The contemporary business world depends on in-depth and high-quality data analysis. But it seems like many departments don't have adequate time or tools to focus on data.In a study conducted by Mosaic, only 14% of surveyed finance leaders said they used cohort analysis. Therefore, it is critical to determine the reasons behind this small percentage and offer solutions.In this episode of The Role Forward, host Joe Michalowski welcomes Steve Groccia, the Head of Customer Operation at Mosaic. Steve and Joe discuss the reasons finance leaders don’t use cohort analysis. Steve also explains the difference between segment-based and time-based cohort analysis and the steps in the process. Guest-at-a-Glance💡 Name: Steve Groccia💡 What he does: Steve is the Head of Customer Operations at Mosaic.💡 Company: Mosaic💡 Noteworthy: Prior to joining Mosaic, Steve was the Director of Finance at Fundbox.💡 Where to find Steve: LinkedIn

A successful pitch deck is an informative presentation that includes all relevant details and critical metrics that SaaS investors want to see. And you should use that space wisely to get your message across.But there's no one-size-fits-all pitch deck template. You need to tell your company's unique story.In this episode of The Role Forward podcast, our host Joe Michalowski is joined by John Luttig, a Principal at Founders Fund and Mosaic Co-Founder and COO, Joe Garafalo. They chat about the building blocks of a SaaS pitch deck, the CAC Payback Period metric, and how to address investors' most significant concerns in your pitch. You'll also hear about why Founders Fund chose invest in the strategic finance space by leading Mosaic's, just announced, Series B round. Guest-at-a-Glance💡 Name: John Luttig💡 What he does: He's a Principal at Founders Fund.💡 Company: Founders Fund💡 Noteworthy: John’s worked on investments such as Scale AI, Rippling, Figma, Newfront Insurance, Flock Safety, Origin, The Org, Tagomi (acquired by Coinbase), Escher Reality (acquired by Niantic), Luko, Coder, DoNotPay, and a few other organizations in stealth.💡 Where to find John: LinkedIn | Twitter

In every business, the goal is to protect cash and to build a product to get to market. And big companies, which earn tons of revenue, are successful at cash optimization.But there is so much pressure in the economy — interest rate movement, inflation, rising prices — that needs to be overcome. And that could be difficult for companies that do not make a profit and do not have the money to invest.In this episode of The Role Forward, our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Brad Silicani, the Head of Finance and Operations at Anrok. They get into the state of the economy and cash management, how to kick your cash in the right direction to get to market, and the relationship between tax and cash optimization.Guest-at-a-GlanceName: Brad SilicaniWhat he does: He is the Head of Finance and Operations at Anrok.Company: AnrokNoteworthy: Brad spent the first part of his career with Ernst and Young. After about four or five years, he moved to Dropbox in an accounting role and spent almost ten years in various roles such as Corporate Controller, Head of Tax, and Treasurer. Finally, about a year ago, he joined Anrok as the Head of Finance and Operations.Where to find Brad: LinkedIn

There are lots of stereotypes around accounting teams, and one of them is that they're controlling and "no" people. Their stereotypical reputation arises from the fact that they live and die by their routine, spreadsheets, and statements, and they seem to like it that way.But one of the goals of CFOs is to align finance and accounting with other teams within the company, including sales and marketing. By aligning teams and including accounting in other important matters inside the company, this department can become more strategic and forward-thinking.In the new episode of The Role Forward, host Joe Michalowski welcomes Howard Katzenberg, the Founder and CEO of Glean. They get into the typical stereotypes around accounting, the best ways to make accounting more strategic, and the importance of building relationships and trust with other departments inside the company.Name: Howard KatzenbergWhat he does: Howard is the Founder and CEO of Glean.Company: Glean Noteworthy: Before starting Glean, Howard was the CFO at Better Mortgage and OnDeck.Where to find Howard: LinkedIn | Glean Company

With data as one of the most valuable assets, most companies, regardless of their size, work on ways to better organize and leverage this information to drive their business growth. But becoming a data-driven company requires several technical and administrative changes.The success of such a venture depends on collaborative work between all the departments within your company. It also requires the help of a professional with a background in finance (mostly) or business analytics and consulting. In this episode of The Role Forward, we are joined by Aneal Vallurupalli, the CFO of Airbase. Aneal shares what it is like to build a data-driven company, the importance of creating a data engineering infrastructure, and how a freemium model helps companies add value to their customers' experience. Guest-at-a-GlanceName: Aneal VallurupalliWhat he does: Aneal is the CFO of Airbase.Company: AirbaseWhere to find Aneal: Off the Ledger｜LinkedIn

