Navigating Challenges in Finance Leadership

In this episode, CJ sits down with John McCauley, the CFO of Calendly. From his learnings under the leadership of Frank Slootman and Mike Scarpelli at ServiceNow to his first CFO role at Seismic, and his current position, John shares valuable insights from his career. He gives advice on hiring and getting promoted, why you should consider your value prop to your company, the benefits of seeking healthy confrontation, and why the CFO should take responsibility for overall company performance. From tracking product-led growth in your metrics to debunking the myths of benchmarking, John offers profound insights into what it takes to excel as a CFO in today's evolving software climate. He also explains the role of loyalty in software organizations and why businesses are teams, not families.

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:02) Sponsor - Mercury | NetSuite

(04:49) What John Learned Under Frank Slootman and Mike Scarpelli

(10:30) A Big Mistake That John Made at ServiceNow

(15:54) John’s Mindset Going Into His First CFO Role

(18:23) Sponsor - Maxio

(21:22) A Lesson on Hiring and Getting Promoted

(24:48) Brand Equity and Calendly’s Viral Coefficient

(28:22) Tracking Product-led Growth in Your Metrics

(32:36) The Changing Climate of Software

(36:16) Creating Value as a Privately Held Tech Company in M&A

(39:12) The Truth About Benchmarking

(42:17) What Makes a Great CFO

(44:41) John on “Moving Slow to Move Fast” 

(47:01) The Role of Loyalty in Business: Team Versus Family

(50:49) The Long-ass Lightning Round: John’s Advice to His Younger Self

(52:20) John’s Finance Software Stack

(53:35) The Craziest Thing Someone Tried to Expense