Zanda Blog

In this article, discover how AI is reshaping the startup scene by streamlining everyday tasks, delve into the opportunities and hurdles CFOs face when integrating AI for enhanced financial performance and learn why AI will never fully replace the CFO!

Are you curious about the latest trends shaping the startup finance compensation landscape in the UK and New York?

We have created two empowering resources for our UK and NY startup network to utilise to confidently navigate the finance leader compensation market.

Learn about the fundamental aspects included in our 2024 Startup Salary guides such as salary, equity, and bonuses, alongside intriguing elements like satisfaction scores, and emerging market trends observed last year and anticipated for the current year.

January has seen an increase in startups wanting to hire senior finance leaders and in this ever-evolving landscape, companies need to strategically plan and execute their recruitment process with the aim of attracting and winning the top, most talented candidates.

In this article, we share 5 tips on how to best prepare and navigate the hiring process in 2024.

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Mars Shah, a seasoned finance leader with a diverse background ranging from investment banking to entrepreneurship.

Mars shares his experiences and provides valuable insights for aspiring finance leaders aiming to secure their first CFO role, as someone who has donned various hats in the C-Suite, including CFO.

In the dynamic world of startups, finance leaders face unique challenges. To better understand their pain points and aspirations, we recently conducted a survey within our network of finance leaders and participants of the Future CFO Programme.

In this blog, we'll delve into these insights, explain why addressing these aspects is crucial for their success and how you as their manager can support them.

The finance job market is a dynamic space, constantly influenced by economic shifts, technological advancements, and evolving work preferences.

In this article we provide valuable insights into the current state of the finance job market and the trends shaping it, so finance leaders can gain an understanding on how to navigate this fluctuating terrain.

As a forward-thinking Founder embarking on your startup journey, building the right team is crucial to bring your vision to life.

The world of hiring offers an array of options tailored to your startup's unique needs. Whether full-time, fractional or interim, each hiring option offers distinct advantages and considerations we share in this blog.

Stepping into your first CFO role in a startup requires careful navigation and strategic planning. In this blog we explore why dedicating your initial weeks to understanding the business, building relationships with peers, and gaining CEO buy-in, can help you establish yourself as a valuable asset to the organization and create long term success.

In the realm of hiring and building successful teams, the concept of "culture fit" has long been a topic of discussion. However, as businesses strive for innovation and growth, a shift towards embracing "culture add" and cognitive diversity is taking place.

In this blog post, we explore the importance of redefining culture fit and the benefits of fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

As the year 2023 commenced, it became evident that challenging times lay ahead for individuals and businesses alike. Investors and companies had tightened their belts, and the overall business landscape had shifted significantly.

While these circumstances may not seem favorable at first glance, it is worth exploring the surprising opportunities that arise during downturns, particularly for startups.

Fractional-CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) have become the latest trend in the financial industry in New York. With the changing business environment and the increasing need for financial management, fractional CFOs have become more and more in demand.

Find out from our blog what is the difference between a Fractional CFO and a Full-time CFO, why they are gaining popularity and where to find one.

For early-stage startups, securing the expertise of top-level executives can be the key to reaching their next milestone. However, for many companies, the cost and commitment of hiring a permanent C-Suite team member can be prohibitive. That's where C-Suite as a Service (cSaaS) comes in - offering a flexible, affordable, and scalable platform for startups to access C-Suite expertise without the need for a long-term commitment. In this blog, we'll explore the benefits of cSaaS, how it can help startups thrive and why we decided to launch this new service.

We all know that the last few years has created a big shift in the business world and we are now hearing more and more about “the great resignation”. But what does this mean for startups and how can they acquire and retain senior finance talent, at a time when finance and accounting teams are vital to guide businesses through the recession?

In this blog we share why finance leaders are leaving their current roles, how startups can prevent this and how to fill inevitable workforce gaps whilst the budget is tight.

Catch up on our interview with Neil Shah, head of business development for the tech sector at London Stock Exchange.

During our event Neil shared market insights, recent law changes and the IPO process in detail. Don’t miss out on his tips for Pre and Post-IPO readiness and how LSE compares to the world.

It is crucial for you as a Founder, to understand how to identify, nurture and retain talent that will take your business to the next level but also realise when individuals might not be the right fit.

From onboarding to motivating, we have published 7 simple rules you can refer to, to secure the talent that will strengthen your team.

Diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace are receiving increasing attention in the wake of social and political changes and the rise of globalisation and connectivity.

However, diversity remains complex, with no single solution regarding its implementation. Do you believe your workplace to be dedicating focus to this issue?

If selected correctly, an external advisor can add value to your company as the outside eyes that identify problems within your organisation and fix them. But how do you know if they are the right fit for your company?

Teqball CFO, Jason Kirkbride shares his tips on how to choose to choose the right external advisors and the benefits of hiring them.

What is a personal brand and why is it so important? 

A personal brand is the perception that others hold of you, due to your behaviours, characteristics and qualities shown in daily interactions. "An overwhelming 85 percent of hiring managers report that a job candidate’s personal brand influences their hiring decisions.”

We share in this article how to build one and promote it to strengthen your career development. 

During our latest Future CFO session, we were lucky enough to interview Matt Hann CFO of Festicket, who has about 15 years' worth of experience in investment and finance roles. Matt has worked with corporates, smaller startups and scaleups, so we took the opportunity to deep dive into his past experiences and the lessons he has learned throughout this unconventional journey. 

Taken from our event ‘Developing a scalable & forward looking finance function’, we share insights from experienced CFO, Jason Kirkbride, on how to choose the right finance system for your startup.

When should you hire a finance person? What type of function or person you should hire? These are just a couple of questions that spring to mind for Founders of early-stage start-ups, so we decided to share a simple checklist that can help provide you with some steer.

In our latest interview with Sabrina Castiglione, Tessian CFO, we get an insight into the growth and evolution of Tessian and her role in the company. Sabrina also shares her views on the importance of values and communication when scaling a company.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Hyperoptic CFO, Peter White, who shared his tips and advice with us, on how to become an impactful finance leader or CFO within a high-growth business. Learn about the challenges and lessons Peter has faced on his own journey to becoming a high-growth CFO.

There are perceived to be differences between a corporate and start-up, in terms of complexity of structure, amount of employees, bureaucracy, hierarchy, and salary + benefits offering. However, the biggest concern we have from founders is that a CFO from a corporate background will not be “hands on” enough and therefore will struggle to adapt to the “start-up” culture.

Therefore, if you are a CFO, desperate to work for a start-up and have no start-up experience, it’s worth considering the following to either reinforce your desire or reconsider your approach.

I think it is safe to say that the vast majority were pleased with the introduction of the Furlough Scheme at the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic. With the roll out, ongoing management, and subsequent extension of the scheme having been received positively. There are however many things for employers and employees to consider as this scheme evolves, and when combined with the work from home revolution I believe we could see a fundamental change to the traditional landscape of full-time permanent work.