Mostly metrics
Run the Numbers
Banker to Investor to Operator: Nick Chammas, CFO of Eight Sleep, on Why Your Job is Always to Sell
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Banker to Investor to Operator: Nick Chammas, CFO of Eight Sleep, on Why Your Job is Always to Sell

Nick Chammas, CFO of Eight Sleep, joins CJ to discuss his career journey from working as a first-year analyst on Google's IPO to his current role as CFO of Eight Sleep. He shares anecdotes from the Google IPO process (including a memorable story about Eric Schmidt) and a wealth of knowledge that he gained throughout the years. He talks about what it was like being a banker versus an operator and offers a word of caution for startup operators working with investment bankers for the first time. He emphasizes the necessity for sales skills irrespective of your role and gives tips on how to convey a balanced story to your board. He also provides insight into decision-making, explaining the difference between one-way and two-way doors, how to approach each, and how to navigate numbers versus gut feelings.

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SPONSORS:

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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.

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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:57) Sponsor - Planful | Leapfin 

(05:25) Introduction to Eight Sleep

(07:05) Working on the Google IPO 

(11:50) A Story From the Google IPO Roadshow

(13:40) Banking Versus Investing Versus Operating 

(15:21) Date the Banker, Marry the Analyst 

(17:06) Sponsor - Mercury | Netsuite | Maxio

(20:29) Advice for Startup Operators Working With Investment Bankers

(22:34) Deal Fatigue Versus Deal Momentum

(23:53) Knowing How to Sell

(27:29) Decision Making: One-way Versus Two-way Doors

(30:32) Numbers Versus Gut Feel or Anecdotes

(36:17) Tips on Conveying a Story to Your Board

(39:22) Long-ass Lightning Round: Choosing a Job Versus Choosing a Boss

(40:49) Finance Software Stack

(41:37) Craziest Expense Story

Discussion about this podcast

Mostly metrics
Run the Numbers
Run the Numbers is a twice-weekly podcast about financial metrics and business models, designed for ambitious people operating tech startups. It's a collection of things host CJ Gustafson (CFO at Partstech and writer of Mostly Metrics) has learned and thought about in the trenches as a tech CFO.
This show is meant to serve as a playbook of sorts for the stuff CJ wishes he knew earlier in his career, both from experience and from copying people smarter than himself.
Topics frequently touch upon Startup SaaS Metrics, Annual Budgeting, Financial Forecasting, Headcount, Equity, Dilution, and Fundraising – and how all of these drive business performance and growth.