When is the right time to hire your first CFO? And what actually separates a great one from an expensive mistake?

In this re-released standout episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, we revisit our conversation with Dav Masaon, Co-Founder of executive search firm Zanda, to unpack one of the most high-stakes decisions founders make: hiring a CFO who can truly scale with the business.

This isn’t a checklist of qualifications. It’s a practical look at what happens when companies bring in finance leadership too early, too late - or with the wrong expectations.

Dav brings a front-row view from placing CFOs across high-growth startups globally, sharing how the role is evolving fast in response to tighter capital, rising expectations, and the growing influence of AI and automation.

A clear tension runs through the conversation: startups don’t just need financial oversight anymore. They need operators who can balance discipline with ambition - driving growth while building the foundations for long-term performance.

We also dig into what founders consistently get wrong. From over-indexing on “big company” experience to underestimating the importance of stage-fit, Dav explains why the best CFO hires aren’t always the most obvious on paper.

If you’re a CFO or finance leader looking to understand what truly sets the best apart — from how they operate to the traits and experiences that define them — this episode will help you benchmark and sharpen your own approach.

In this episode:

When and why companies should hire their first CFO
The biggest finance hiring mistakes founders make
What differentiates a great startup CFO from a corporate, and why that matters for CFO hiring
How the CFO role is evolving with AI and automation
Why financial discipline matters more than ever
How to evaluate candidates for stage-fit and real impact.

Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders shaping the future of the CFO role.

The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (Fintech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) talk with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.

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Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io