Intro

Amanda Whalen, CFO of Klaviyo, joins CJ in this episode for a deep dive into the roadshow, the IPO process, and ringing that bell. Amanda reflects on the company’s bold decision to go public last year, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. She shares the factors that guided the management team's timing, the valuation criteria they used to determine the offering price, and how they prepared for it. Amanda provides insight into the IPO journey, discussing everything from choosing a banker to prepping for earnings calls and building the book for investors. The conversation also explores the evolving CFO role and what Amanda means by the term "CFO plus”. She offers valuable insights on what distinguishes great CFOs from good ones, along with tips for recruiting and developing top talent. Tune in to find out why good CFOs are like dolphins, why you should look at your career like a bingo card, and hear other practical advice and entertaining anecdotes. 

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Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.

Mercury is the fintech ambitious companies use for banking and all their financial workflows. With a powerful bank account at the center of their operations, companies can make better financial decisions and ensure that every dollar spent aligns with company priorities. That's why over 100K startups choose Mercury to confidently run all their financial operations with the precision, control, and focus they need to operate at their best. Learn more at mercury.com.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 38,000 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. 

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TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:07) Sponsor - Leapfin | Planful(04:28) The Right Time for a Business to Go Public(09:55) Reasons to Go Public(12:01) Preparing to Go Public(14:41) Earnings Calls(17:54) Sponsor - Mercury | NetSuite | Maxio(20:44) Evaluating the Initial Offering Price(23:47) Deciding Factors When Choosing a Banker(27:33) Advisors You Work With During an IPO(29:57) How Dual Voting Shares Work(31:26) Building the Book for Investors(33:26) What to Expect From a Roadshow(35:44) The CFO Plus Role(38:00) The Qualities of Good CFOs(39:24) Recruiting and Developing Talent(42:47) Recommended Career Detours and Specialties(46:39) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Big Mistakes and Advice(49:25) Finance Software Stack