Finance and accounting teams play a significant role in every organization. Their job is to provide relevant and dependable information that helps department heads make the best decisions. But, being an accountant or finance expert is more than a technical role; it is also a strategic role.The success of these two teams depends on the quality of the workforce and the technology in use. In addition, having the right tools in your tech stack ensures efficiency, prevents repetitiveness, and mitigates mistakes.In this episode of The Role Forward, Temi Vasco of Gem joins our hosts Joe Garafalo and Joe Michalowski to discuss why automation has been a game-changer in the accounting space. They also touch upon the importance of a healthy relationship between accounting and finance teams and emphasize that transparency is the key to every fruitful collaboration.Guest-at-a-Glance Name: Temi VascoWhat she does: Temi is the Controller at Gem. Company: Gem (LinkedIn)Noteworthy: Temi has experience working with various industries, including Real Estate, Energy, and the Big Four. Since day one, her job has been to help business owners make the best decisions for their companies. Where to find Temi: LinkedIn

When someone even mentions the budgeting season, most business owners and their team members — especially the finance department — start feeling anxious. But it should not be like that, says our guest, Brian Weisberg, the Head of Finance and Business Operations at Tidelift. The key to any fruitful budgeting process is a well-thought-out financial model. Therefore, each company needs a finance expert — someone ready to go beyond their role to get to know the business and its parts and "knit the whole thing together." In this episode of The Role Forward, Brian and our host Joe Garafalo discuss the importance of mindful sales planning, the role of technology in the FP&A space, and why every company should perceive a finance expert as a team captain. Guest-at-a-GlanceName: Brian WeisbergWhat he does: Brian is the Head of Finance and Business Operations at TideliftCompany: TideliftNoteworthy: Before joining Tidelift, Brian spent a considerable number of years running finance for fast-growing startups in the enterprise B2B SaaS space. Where to find Brian: LinkedIn｜Twitter

In this episode of The Role Forward, our guest is Andi Ruda, the founder and CEO of Rainbow CFO. Prior to starting her own business, Andi worked as the full-time CFO at three different companies. The experience she gained during that period and the challenges and struggles she saw many companies face when determining their financial strategies, empowered her to dive into entrepreneurship.  Her career is now dedicated to helping companies grow and to turning business owners' ideas into reality. Andi and our host Joe Garafalo discuss the best cash flow reporting practices, the tools she uses, and the steps everyone starting a finance career or aspiring to become a CFO should take. 

While departments like sales, marketing, and engineering have seen massive advancements in the technology they use every day, finance has been left behind. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools were supposed to centralize and streamline operations, but they never lived up to that promise.That's why upgrading the CFO tech stack with a new wave of innovative solutions is of the utmost importance for companies aiming to improve operations and provide the best experience for its employees and customers. In this episode of The Role Forward, our host Joe Garafalo talks with Graham Stanton, the co-founder of Avise. Before Avise, Graham co-founded Peloton, an exercise equipment and media company. Graham shares his experience with traditional finance technology and the challenges he faced while leading the finance function at Peloton. Joe and Graham also touch upon the ongoing software versus Excel debate and discuss the impact the right tools in the CFO tech stack can have on business growth. Guest-at-a-Glance💡 Name: Graham Stanton💡 What he does: Graham is the Co-Founder of Avise and Co-Founder of Peloton. 💡 Company: Avise💡 Noteworthy: Graham scaled Peloton from a startup to a household name. He's taken all that experience and co-founded Avise, a company aiming to unlock the power of accounting to help drive business forward.💡 Where to find Graham: LinkedIn

In the cloud data space, people almost exclusively charge on the basis of data volume. Many companies switch to a consumption-based model to align their pricing with the value their customers are getting. But moving from a subscription-based to a consumption-based pricing model comes with many challenges.Despite the industry they are operating in, when it comes to pricing, a responsible business must ensure a seamless customer experience, a certain level of predictability, and transparency.In this episode of The Role Forward, we get to hear from Kalor Lewis, Vice President of Finance at Fivetran. Kalor and our host, Joe Garafalo, discuss why Fivetran moved to a consumption-based pricing model, the challenges and advantages of such a model, and the tools and processes they used to implement it.