The Startup CFO : The Shared CFO

Who is a start up CFO? Is he a CFO who is starting his career or a CFO of a start up? Well both are the same. As a CFO for a start up you need to learn everything new. If you were a CFO earlier you need to unlearn what you learnt earlier. What makes a start up different from any other organisation?

• Entrepreneurial (read no processes)
• Passionate (read no bottom line focus)
• Committed (read no Job descriptions)
• Flexible (read delays in salary payments)
• Value creation (read the ESOPS are worth the paper now)
• Building the foundation (read you have no secretarial or admn help)

The list can go on.....From a large global organisation to the start up. The ride is all the way down hill into the gorge. The turbulent river will teach you to swim, dodge the boulders, face the crocodiles and if lucky get rescued or reach the other side.

Having tasted this adventure you will not go back to the glass house on the cliff top for the beautiful view except to go up again to para glide down....

The journey of a start up CFO is not one that all individuals can perform. It is one which requires passion. stretch, commitment, thinking out of the box, hands on, so on and so forth. Most of all ability to work in uncertainty and a 'can-do' attitude.

At the same time the start up CFO is still the conscious keeper, moral and ethical officer, a good book-keeper, protector assets, devils advocate and most importantly after having done all of above, a trusted friend.

Does a start up need a CFO? It jolly well does as much as it needs money.

Can it afford one? Most often not.

Can it keep one? (motivated, charged up and occupied)? Most often not

Can a few start ups share a CFO? I think they can.

India has hundreds of start ups and many without a CFO. I think it is time for a shared CFO for the start ups.

Six Packs of Corporate Governance

I wish I too had six packs!

Is it easy, is it long term?

How do I build it (Initial effort) and how do I maintain it (Continuous maintenance effort)? How do I show if off (Recognition and publicity)? Will my peers accept that it is a great six pack (Endorsement)? What will I get in return (Payback)?

Well this what I did and where I am today.....

Initial effort:

I read and surveyed a bit to understand what works and what does not. Surveyed to find where I can get help (Gym/ Personal Instructors). I created a detailed work out plan. Made some compromises on some of my other activities, like stopped eating fatty food and drinking beer. Broke my work out plan into Immediate and Long term. I started to work on my plan with some support from a instructor. Build my regimen and built my focus.

Continuous maintenance effort

I am getting there!! Ob it is tough, need to get up early every morning! Jog and work out. Eat right. Every day and every meal. No exceptions really. Abstain from some stuff (crispies, colas and chips) and focus on some stuff (veggies, greens and fruits). I cannot stray and remain focused to build my six pack and I see the lines and shapes coming.

Recognition and publicity

Friends say, hey where is your beer belly? Hey getting washboard abs? I get motivated and energised. I believe in my work out plan. I start wearing tight T shirts and V cut shirts. A little show off and publicity wont hurt me.

Endorsement

I feel I am getting there. Will John Abraham envy me, will I replace Michael Bergin in CKs ads? i want to get the endorsement that I have arrived and am in the right league. I benchmark with others at the Gym and with my personal instructor. (no pun intended)

Payback

Here comes my ego massage and my returns. What is my payback? My well maintained six pack get me the envy of other men and ogling and attention of women. I think I have earned it.

At this stage I introspect and analyse. What I see is that these steps to build my six packs are similar to building an organisation with good/ sound corporate governance.

Initial effort

A company needs to understand where it stand and what it needs to do to build a world class CG. It needs to take tough decisions and shed some bad practices (creative accounting). It may need professional help. Planning and positioning is the key activity
I read and surveyed a bit to understand what works and what does not. Surveyed to find where I can get help (Gym/ Personal Instructors). I created a detailed work out plan. Made some compromises on some of my other activities, like stopped eating fatty food and drinking beer. Broke my work out plan into Immediate and Long term. I started to work on my plan with some support from a instructor. Build my regimen and built my focus.
Continuous maintenance effort

Building a world class CG structure is not a one time effort. It needs to be maintained every day and every hour. In every action and inaction of the organisation. In every person. It is continuous and real time. Move from adhoc to structured decision making. From opaque (chips) to transparent (fresh fruits) decision making.

I am getting there!! Ob it is tough, need to get up early every morning! Jog and work out. Eat right. Every day and every meal. No exceptions really. Abstain from some stuff (crispies, colas and chips) and focus on some stuff (veggies, greens and fruits). I cannot stray and remain focused to build my six pack and I see the lines and shapes coming.

Recognition and publicity

Eventually the organisation wants to get recognised for its efforts internally and externally. With its employees, suppliers, customers and investors. It will publish its CG to capture the value.

Friends say, hey where is your beer belly? Hey getting washboard abs? I get motivated and energised. I believe in my work out plan. I start wearing tight T shirts and V cut shirts. A little show off and publicity wont hurt me.
Endorsement

The organisation will look for some endorsement. Benchmark data, peer level comparison, awards etc to know that it has done the right things and it has arrived. Can the organisation not be the Top 10 for CG best practices?

I feel I am getting there. Will John Abraham envy me, will I replace Michael Bergin in CKs ads? i want to get the endorsement that I have arrived and am in the right league. I benchmark with others at the Gym and with my personal instructor. (no pun intended)
Payback

Its payback time for the company. The envious men are its competitors and peers. The women ogling and in attention are prospective and current investors.

Here comes my ego massage and my returns. What is my payback? My well maintained six pack get me the envy of other men and ogling and attention of women. I think I have earned it.

Well now that I see a simile between the building of my six packs and building a world class Corporate Governance structure for an organisation. I ask myself are there any other similies? Maybe there are the six packs are the six pillars of Corporate Governance. These in my view are:

• Tone at the Top


• Organisation Culture


• Corporate Ethics


• Corporate Social Responsibility


• 360 degree feedback


• Risk Management

Is there a quick way to build the six pack, maybe. If CG different in India and in other countries. Yes, in some ways but the basic stucture may not change. But if i was to sustain and maintain it. It is sheer dedication, commitment, some compromise and all the time. What are each of these six packs of CG made of? What are the individual tissues that make the muscles for each pack?