Financial Operations and R&D Allocation Strategy in SaaS Companies

In this episode, CJ is joined by Bill Zerella, the CFO of the publicly traded auto marketplace ACV Auctions and former CFO of Fitbit, Inc. to discuss hypergrowth and taking companies from the private to public markets at scale. Bill sheds light on his days at Fitbit and the friction he faced in managing a business in hypergrowth mode, as well as its impacts on company culture and managing employees. He explains the CFO’s role in understanding tech debt and his approach to forecasting R&D spend. He also talks about Fitbit’s unprecedented growth, the company’s cash conversion cycle, and how it achieved negative working capital, before he tells the story of what it was like going up against the Apple Watch. Overall, he shares what he learned from his varied career in data-driven businesses. Tune in to hear about navigating hypergrowth and other insights from a CFO with an impressive career in later-stage tech firms. 

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SPONSORS:

Leapfin is accounting automation software that automatically prepares and posts reliable journal entries. High-growth businesses like Reddit, Canva, and Seat Geek choose Leapfin to eliminate manual tasks, accelerate month-end close, and enable accounting leaders to provide faster insights to help their companies grow. To automatically standardize your revenue data with measurable business impact, check out leapfin.com today.

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 37,000 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

(02:10) Sponsor - Leapfin | Mercury

(04:14) Managing a Business in Hypergrowth Mode

(07:15) Hypergrowth and Company Culture

(09:54) Managing Employees and Over-hiring

(14:05) Board Dynamics and Investment in Hypergrowth

(14:59) Understanding Tech Debt as a CFO

(17:59) Sponsor - Netsuite | Maxio

(20:26) Forecasting R&D Spend 

(21:41) How Fitbit Was Still Running on Quickbooks at $300 Million in Revenue

(23:10) Fitbit’s Unprecedented Growth 

(27:10) The Company’s Cash Conversion Cycle

(28:22) How to Achieve Negative Working Capital

(30:09) Going Up Against the Apple Watch

(39:01) The Impact of Stock Price and Valuation on Mindset

(42:14) The Through-line of Data-driven Businesses in Bill’s Career

(46:05) The Benefits of a Broad Focus in a CFO Career

(49:07) Long-ass Lightning Round: Bill’s Early Stage Startup Mistake

(51:55) Bill’s Advice to His Younger Self

(53:05) Finance Software Stack

(54:35) Craziest Expense Story