Zanda Blog

In our second edition of Fundraise Feature, we present the key announcements of deals that happened in the Seed - Series B tech space during the month of February, in the UK and New York.

Making the transition from VP Finance to CFO is one of the most challenging career moves for finance leaders. Learn from our guest CFO Tanya Andreev Kaspin on how to shift from financial operator to strategic leader, develop big-picture thinking, and master the key skills needed to thrive as a CFO.

Global CFO at Octane Consulting, Carl Pombar shares his expertise on how to master startup cash flow. Learn the key strategies every CFO needs to optimize your startups financial strategy.

Is your startup ready for a CFO? Learn how to assess financial maturity, growth trajectory, and investor expectations to decide if hiring a full time CFO is right for your business now. Explore key milestones and team considerations to make the best choice.

A CFO can set the stage for success within the first 100 days —or even less, when joining a new company. The startup environment will throw unexpected challenges and opportunities your way, but having a solid action plan, combined with an awareness of personal strengths and blind spots, is key to making a significant impact early on.

So, how can the first 100 days look for a startup CFO? Let's break it down.

When stepping into a new role as CFO, one of the first areas to review is the finance department's structure. Whether you inherit an existing team or need to build one from scratch, the finance department's structure is pivotal for the success and growth of a business.  

In this article, we highlight how the structure of a finance team changes as your business scales and how you can assess your current finance department's structure to ensure it is optimized to support the desired growth plans

Navigating the intricacies of equity distribution is crucial for startups aiming to attract and retain talent while fostering a culture of alignment and accountability.

In this comprehensive article, we have included expert strategies and best practices for managing equity effectively.

Dive in to gain a deep understanding of the risk-reward ratio and how to implement vesting structures for both fractional and full-time employees. 

The role of FP&A has evolved significantly, becoming pivotal in driving strategic decisions and ensuring financial stability.

However, establishing and maintaining a top-tier FP&A team requires careful consideration of hiring practices, role evolution, team structure, and talent retention strategies, all of which we explore in this article.

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.