Advice for aspiring CFOs

Greg urges patience: build broad experience, fill your tool belt, lean on mentors, and learn tactical operational skills.

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In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Greg Henry, CFO of 1Password and one of the most commercially minded finance leaders in tech, to break down why he left the public-company grind at Couchbase for a PLG-driven security business and what he’s relearning in the private sphere. Greg explains how forecasting changes when the product does the selling, how to think about comp and pricing in a usage-led world, and the early tells that a model is quietly over- or under-performing. He shares why CFOs should meet far more customers than they do, how finance can drive revenue without stepping on sales, and what it actually takes for a company to plan with clarity instead of reacting. Greg also recounts the near-derailing of the Couchbase IPO, reflects on the “back nine” of his career, and offers grounded advice for aspiring first-time CFOs.

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LINKS:

Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greghenry23/

1Password: https://1password.com/

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

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

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RELATED EPISODES:

Behind the Earnings Calls: Couchbase CFO Greg Henry on Consumption Models & Analyst Relations

https://youtu.be/o_pDfz5a-Hw

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