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  • How a CFO Budgets for Forward Deployed Engineers

    How a CFO Budgets for Forward Deployed Engineers
    Feb 19 2026
    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Varsha Udayabhanu of Invisible to unpack what enterprise AI adoption actually looks like beyond the hype. They cover forward deployed engineers, eight-week solution sprints, value-based pricing when outcomes are hard to meter, ARR vs. services revenue, and why “momentum” beats traditional SaaS metrics. A tactical look at trust, expansion, and building durable AI revenue.—SPONSORS:Brex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.ai—LINKS: Varsha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varshaudayabhanu/Company: https://invisibletech.ai/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Marketing as a Form of Capital Allocation With Carta's Head of Growth Angela Winegarhttps://youtu.be/rG09ehsrWv8—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro03:21 What Invisible Technologies Does05:34 Enterprise AI Adoption Gap07:38 Forward Deployed Engineers09:44 Evolving GTM in AI Services10:36 Solution Sprints12:37 Sponsor — Brex | Metronome | RightRev15:56 Upfront Investment vs. Upside18:38 Bespoke Deals20:37 Value-Based Pricing in Enterprise AI22:12 Value Sold vs. Value Delivered23:31 Enterprise Revenue as a Portfolio of Bets24:53 Time-Bound Solution Sprints27:06 Sponsor — Rillet | Tabs | Abacum30:32 Humans in the Loop & Expert Incentives33:38 Niche Human Expertise34:10 Rethinking KPIs Beyond ARR35:44 Momentum Metrics39:00 Evaluating GenAI Financial Profiles40:47 Expansion as the Atomic Unit42:19 AdTech Lessons on Distribution & Brand43:23 Why Brand Matters for Enterprise47:10 Commoditization Risk48:31 Long-Ass Lightning Round53:20 Credits
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    54 Min.
  • What Investors Want to Hear in Board Meetings

    What Investors Want to Hear in Board Meetings
    Feb 16 2026
    In this episode, CJ talks with Paul Stansik of ParkerGale Capital about what separates Simplifiers from Complicators. They unpack why most board meetings miss the point, how to answer the actual question, and why naming the real problem builds trust.—SPONSORS:Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run—LINKS: Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulstansik/ParkerGale Capital: https://www.parkergale.com/https://hellooperator.substack.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Fixing Broken Windows in Investing3:08 What an Operating Partner Actually Does5:35 Managing Nine Portfolio Companies6:07 Where PE Investors Spend Their Time9:02 Do Investors Think About You All Day?10:16 The Operator “Bermuda Triangle”12:35 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome15:52 The CFO “Triangle of Doom”17:47 How to Become an Investor Favorite18:42 Templates Build Trust in Board Communication20:54 Using Trusted Data22:10 The Board Payback Record Scratch23:18 Building Your “Data Diet” With the Board25:19 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs28:47 Signs a Team Isn’t in Command31:30 Board Meetings Aren’t a Performance34:16 “20 Board Meetings—Don’t Waste Them”35:15 Ask Permission to Reallocate the Agenda37:54 When to Send Board Materials40:28 Simplifiers vs. Complicators41:58 The Simplifier Finds the One Question That Matters42:16 Three Traits of a Simplifier: Answer, Find, Do43:15 Why Complicated Operators Take You on a Ride44:26 Selling vs. Substance46:23 “Get There, Bob”47:25 Why We Hedge49:36 You Can’t Fix a Secret52:50 Credits
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    53 Min.
  • Rivian’s CFO on Raising $14B and EV Economics

    Rivian’s CFO on Raising $14B and EV Economics
    Feb 12 2026

    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson talks with Rivian CFO Claire McDonough about financing one of the most capital-intensive businesses in the world. They cover long-term investment decisions, capacity planning, cash management as production scales, lessons from Rivian’s nearly $14B IPO, the risks of over- and under-building, and why federal EV tax credits matter more than most people think.

    —

    SPONSORS:

    Tabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run

    Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.ai

    Brex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metrics

    Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com

    RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.com

    Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cj

    —

    LINKS:

    Claire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-rauh-mcdonough-5291b946/

    Rivian: https://rivian.com/

    CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

    Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

    —

    RELATED EPISODES:

    Why Revenue Recognition Is the Next AI Battleground | Dan Miller of RightRev

    https://youtu.be/TxhTtwmOass

    —

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00:00 Craziest Expense Story at Rivian

    00:01:22 Intro to Claire McDonough

    00:03:09 Capital Intensity and Vertical Integration at Rivian

    00:06:44 Raising $14B: How Rivian Planned Its IPO Capital

    00:10:22 Capacity Planning and Scaling R2 Production

    00:12:13 Sponsors — Tabs, Abacum, Brex

    00:15:34 Sweating Existing Capacity vs Overbuilding

    00:18:22 Winning EV Adoption from ICE Buyers

    00:22:27 How Federal EV Tax Credits Shape EV Pricing

    00:26:03 Sponsors — Metronome, RightRev, Rillet

    00:29:27 R2 as a Driver of Long-Term Profitability

    00:33:14 Supply Chain as the Critical Path to Launch

    00:36:53 Product Roadmap as the Anchor for Capital and Headcount

    00:39:40 Peloton and Flipkart Lessons from Banking

    00:43:42 Biggest Career Mistake

    00:44:50 Advice to Younger Self

    00:47:19 Rivian’s Finance Software Stack
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    50 Min.
  • Why Revenue Recognition Is the Next AI Battleground | Dan Miller of RightRev

