Ep. 42: What investors really care about from a CFO turned VC & the top metrics for direct-to-consumer businesses with Amy Wu, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners

The Backbone: a journey inside finance at a startup

Amy Wu, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners

I chat with Amy about:

1. Her journey into tech starting as Associate at Insight Venture Partners, and then operating as the SVP of Finance and Operations at NewsCred to the CFO seat at Discovery Inc, where she spent the last 2 years prior to making the jump back to the venture side as a Partner at Lightspeed.
2. About your investment focus area at Lightspeed.
3. Not many CFOs go on to become Partners at venture firms. How her experience as an operator, particularly in the finance function, helped her become a better investor.
4. Her lessons learned while raising capital and what she’d do differently. Things that she’s now looking for as an investor, that she wishes knew as a finance leader. [Amy helped raise over $60M for NewsCred and is now investing millions for Lightspeed.]
5. The unique metrics and KPIs that are relevant for DTC businesses vs SaaS businesses.
6. The biggest misconception about the finance function within a technology company.

We close things off with a quickfire round:

• Your go to online resource for all things startup finance related
• Your favourite productivity hack
• Tech jargon that makes you cringe
• The best advice you’ve received
• One thing you don’t leave the office before finishing

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