Essays.
Long-form essays on pricing, capital allocation, FP&A, M&A, and the modern finance function — for CFOs, founders, and operators building companies that last.
01 · Latest
The software you didn't buy
Your people now build software faster than anyone can govern it — low-code, vibe-coding, AI agents — and software asset management can't even see it.
Vulnerability is a grace reserved for the wealthy
‘Just be authentic’ is advice that works best for the people who need it least.
AI gives, AI takes: the new physics of non-physical businesses
Mapping which businesses will win, where, and why.
02 · Archive 70 essays
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070 The software you didn't buy AI in Finance 069 Vulnerability is a grace reserved for the wealthy Talent & Equity 068 AI gives, AI takes: the new physics of non-physical businesses AI in Finance 067 Without benchmarks you're naked — Michiel de Bruijn on greenfield SaaS procurement Podcast Summary 066 Outcomes are easy, enablers are hard — Srini Phatak on the Fortune-500 CFO job Podcast Summary 065 Strategy is a branch of pricing — Jean-Manuel Izaret on the inversion Podcast Summary 064 How to succeed in finance Modern Finance Function 063 10 reasons CFOs should feature on podcasts Talent & Equity 062 The art of custom pricing in B2B software Pricing 061 The science and art of pricing Pricing 060 Demo to production — Harsh Joshi on the chasm enterprise AI keeps falling into Podcast Summary 058 A guide to pricing methodologies Pricing 059 Flip the equation — Rocky Lalvani on profit as the driver, not the residual Podcast Summary 057 The evolution of pricing strategies Pricing 056 Between the commodity and the one-off — Tim Smith on pricing as a discipline Podcast Summary 054 How to hire a head of procurement Procurement / Spend 055 The power of price anchoring Pricing 053 The RFX process in procurement Procurement / Spend 052 The 1% challenge — Per Sjöfors on pricing as the unread P&L line Podcast Summary 051 Communication beats negotiation — Murali on enterprise procurement Podcast Summary 050 Three commandments for a media CFO — Sanjay Jain on 5% economics Podcast Summary 049 Cap table as editorial asset — Peter Walker on Carta's insights function Podcast Summary 048 Lessons from global giants in India Capital Allocation 047 Procurement is sales without the quota — Reba Cox on the function of functions Podcast Summary 046 A blueprint for the Indian market Modern Finance Function 043 The art of accelerated career growth Talent & Equity 044 The power of professional relationships Talent & Equity 045 Starve your distractions, feed your focus Modern Finance Function 042 The synthesizer — Alex Small on strategy as connective tissue, not a function Podcast Summary 041 The art of timing a capital raise Capital Allocation 040 The co-founder CFO — Priya Sharma on the decisions only a founder can make Podcast Summary 039 3V framework: protect, create, unlock Modern Finance Function 038 RRR: Respect, Recognize, Reward Talent & Equity 037 IPO is an entry event, not an exit — Arvind Agarwal on the public-company CFO Podcast Summary 036 The IPO masterclass lives before the bell — Rakib Azad Podcast Summary 035 A roadmap to becoming a CFO Talent & Equity 034 Resumes in the LinkedIn era Talent & Equity 033 The CEO-CFO match Talent & Equity 032 How to recruit a CFO in emerging tech Talent & Equity 031 The best CFOs work for the best CFOs — Dan Himple Podcast Summary 030 The finance pyramid — David Yan on insights, not raw data Podcast Summary 029 Risks hiding in plain sight — Alex Urmersbach on the paranoid CFO Podcast Summary 028 Finance is the heart, not the brake — Akshay Sarma on the lender CFO Podcast Summary 027 Less close, more counsel — David Junius on the strategic CFO Podcast Summary 026 Subtract the work — Arjun Mehta on the leader who eliminates Podcast Summary 025 The CFO diamond — Karan Bhople on the dispassionate chair Podcast Summary 024 Run the house or run the strategy — Pankaj Naik on tech CFOs Podcast Summary 023 The SaaS traps that catch growing companies Procurement / Spend 022 The AI-finance paradox AI in Finance 021 I want to be a CFO — Joy Mbanugo on the deliberate path Podcast Summary 020 Is finance a support function? Modern Finance Function 019 The pendulum — Mika Kasumov on strategic finance Podcast Summary 018 Underrated CFO traits for the AI era AI in Finance 017 What I'd tell my pre-AI self AI in Finance 016 Today's controller is yesterday's CFO — Pete Boyes Podcast Summary 015 Test match to T20 — Ananth Avva on the leaking CFO chair Podcast Summary 014 What to look for in a SAM tool Procurement / Spend 013 System-driven, not people-dependent — Amit Kumar Podcast Summary 012 Software asset management across the lifecycle Procurement / Spend 011 The case for software asset management Procurement / Spend 010 The Conscious Keeper — Venkatesh Tarakkad Podcast Summary 009 The evolution of procurement Procurement / Spend 008 What you can control — KJ Tjon Podcast Summary 007 Change the tires of a fast-moving car — Jay Sahal Podcast Summary 006 How to evaluate finance software Modern Finance Function 005 Reset 100, Part 3: Budgeting FP&A 004 Reset 100, Part 2: Business Strategy Modern Finance Function 003 Reset 100, Part 1: CFO Leadership Modern Finance Function 002 Don't just BE. BELONG. Talent & Equity 001 Chief Questions Officer Talent & Equity