    Why Revenue Recognition Is the Next AI Battleground | Dan Miller of RightRev
    Feb 9 2026

    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Dan Miller, CFO at RightRev. They unpack why leasing is underused in software, how RevTech emerged, and why revenue recognition may be the next AI battleground. Dan also shares how he evaluates durable growth vs. hypergrowth.

    —

    SPONSORS:

    Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cj

    Tabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run

    Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.ai

    Brex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metrics

    Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com

    RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.com

    —

    LINKS:

    Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmillercpa/

    RightRev: https://www.rightrev.com/

    CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

    Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

    —

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00:00 Preview and Intro

    00:02:41 Why Operating Experience Matters for CFOs

    00:04:08 Defining Durable Growth

    00:06:06 Snowflake and Consumption Revenue Complexity

    00:10:17 Forecasting in Consumption Models

    00:11:29 AI’s Role in Revenue Forecasting

    00:12:14 Sponsors — Rillet | Tabs | Abacus AI

    00:15:39 Comping Sales in Usage-Based Models

    00:18:15 Leasing as a Software Monetization Tool

    00:20:47 The CFO’s Role in Sales and GTM

    00:22:29 How CFOs Help Close Deals

    00:24:14 Rev Tech vs RevOps

    00:26:20 Sponsors — Brex | Metronome | RightRev

    00:29:40 Where AI Actually Helps Rev Rec

    00:31:55 Deterministic vs Probabilistic AI

    00:33:05 Why Enterprises Hesitate on AI Agents

    00:34:18 Startups vs Incumbents in the AI Race

    00:35:13 FOMO, Overfunding, and Market Distortions

    00:38:13 CFO Playbooks Without Hypergrowth

    00:39:38 Finding PMF as a CFO

    00:41:15 Career Advice: Growth vs Shiny Objects

    00:42:00 Building the CEO–CFO Relationship

    00:42:49 Learning Beyond the Back Office

    00:43:22 Lightning Round

    00:44:28 Advice to My Younger Self

    00:45:09 Finance Tech Stack

    00:46:36 Credits
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    47 Min.
  • Zombie companies, ARR, and broken SaaS economics | Brett Queener

    Zombie companies, ARR, and broken SaaS economics | Brett Queener
    Feb 5 2026
    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures, to trace the origins of ARR and examine how new revenue models are reshaping B2B software. Drawing on Brett’s time at Salesforce and SmartRecruiters, they explore the shift from annual contracts to outcome-based pricing, what it means for forecasting and gtm strategy, and where the next major inflection points in SaaS are likely to emerge.—SPONSORS:RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com—LINKS: Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/Brett’s Substack: https://queener.substack.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.comThe Staffing Ratios Salesforce Used, with Brett Queener of Bonfire VChttps://youtu.be/lJVgstAXjJs—TIMESTAMPS:00:02:54 Welcome Brett & episode setup00:03:51 On-prem software to SaaS00:05:54 Salesforce & recurring revenue00:07:15 On-prem costs & partner bloat00:09:58 Contracts, control & comp shifts00:14:15 Lock-in, renewals & SaaS drift00:16:20 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs00:19:48 From buying to hiring software00:21:59 Agents change pricing & planning00:25:59 Forecasting without ARR00:28:03 Talent models break00:29:45 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome00:33:01 Rethinking sales & comp00:36:47 Selling by doing the job00:40:50 The future role of sales00:46:10 Zombie SaaS & category collapse00:51:07 Context as the moat00:56:07 Where AI hits next00:58:44 Vertical AI & hidden TAMs01:02:12 $1B startups vs mega rounds01:05:48 Dilution, fund math & pressure01:08:03 Choosing your founder path
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    1 Std. und 12 Min.
  • A CFO Explains the History of EBITDA

    A CFO Explains the History of EBITDA
    Feb 2 2026

    In this special CFO Explains episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with executive producer Ben Hillman to unpack the real history of EBITDA. From John Malone and cable TV to private equity, SaaS, and today’s AI boom, CJ explains how a metric invented out of desperation became the default language of valuation—and how adjusted EBITDA can both clarify and distort the truth about a business.

