In this special edition, live from the New York Stock Exchange, CJ interviews Paul Mulé, CFO of Arcadia, as the first in a series of episodes featuring CFOs from pre-IPO companies. Paul explains what inspired his leap from investment banker to operator after 14 years at JP Morgan Chase and emphasizes the importance of betting on oneself. He also provides a unique perspective on the scarcity of CFOs capable of guiding tech companies through an IPO. Paul delves into the evolution of Arcadia's business model and how they built their M&A playbook. He and CJ discuss how to get M&A right as a private company and the role of current employees in this process. Paul highlights why a CFO needs to be able to tell the company's whole story, not just the financial aspect. He also underscores the importance of transparency and not being afraid to share too much information with employees.

If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

—

SPONSORS:

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.

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.

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.

—

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

—

TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:08) Sponsor - Netsuite | Maxio

(04:53) Making the Leap From Banker to Operator

(05:40) The Scarcity of CFOs Who Can Take a Tech Company Public

(06:50) Betting on Yourself in Any Role

(10:07) What Led Paul to Arcadia

(12:55) Building a Playbook for M&A

(16:28) Sponsor - Planful | Leapfin | Mercury

(19:18) Getting M&A Right as a Private Company

(21:11) The Value of Cross-selling in M&A

(22:13) Guardrails in M&A

(23:21) The Role of Current Employees in M&A at Private Companies

(26:05) CFO Frameworks: Telling the Whole Story, Not Just the Finance Story

(27:03) The Importance of Transparency

(32:56) Staying Nimble

(35:15) Paul’s Mantra

(37:50) Long-ass Lightning Round

Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Arcadia's Paul Mulé on Building an M&A Playbook

Run the Numbers