Finance for people who build. Podcast episodes and essays from Rohit Agarwal — covering pricing, capital, FP&A, talent, and the modern finance function.https://www.strategyoffinance.com/en-ushttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/i-just-graduated-again/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/i-just-graduated-again/I'm a finance person, not an engineer. With Claude Code I designed, wrote, and coded this site in 22 days — and learned why finance was an unfair advantage.Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/software-asset-management-agent-era/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/software-asset-management-agent-era/The fastest-growing software in your company isn't bought — it's built, by employees and AI. SAM can't see it, and that governance gap is now a CFO problem.Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/vulnerability-is-a-grace-reserved-for-the-wealthy/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/vulnerability-is-a-grace-reserved-for-the-wealthy/Vulnerability is sold as a virtue but works like a luxury good — a grace for those who can afford it. Why it selects against the judgment an AI era needs.Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/ai-gives-ai-takes-new-physics-of-non-physical-businesses/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/ai-gives-ai-takes-new-physics-of-non-physical-businesses/AI turns labor into compute and expertise into scalable capability — rewiring margins and pricing power. A 2×2 map of five AI archetypes and where each wins.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-032-michiel-de-bruijn/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-032-michiel-de-bruijn/Michiel de Bruijn, procurement lead at Bloomreach, on building procurement from scratch, why cloud spend is utilization not negotiation, and procuring AI blind.Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-032/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-032/Michiel de Bruijn (Bloomreach Procurement) on greenfield SaaS procurement, the apples-to-apples reconstruction problem, and procuring AI without benchmarks.Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-031-srini-phatak/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-031-srini-phatak/Srini Phatak, Unilever's Deputy CFO (now CFO), on running finance at 190-country scale, strategy, and finance as growth enabler.Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-031/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-031/Srini Phatak (Unilever CFO) on the Fortune-500 outcome-vs-enabler cascade, risk management as growth enabler, and strategic subtraction at 190-country scale.Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-030-jean-manuel-izaret/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-030-jean-manuel-izaret/Jean-Manuel Izaret, BCG senior partner and Game Changer co-author, on why strategy is a branch of pricing, and why capturing the value is the wrong goal.Sat, 06 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-030/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-030/JMI (BCG pricing partner, Game Changer co-author) on strategy as a branch of pricing, the three-approaches triangulation, and the 50-60% value-share self-limit.Sat, 06 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/how-to-succeed-in-finance/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/how-to-succeed-in-finance/The best finance leaders don't master one thing — they run four roles at once, strategist, catalyst, operator, steward, dialing each up as the moment demands.Sat, 22 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/10-compelling-reasons-cfos-need-to-feature-on-podcasts/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/10-compelling-reasons-cfos-need-to-feature-on-podcasts/Why CFOs should step onto the mic. Ten reasons across company, ecosystem, and personal brand — plus the SoF data point: 30% landed a new role within a year.Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-art-of-custom-pricing-in-b2b-software/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-art-of-custom-pricing-in-b2b-software/B2B software needs two prices: a public list and a private deal. How volume-based price discrimination serves more customers while protecting margin.Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-science-and-art-of-pricing/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-science-and-art-of-pricing/Pricing isn't science or art — it's both. How to fuse quantitative rigor with behavioral insight so prices land precise and persuasive, not just one.Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-029-harsh-joshi/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-029-harsh-joshi/Harsh Joshi, founder of DAO Studio, explains AI for a finance audience — what AI is, what LLMs and RAG do, and why deploying AI in production is the hard part.Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-029/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-029/Harsh Joshi (DAO Studio) on AI as a function approximator, MLOps as the demo-to-production gap, and what a CFO can actually budget against.Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-028-rocky-lalvani/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-028-rocky-lalvani/Rocky Lalvani, Profit First advisor, on flipping the profit equation, why growth is the #1 cause of bankruptcy, and where wealth hides on the balance sheet.Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/exploring-pricing-methodologies/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/exploring-pricing-methodologies/Two-part tariff. Versioning. Dynamic. Subscription. A catalog of pricing models, how each works, and how the best companies mix them for advantage.Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-028/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-028/Rocky Lalvani — Profit First advisor — on flipping the profit equation, the balance-sheet wealth trap, and growth as the #1 cause of bankruptcy.Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/evolution-of-pricing-strategies/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/evolution-of-pricing-strategies/Three pricing experts — Per Sjöfors, Tim Smith, Jean-Manuel Izaret — and their lenses: behavior, math, and strategy, fused into one discipline.Wed, 05 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-027-tim-smith/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-027-tim-smith/Tim Smith of Wiglaf Pricing, quantum physicist turned pricing consultant, on value-based pricing, the SpinoMeter, and why structure beats price point.Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-027/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-027/Tim Smith of Wiglaf Pricing — quantum physicist turned pricing scientist — on value-based pricing, structures over price points, and the SpinoMeter.Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/how-to-hire-a-head-of-procurement/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/how-to-hire-a-head-of-procurement/Hiring a head of procurement is more than filling a seat — it's choosing a cost-cutter or a strategist who turns spend discipline into advantage.Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-power-of-price-anchoring/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-power-of-price-anchoring/Price anchoring sets a high reference first, so the real price reads as a bargain. How retailers, menus, and SaaS tiers wield it — and where the ethics break.Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/understanding-the-rfx-process-in-procurement/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/understanding-the-rfx-process-in-procurement/RFI, RFP, RFQ — the three RFX stages that turn supplier selection from guesswork into a structured funnel that vets risk early and competes the best price out.Sat, 25 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-026-per-sjofors/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-026-per-sjofors/Per Sjöfors — the Price Whisperer — on why a 1% price rise moves profit by 11.3%, what pricing power really is, and the science of the right price.Sun, 19 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTPricinghttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-026/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-026/Per Sjöfors — "The Price Whisperer" — on the 1% challenge, why cost-plus is guaranteed wrong, pricing research, and the SaaS that doubled prices twice.Sun, 19 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-025-murali-sundararajan/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-025-murali-sundararajan/Murali Sundararajan, ex-Head of Procurement at Wipro, on building a global procurement function — sourcing, risk, the RFP process, and what's next.Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-025/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-025/Murali Sundararajan — ex-Head of Procurement at Wipro — on enterprise procurement, the RFI gate, the four-trait hiring order, and where AI lands first.Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-024-sanjay-jain/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-024-sanjay-jain/Sanjay Jain, ex-CFO at TV Today (Aaj Tak) and Viacom18 JV, on 20 years of Indian media finance — the Aaj Tak IPO and the NDTV Imagine saga.Sun, 28 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-024/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-024/Sanjay Jain — ex-CFO at TV Today (Aaj Tak) and Viacom18 JV — on the three commandments for a media CFO and what 5% economics teaches about strategy.Sun, 28 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-023-peter-walker/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-023-peter-walker/Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, on what the data says about startup funding, the funding-winter thaw, equity liquidity, and the compensation reset.Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTCapital Allocationhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-023/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-023/Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, on data content as B2B marketing, the funding-winter thaw by stage, and why exercise rates are the bearish signal.Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/lesson-from-global-gaints/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/lesson-from-global-gaints/What IKEA, Amazon, McDonald's, Unilever, and Netflix learned in India: it takes patient capital, deep localization, and the agility to adapt the offer.Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTCapital Allocationhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-022-reba-cox/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-022-reba-cox/Reba Cox, Global Head of Procurement at MongoDB, on demystifying procurement, SaaS contracts, OKRs, and a negotiation masterclass.Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-022/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-022/Reba Cox (MongoDB Procurement) on procurement as a function of functions, the first-deal-baseline rule, and the fruit-basket cloud negotiation.Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/strategic-blueprint/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/strategic-blueprint/Why winning in India is a barbecue, not a microwave: the patience, financial depth, and agility a finance leader needs to enter the market and stay.Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/accelerated_career_growth/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/accelerated_career_growth/Promotions every 8–12 months for six years weren't luck. Work ethic, a founder's mentality, business acumen, and visibility compound into fast career growth.Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/relationships_in_business_success/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/relationships_in_business_success/Professional relationships are the most undervalued career asset — the one form of capital that compounds across every job, raise, and venture you build.Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/unlocking_focus/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/unlocking_focus/Attention is the scarce resource. Five moves — digital minimalism, taming context-switching, and protecting deep work — to starve distractions and feed focus.Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-021-alex-small/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-021-alex-small/Alex Small, Head of Strategy at Stripe (ex-Zendesk, ex-ClickUp), on good vs bad strategy, the SaaS metrics that matter, and the focus mantra.Sat, 24 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTFP&Ahttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-021/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-021/Alex Small (Stripe, ex-ClickUp, ex-Zendesk) on strategy as a synthesizer role, the SaaS metrics that matter, and the focus mantra behind his promotion velocity.Sat, 24 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/mastering-the-art-of-timing/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/mastering-the-art-of-timing/When should a high-growth company raise capital? The 18-24 month runway rule, plus a stage-by-stage playbook from 24 months of cushion down to crunch time.Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTCapital Allocationhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-020-priya-sharma/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-020-priya-sharma/Priya Sharma, co-founder and CFO at ZestMoney, on the founding-to-wind-down arc of an Indian fintech — and the decisions only a co-founder can make.Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-020/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-020/Priya Sharma (ZestMoney co-founder) on the founder-CFO advantage, India risk-based pricing, and the lessons that compound for the next attempt.Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/3v_framework/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/3v_framework/The 3V framework splits the CFO's job into three modes — protect value, create value, unlock value — one model spanning the balance sheet, growth, and M&A.Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/respect_recognize_reward/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/respect_recognize_reward/Respect, recognition, reward — a three-part framework for leading finance teams so people stay motivated, do their best work, and come back for you again.Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-019-arvind-agarwal/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-019-arvind-agarwal/Arvind Agarwal, Group CFO at PayU India (ex-Nykaa, ex-Amazon), on the IPO playbook, public-company investor relations, and the nation-builder mindset.Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-019/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-019/Arvind Agarwal (PayU India, ex-Nykaa, ex-Amazon) on the IPO as an entry event, triple readiness, and the public-company morale job most CFOs underrate.Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-018-rakib-azad/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-018-rakib-azad/Rakib Azad, CFO at Alkira (ex-MongoDB), on running finance at an infra-SaaS — usage-based pricing, the MongoDB IPO playbook, and building a diverse team.Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-018/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-018/Rakib Azad (Alkira CFO) on infra-SaaS pricing, consumption-based sales comp, and the IPO masterclass that lives in the years before the bell.Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/strategic-career-path/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/strategic-career-path/Financial services, a leading tech company, working under great CFOs, then high-growth scaling — a four-stage roadmap, plus the network, to the CFO seat.Mon, 29 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/demystifying-resumes/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/demystifying-resumes/LinkedIn replaced resumes in executive search; resumes still gate-keep early-career and seriousness filters. How to write one that earns a second glance.Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/strategies-for-a-fulfilling-cfo-role/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/strategies-for-a-fulfilling-cfo-role/The most fulfilling CFO roles aren't about prestige or budget size — they hinge on the CEO. How to read the partnership and the fit before you take the job.Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/mastering-cfo-recruitment-in-emerging-tech/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/mastering-cfo-recruitment-in-emerging-tech/In Web3, crypto, and AI the experienced-CFO pool is thin — so hire for passion, risk tolerance, and adaptability over a résumé. Five ways to find the right fit.Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-017-daniel-himple/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-017-daniel-himple/Dan Himple, finance recruiter at Hays, on demystifying the CFO hiring market — who gets hired, how to negotiate comp, and the playbook from the other side.Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-017/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-017/Dan Himple on the modern CFO archetype, the seat-at-the-table deal-breaker, and why the candidate-side taboo on negotiation costs 10–20% of pay.Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-016-david-yan/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-016-david-yan/David Yan, CFO at Treez, on running finance at a cannabis-tech SaaS — state-by-state regulations, the modern CFO as nexus, and the rule of 10.Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-016/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-016/David Yan (Treez CFO) on the finance pyramid, the rule of 10 for first-week CFOs, and insights as the output a vertical-SaaS team builds backwards from.Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-015-alex-urmersbach/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-015-alex-urmersbach/Alex Urmersbach, CFO at Kiavi, on running finance at a real-estate lender — the paranoid CFO, risk hiding in plain sight, and the super-CFO as CEO proxy.Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-015/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-015/Alex Urmersbach (Kiavi, ex-AIG, ex-Teleperformance) on the paranoid CFO posture, risks hiding in plain sight, and the super-CFO as CEO proxy.Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-014-akshay-sarma/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-014-akshay-sarma/Akshay Sarma, CFO at Axio, on running finance at a fintech lender — co-lending, leverage, and finance as the heart of the body, not the brake.Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-014/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-014/Akshay Sarma (Axio CFO) on finance as the heart of a lender — co-lending, leverage discipline at 2–3x through COVID, and the doer-to-thinker hiring arc.Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-013-david-junius/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-013-david-junius/David Junius, CFO at Cowbell Cyber (ex-AIG), on the modern insurance CFO, treasury as a window into the business, and finance's data challenge.Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-013/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-013/David Junius (Cowbell Cyber, ex-AIG, ex-SiriusPoint) on close-cycle compression as the strategic-CFO unlock, treasury as training ground, and data over deck.Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-012-arjun-mehta/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-012-arjun-mehta/Arjun Mehta, CFO at Revolut India (ex-AMEX, Apple, Max Life), on winning in India, the three-pillar modern CFO, and prioritization as a superpower.Mon, 16 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-012/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-012/Arjun Mehta (Revolut India CFO) on subtraction as the CFO's highest-leverage move, the 48-hour team math, and patience-deep-pockets-speed for India.Mon, 16 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-011-karan-bhople/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-011-karan-bhople/Karan Bhople, CFO at strongDM (ex-SentinelOne), on the CFO diamond, why finance is a relationship job, and the dispassionate-CFO mindset.Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-011/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-011/Karan Bhople (strongDM CFO) on the CFO diamond, the dispassionate-CFO foil, and why SentinelOne's five-month IPO sprint is the wrong cadence to copy.Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-010-pankaj-naik/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-010-pankaj-naik/Pankaj Naik, Co-head Digital & Tech at Avendus Capital, on tech investment banking, the CFO playbook for raising capital, and the banker-CFO relationship.Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTM&Ahttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-010/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-010/Pankaj Naik (Avendus) on India-vs-US CFO archetypes, the 24-18-12-6 runway rule, vendor DD before going to market, and bankers as trusted advisors.Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/navigating-saas-challenges-growing-companies/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/navigating-saas-challenges-growing-companies/The SaaS traps that catch growing companies — integration, security, cost creep, impulse buys, data silos, and obsolescence — and how a CFO navigates each.Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-ai-finance-paradox-how-automated-intelligence-meets-human-decision-making/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/the-ai-finance-paradox-how-automated-intelligence-meets-human-decision-making/AI brings precision to finance; humans bring ethics, intuition, and strategy. Seven dimensions of why finance's future needs both — and how they fit together.Wed, 16 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-009-joy-mbanugo/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-009-joy-mbanugo/Joy Mbanugo, CFO at ServiceRocket, on the deliberate CFO journey, finance as a service function, AI in finance, and inclusive teams.Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-009/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-009/Joy Mbanugo (ServiceRocket) on the deliberate CFO march from tax to the chair, the servant-to-the-business frame, and where AI is already showing up in finance.Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/is-finance-a-support-function/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/is-finance-a-support-function/Finance is no longer a back-office support function. Seven dimensions of its shift to strategic partner — and why the CFO is now the CEO's right hand.Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-008-mika-kasumov/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-008-mika-kasumov/Mika Kasumov, founder of Abacus & Pencil, on finance as a growth driver, the rise of strategic finance, and a CFO's first 100 days at a Series B.Sat, 05 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-008/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-008/Mika Kasumov (Abacus & Pencil) on finance as a growth driver, the FP&A→BizOps→RevOps→Strategic Finance pendulum, and a Series B first-100-days playbook.Sat, 05 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/underrated-traits-of-cfos-excelling-in-ai-driven-financial-environments/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/underrated-traits-of-cfos-excelling-in-ai-driven-financial-environments/Technical fluency isn't enough. Six underrated traits — curiosity, ethics, adaptability, empathy — that separate AI-era CFOs who thrive from those who cope.Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/what-id-tell-my-pre-ai-self-words-of-wisdom-from-seasoned-cfos/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/what-id-tell-my-pre-ai-self-words-of-wisdom-from-seasoned-cfos/Eight lessons I'd send back to my pre-AI self — how AI reshapes finance, why the CFO's value is amplified rather than diminished, and what to do today.Thu, 27 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTAI in Financehttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-007-pete-boyes/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-007-pete-boyes/Pete Boyes, Operating Partner at Thoma Bravo, on the modern CFO as operator, the M&A integration playbook, and today's triple headwinds.Wed, 26 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-007/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-007/Pete Boyes (Thoma Bravo) on the modern CFO's structural shift, the triple headwind, and the M&A integration playbook he runs across the portfolio.Wed, 26 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-006-anant-avva/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-006-anant-avva/Ananth