    —

    SPONSORS:

    Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com

    RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.com

    Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cj

    Tabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run

    Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.ai

    Brex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metrics

    —

    LINKS:

    CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

    Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

    Slacker Stuff: https://www.slackerstuff.com/

    Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slackerstuff/

    —

    RELATED EPISODES:

    How Much Revenue Do You Need to IPO in 2025?

    https://youtu.be/7ajWVCNVDmI

    —

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:01:17 The Origins of EBITDA

    00:06:48 Sponsors — Metronome | RightRev | Rillet

    00:10:12 The Mechanics of EBITDA

    00:13:46 Impact on Other Industries

    00:15:38 The Many Faces of EBITDA

    00:19:09 Sponsors — Tabs | Abacum | Brex00:22:30 EBITDA’s AI Encore

    00:24:56 Wrap Up

    00:28:19 Credits

    #RunTheNumbersPodcast #CFOExplains #EBITDA #FinancePodcast #BusinessMetrics
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    29 Min.
  • “It’s Not Zero”: The CFO Rule for AI Forecasting | Dan Griggs

    “It’s Not Zero”: The CFO Rule for AI Forecasting | Dan Griggs
    Jan 29 2026
    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Intercom CFO Dan Griggs to discuss pricing and forecasting in the AI era. Dan shares the “it’s not zero” rule, the logic behind Fin’s $0.99 pricing, and how to bet on AI without blowing up the core business.—SPONSORS:Brex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.ai—LINKS: Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-griggs-0970181/Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Inside Rocket Companies: M&A, Metrics, and Mortgage Moats | Brian Brownhttps://youtu.be/ttedn4AULt8—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Cold Open00:01:03 Dan Griggs and Intercom’s AI Pivot00:02:45 Ice Cream to SaaS00:04:19 Learning the Business00:06:26 Operational Reality and Forecasts00:08:00 “It’s Not Zero” Forecasting00:10:09 Scenario Planning and Ambiguity00:11:23 Sponsors — Brex | Metronome | RightRev00:14:43 Mental Models for Metrics00:16:15 Mental Math for Forecasts00:17:28 Core CFO Ratios00:19:13 Intercom’s Burn-the-Boats Moment00:20:53 AI as an Existential Bet00:22:21 SaaS Categories AI Can Replace00:23:04 Why Finance Lags on AI00:23:39 Sponsors — Rillet | Tabs | Abacum00:27:05 Why Fin Uses Outcome Pricing00:28:59 The $0.99 Resolution Tradeoff00:30:46 Why Support Work Varies00:32:01 AI Resolution Unit Economics00:33:08 Model Choice as Costs Fall00:35:19 Domain-Specific vs Generic LLMs00:36:08 Selling Against the Core00:38:50 Founder vs Professional CEOs00:41:47 Hiring Mistakes and Instincts00:44:28 Intercom’s Finance Stack00:45:49 Craziest Expense Request
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    47 Min.
  • How finance shows its value beyond being the “no” department | Maria Izurieta

    How finance shows its value beyond being the “no” department | Maria Izurieta
    Jan 26 2026
    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Maria Izurieta, CFO of Huntress, to unpack what it really means to lead finance as a connective tissue across the organization. Drawing on experience across VC-backed, PE-owned, and public companies, Maria shares how she balances impact versus perfection, builds trust through small wins, and helps teams move from transactional finance to insight-driven decision making. They dig into data transparency, centralized BI, partnering with sales and marketing on revenue, and why the best CFOs unblock friction instead of becoming the “no” department — all while bringing a deeply people-first lens to scale.—SPONSORS:Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That’s why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you’re scaling on an ERP that wasn’t built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run—LINKS:Maria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-izurieta-909a3b/Company: https://www.huntress.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:How the Best CFOs Lead Without Being the CEO | Ken Stillwellhttps://youtu.be/O4cx9NBqQso—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:01:01 Maria’s Background00:03:09 People-First Team Building00:05:16 People, Process, Systems at Scale00:07:13 Removing Friction Outside Finance00:09:15 Data Transparency & Decision-Making00:11:06 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome00:14:22 Forward-Deployed Data00:16:21 Centralized Data vs. Silos00:19:23 Finance as Data Steward00:21:08 Cost-to-Price Feedback Loop00:22:35 Curiosity Builds Credibility00:23:43 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs00:27:12 Trust First, Then Impact00:30:27 Celebrating Small Wins00:31:21 From Transactions to Insights00:33:00 CFO at the Revenue Table00:34:32 Educating the Org on Metrics00:36:21 Customer-Level Margin Reality00:37:13 Using Facts to Change Decisions00:38:27 Ownership Mindset in Growth Companies00:39:10 VC vs. PE vs. Public CFO Tradeoffs00:41:02 Operating Inside Constraints00:42:18 Finding Your Stage Fit00:44:17 Building a Personal Advisor Network00:46:43 Visibility and Women in Leadership00:47:44 Work–Life Integration, Not Balance00:48:45 Lightning Round: Biggest Mistake00:50:10 Advice to Younger Self00:51:36 Finance Tech Stack00:52:01 Craziest Expense Story00:52:44 Credits#RunTheNumbersPodcast #CFOLeadership #ScalingCompanies #DataDrivenDecisions #ExecutiveLeadership 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
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    53 Min.