Uncovering Blind Spots and Other Lessons from High-Growth Companies with Five-Time CFO David Lapter

In this episode, Dashlane’s David Lapter, a five-time CFO, joins CJ to discuss the challenges of steering high-growth companies. He breaks down the common blind spots that CFOs face, why many double down on their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, and how the Eisenhower Matrix helped him tackle his own gaps. David also gives his take on competitors and his philosophy of differentiating your org from theirs without demonizing them, as well as how they can be used for motivation. David shares insights on building high-functioning teams, when teams should move from overlapping responsibilities to more defined roles, how to simplify your OKRs to be more effective, and the nature of the ideal HR-CFO relationship. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for finance leaders navigating the complexities of high-growth environments.

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TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro

(01:52) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | Netsuite

(06:18) Identifying Blind Spots

(10:44) Hiring to Fill Your Blind Spots

(14:21) The Eisenhower Matrix and Prioritising Your Blind Spots

(17:15) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful | Brex

(20:58) The Traps of Execution Mode Syndrome

(26:37) David’s Philosophy on Speaking About Competitors

(31:09) Tips for Communicating How You’re Differentiated

(33:02) How Competitors Can Motivate Teams

(39:46) When to Move from Overlapping Responsibilities to More Defined Roles

(46:50) Simplifying OKRs

(52:16) The Urge to Copy the Goal Setting of Other Companies

(54:56) Should HR Report to the CFO?

(57:57) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A VAT Mistake

(01:00:21) Advice to Younger Self

(01:03:32) Finance Software Stack

(01:06:14) Craziest Expense Story

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