and calculation of TAM
00:16:45: Deconstructing and understanding real TAM
00:18:51: Thin wrappers and positioning companies
00:25:00: Comparing tech quality over different eras
00:28:58: Maturity and market attention for public companies
00:31:58: Necessity of moats and dominance in business
00:36:06: Evaluating companies
00:36:42: The importance of the second act in business
00:41:11: The value of a strategic narrative
00:45:02: What separates good CFOs from great CFOs

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

Jonathan Becker, CEO of Thrive Digital, breaks down learnings from his 12+ years of running data-led marketing campaigns for top startups like Uber, Asana, and Square. Supercharge your financial operations with Maxio. Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.
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SPONSORS: Maxio | Tropic | Thoropass

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

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.

Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒
---
FOLLOW US ON X:
@cjgustafson222 (CJ)
@TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)
---
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00: Introduction
00:05:07: Google as a money-making machine
00:07:20: Differences between brand marketing and performance marketing
00:11:00: On scaling and reach of marketing
00:18:13: The Importance of understanding Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV)
00:20:03: Metrics in marketing
00:23:43: Marketing Efficiency ratio explanation
00:30:46: Hiring and building a marketing team
00:37:14: Psychology of impatience in advertising
00:42:13: Setting clear expectations in marketing tests
00:45:23: Good campaign attribution
00:52:25: Expedia's digital marketing success story
00:54:07: Athletic Greens' success story
00:56:00: Grammarly's adoption on YouTube
00:57:36: Costs and impact of Super Bowl ads

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