Avva, SVP & GM Cloud Platform at Altium, on the CFO-to-operator transition — learning the business and the diligence CFOs miss.Thu, 29 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-006/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-006/Ananth Avva on why the CFO chair keeps leaking talent — the vanishing IPO gold standard, the test-match-to-T20 transition, and pre-join diligence.Thu, 29 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/six-key-features-of-a-sam-solution/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/six-key-features-of-a-sam-solution/What to look for in a software asset management tool: inventory, license and vendor control, analytics, AI automation, budgeting, and document management.Wed, 14 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-005/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-005/Amit Kumar (Avataar Ventures CoE) on the three-eyes principle, the visibility trigger for automating, and the cost of leaving processes to people.Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/holistic-sam-saas-lifecycle/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/holistic-sam-saas-lifecycle/Software asset management isn't one team's job. A map of the SaaS lifecycle — purchase, deployment, use, renewal, disposal — and who owns each stage.Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-005-amit-kumar/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-005-amit-kumar/Amit Kumar, Head of Finance CoE at Avataar Ventures, on system-driven companies — automation as a continuous process, and the CFO as the CEO's eyes and ears.Tue, 30 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/critical-role-of-software-asset-management/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/critical-role-of-software-asset-management/The case for SAM as a finance discipline: cut software spend by up to 30%, de-risk compliance and security, and stop renewals from surprising you.Mon, 29 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-004/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-004/Venkatesh Tarakkad (DealShare CFO) on the role of 'Conscious Keeper' — the modern CFO's second job that sits alongside controllership and the close.Sun, 28 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/unpacking_the_evolution_of_procurement/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/unpacking_the_evolution_of_procurement/Procurement went from one overloaded team to specialized functions — logistics, strategic sourcing, shared services — and AI is reshaping it again.Sat, 20 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTProcurement / Spendhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-004-venkatesh-tarakkad/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-004-venkatesh-tarakkad/Venkatesh Tarakkad, CFO at DealShare, on the deliberate path to CFO — the evolving role, technology integration, and a first-100-days playbook for new CFOs.Thu, 04 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-003/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-003/KJ Tjon — Alvarez & Marsal partner, three-time CFO, board director — on what 'focus on what you can control' looks like in practice.Thu, 04 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-002/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/summary-ep-002/Jay Sahal (Yellow.ai) on finance at 100% growth — the agility-to-process arc, automation paths, and keeping the business honest on numbers.Sat, 29 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTPodcast Summaryhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-003-kj-tjon/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-003-kj-tjon/Board director KJ Tjon on what CFOs can control: building diverse finance teams, the CEO-CFO dynamic, and a first-100-days playbook for new CFOs.Fri, 21 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-002-jay-sahal/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/podcast/ep-002-jay-sahal/Jay Sahal, CFO at Yellow.ai, on how internal operational excellence becomes customer value — the modern CFO's reach, automation, and CEO partnership.Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/evaluating-finance-software/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/evaluating-finance-software/How to evaluate finance software on the same terms every time: five capability pillars, and the three traits that decide whether your team actually adopts it.Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/reset-100-part-3-budgeting/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/reset-100-part-3-budgeting/Budgeting as the CFO's sharpest annual tool: three-case scenarios, an existing-vs-new-business P&L, zero-base discipline, and milestone-gated investment.Wed, 14 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTFP&Ahttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/reset-100-part-2-business-strategy/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/reset-100-part-2-business-strategy/A CFO's strategy reset as a chain, not a checklist: read the market and your position, align the exec team, set new KPIs, and fund the path to hit them.Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/reset-100-part-1-leadership/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/reset-100-part-1-leadership/Reset your finance leadership in your first or next 100 days: four elements decide whether you lead or just report — and the AI era grants no slow ramp.Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMTModern Finance Functionhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/dont-just-be-belong/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/dont-just-be-belong/Management creates values; employees create culture by living them. Belonging — being yourself, present, and mindful — is how culture actually gets built.Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equityhttps://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/chief-questions-officer/https://www.strategyoffinance.com/essays/chief-questions-officer/Being a Chief Questions Officer is a mindset, not a title. Why empowering everyone to ask better questions builds learning, alignment, and creativity.Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMTTalent & Equity