Jarad Backlund is VP of FP&A at JFrog, a DevOps platform streamlining software development and delivery. In this episode Jarad provides frank insights and lessons from over 18 years of experience in FP&A spanning Apple, Google, and Facebook (as well as at bootstrapped startups). From overseeing multi-billion dollar capital projects to leading finance at cutting edge startups, he reveals his secrets to building top quality FP&A teams, bringing strategic insights and creating a builder mentality.
In this episode:
- My journey from failing as an architectural major to FANG FP&A
- Canned reports vs the ability to create new processes and systems
- Facing an “impossible” project at Facebook/Meta
- The skill needed to win an interview for FP&A at a FANG company
- From Bootstrapped FP&A to billion dollar companies
- Raising the cap on Apple Care Products helping it become a $2billion+ business
- Clean data and analytics
- LLMs contextual awareness and FP&A
- Skills and education in the age of AI
- Becoming a builder in finance
- How VLookUp almost cost me a job
Connect with Jarad Backlund: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaradbacklund/
