E37: Climbing the FP&A Ladder to CFO: IPOs and M&A with Philip Watson, CFO of Paddle

In this episode, CJ dives into the complexities of IPOs and acquisitions with Philip Watson, the CFO of Paddle. Philip covers acquisitions for tech versus acquisitions for revenue, what it's like to operate within debt covenants and how to track them as an FP&A professional, FP&A's role in the IPO process, picking which metrics you'll disclose, frameworks for decisionmaking and communication, and much more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics --- PSA: Run The Numbers has a new Spotify and Apple show link. Follow the links to subscribe and ensure you'll never miss an episode Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/run-the-numbers/id1723787140 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zQCkklNnVgMD364kCW5SV --- 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. Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Thoropass 🔒 Tropic is the next-generation Procurement Platform that’s helping modern CFOs take control of their budgets and bottom line. By combining approval workflows, supplier management, and pricing benchmarks all in one place, Tropic makes savings opportunities easy to find and act on. 🌴 Visit www.tropicapp.io/metrics to learn how. -- FOLLOW US ON X: @cjgustafson222 (CJ) @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS:  (00:00) Intro (01:59) Sponsors: NetSuite | Thoropass (04:52) The Surprises of Being a First-Time CFO (08:52) The Role of FP&A in Major Acquisitions (12:09) The Journey to IPO and Post-IPO Challenges (19:07) Sponsor: Maxio (26:19) The Future of IPOs and Market Trends (28:43) Understanding KPIs for IPO (29:16) Building the Model for IPO (29:43) The Beat and Raise Process (30:35) The Importance of Accurate Forecasting in IPO (30:44) The Billings Number Incident (31:43) Choosing Metrics  (32:41) The Impact of Billing Methods on Financial Numbers (33:06) The Importance of Accurate Forecasting and Communication (35:18) Frameworks for Decision Making and Communication (40:47) Learning from Past Mistakes and Embracing Growth (44:35) Philip’s Rep Yo Stack - Sponsored by Tropic (47:04) The Craziest Expense Stories This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].