Fractional CFO Darryl Baker shares how taking Insys Therapeutics public in 2013 and scaling its fentanyl sublingual spray product (Subsys) into over $300M in annual revenue by 2015 collided with DOJ scrutiny, leadership fallout, and bankruptcy. He unpacks what helped him lead through broken trust and personal uncertainty, plus the simple weekly discipline he uses with every client: cash position and a 13-week cash forecast.

— 🌟 Highlights

Why interpersonal "translator" skills matter as much as technical strength for CFO-level leadership
How Darryl thinks AI will amplify finance, but still needs human judgment and risk context
The Insys "growth under pressure" moment: rapid growth followed by DOJ scrutiny and a company bankruptcy
Leading through broken trust, tense internal dynamics, and personal fear of legal fallout
The family lesson he emphasized at home: integrity, honesty, and choosing the people you surround yourself with
What he would do differently: be less trusting and push harder on uncomfortable questions
The weekly metric he checks without fail: cash position and a 13-week cash forecast

— ⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters

00:00 — AI + human judgment: why finance still needs people in the loop

00:43 — Early influences and why he chose accounting and finance

02:27 — Ernst & Young, CPA roots, and building a foundation for the CFO seat

04:52 — The "translator" CFO: technical skill plus interpersonal leadership

10:43 — Fractional CFO life in Scottsdale and the value of variety

11:58 — Anuncio Medical: the Reflow Mini device and why the mission matters

14:28 — A $6M Series A raise in progress and what fundraising looks like up close

15:08 — Board work at NeoLight and working with an NFL investor (Ben Roethlisberger)

20:11 — AI in healthcare: data, proof, and responsible interpretation

22:31 — Insys Therapeutics: 2013 IPO, Subsys growth, and the opioid scrutiny wave

32:34 — Dinner-table conversations: integrity, influence, and surrounding yourself with good people

37:40 — Lessons and rebuild: skepticism, purpose, and staying calm "in the pocket"

— 🙌 Want more from AdaptCFO?

Free CFO consultation → adaptcfo.com

Financial fitness scorecard → adaptcfofinancialfitness.scoreapp.com

Other episodes → adaptcfo.com/blog

AdaptCFO case studies → adaptcfo.com/results

How a top-performing IPO unraveled under scrutiny (and reshaped my leadership) — with Darryl Baker (EP 010) | Growth Under Pressure