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Run the Numbers

CJ Gustafson
CFO
IPO
Private Equity
Venture Capital
Financial Metrics
Investor Relations
Revenue Recognition
Saas
Artificial Intelligence
Fintech
Saas Metrics
Capital Allocation
AI Infrastructure
Coreweave
Openai
Finance
NVIDIA
Customer Retention
Product-Led Growth
Financial Forecasting

Run the Numbers is a business podcast about financial metrics and business models for CFOs, aspiring CFOs, finance leaders, and ambitious people operating tech startups. Hosted by CJ Gustafson, CFO and writer of Mostly Metrics, the show shares lessons, frameworks, and operator insights from the trenches as a tech exec. Think of it as a playbook for the things CJ wishes he knew earlier in his caree... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes308Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for Run the Numbers

Latest Episodes

On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Plaid CFO Seun Sodipo. Seun explains how her team is using AI to improve speed, accuracy, and ambition; why finance leaders need both bottom-up experimentation and top-down direction; and how she ... more

On this special episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson revisits standout moments from past conversations with Alex Immerman, Curt Sigfstead, Daniel Kang, Adam Ante, and David Laptor. Together, their advice reveals how great CFOs earn trust, challen... more

YouTube

On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Datadog SVP of FP&A AJ Ljubich to break down the four stages of a world-class finance team.

SPONSORS:

Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses auto... more

On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Dave McClure and Aman Verjee of Practical VC to talk about the evolution of startup investing — from the PayPal mafia and Founders Fund era to 500 Startups, YC-style scale, and today’s secondary m... more

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

AJ Ljubich
SVP of FP&A at Datadog
Datadog
Episode: The Four Stages of World-Class FP&A with Datadog’s AJ Ljubich
Dave McClure
Founder/Managing Partner of Practical VC, former founder of 500 Startups
Practical VC / 500 Startups
Episode: Dave McClure and Aman Verjee on Angel Investing at Scale, 500 Startups, and Practical VC
Aman Verjee
Managing Partner of Practical VC, author
Practical VC
Episode: Dave McClure and Aman Verjee on Angel Investing at Scale, 500 Startups, and Practical VC
Rahul Rekhi
President at Rogo (AI-native vertical software for investment banking)
Rogo
Episode: Token Economics, AI ROI, and the Future of Investment Banking with Rahul Rekhi
Erin Callan
Former CFO candidate at Lehman Brothers, later on executive committee
Lehman Brothers
Episode: The CFO Who Was “Ill Equipped” to Save Lehman Brothers
Jake Kornreich
CFO, Colab Software
Colab Software
Episode: The CFO Who Was “Ill Equipped” to Save Lehman Brothers
Dana Decker
VP of Finance at Opendoor
Opendoor
Episode: How Finance Teams Are Actually Using AI | Opendoor, Datadog, PwC
Micah Richard
Principal of AI and Machine Learning at PwC
PwC
Episode: How Finance Teams Are Actually Using AI | Opendoor, Datadog, PwC
Rohan Sivaram
CFO of Confluent
Confluent
Episode: How Confluent’s CFO Runs Planning, Pricing, and Prioritization

Host

CJ Gustafson
Host of Run the Numbers; CFO at Partstech; writer of Mostly Metrics; founder/leader at Mostly Metrics

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 216 ratings
  • Best podcast to actually understand how to run the numbers.

    This is the first podcast I’ve rated because CJ is definitely worth it. The only podcast that makes me love my work in finance and the people that do this work, while actually helping me get better (not just repeating an article from the WSJ or some blog on startups and finance). Great stuff that keeps getting greater.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mladipo
    United States7 months ago
  • 🐐

    CJ is goated. Thanks for all the knowledge bombs

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    znanakkekkdmckdfkgl
    United Statesa year ago
  • Awesome

    Great host and great podcast. CJ has an amazing way of helping others understand SaaS and tech.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    The FP&A Guy
    United States2 years ago
  • Solid Gold

    My good friends at Virtua Research recommended this podcast to me an I’m addicted. There is usually some nugget, tip or tactic that I learn that I can implement immediately in my work.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PJ2345
    United States2 years ago
  • Amazing pod!

    CJ’s finance advice is unparalleled.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CarefulAndFairCritic
    Germany3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Insightful finance topics delivered with actionable tips.
Host makes complex SaaS concepts easy to grasp and entertaining.
Guests provide credible, practical perspectives for SaaS and fintech.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#209
Israel/Business
Apple Podcasts
#230
Mexico/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How Confluent’s CFO Runs Planning, Pricing, and Prioritization
Q: What signs told you that moving to consumption-based pricing was the right move?
It was a no-brainer across three revenue streams (PLG, on-prem, and cloud). The cloud/consumption model lets us manage real unit economics and forecast more accurately than traditional fixed-price models.
The Investor Behind Warby Parker, Harry’s, and the Psychology of Consumer Growth | David Bell
Q: Dave, how much of great ideation is personal experience versus market analysis?
Ideation often starts from personal pain points, then expands through market structure and distribution insights; evidence shows founders layering their own experiences with patterns observed in consumer behavior can drive scalable ideas, but the most important is aligning the problem with a scalable channel and distribution strategy.
How Great Deals Are Found, Evaluated, and Won | PSG’s Chris Nesbitt
Q: How do you view the balance between brand name and the deal partner when it comes to getting a deal done?
Brand matters as external validation and access, but the deal partner's quality and alignment with your thesis ultimately drive execution. The best outcome combines a strong brand with a partner who is genuinely helpful and trustworthy.
How Great Deals Are Found, Evaluated, and Won | PSG’s Chris Nesbitt
Q: Why is narrative so central to evaluating a deal, and how do you guard against it overriding due diligence?
Investing is a confidence and conviction game built from a mosaic of signals across market, product, and execution. The danger is letting a compelling narrative override a sober assessment of today's reality and the likelihood of achieving projected growth.
How Great Deals Are Found, Evaluated, and Won | PSG’s Chris Nesbitt
Q: What makes a board meeting useful versus useless in your experience?
Useful board meetings come with pre-read materials and a tight agenda consisting of three core topics where the leadership seeks input or decisions, rather than a broad recitation of past numbers. The focus is on actionable decisions and strategic perspective.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Run the Numbers

What is Run the Numbers about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A numbers-driven show focused on financial metrics, business models, and strategic finance for ambitious tech startups. Episodes dissect SaaS economics, fundraising, budgeting, and growth levers with practical frameworks, deep-dive analyses, and real-world anecdotes from CFOs, investors, and operators. Listeners likely include finance leaders and operators seeking actionable takeaways to improve forecasting, capital allocation, and go-to-market efficiency. A notable strength is the author-host's knack for translating complex concepts into digestible insights, making it valuable for those wanting a pragmatic playbook for scaling tech businesses. The format tends to mix hard numbers, case studies, and candid industry commentary, with guests s... more

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How many listeners does Run the Numbers get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Run the Numbers?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Run the Numbers:

1. The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
2. The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors
3. Uncapped with Jack Altman
4. The a16z Show
5. Sourcery

How many episodes of Run the Numbers are there?

Run the Numbers launched 3 years ago and published 308 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Run the Numbers?

Recent guests on Run the Numbers include:

1. AJ Ljubich
2. Dave McClure
3. Aman Verjee
4. Rahul Rekhi
5. Erin Callan
6. Jake Kornreich
7. Dana Decker
8. Micah Richard

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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