The 10xVista Origin Story

Superhero Origin Stories

Every superhero has an origin story.

As a young child, Bruce Wayne witnessed his parents' murder which sparked a lifelong personal mission to enter the city's shadowy underbelly to snuff out criminal mischief and protect the innocent citizens of Gotham city.

Peter Parker was fortuitously bitten by spider that gave him superhuman strength, agility, and spidy-senses. With this Peter adopted the belief that "with great power comes great responsibility" and dedicated his powers on thwarting evildoers at every turn.

Origin stories are the reason why superheroes are the way they are. The origin story shapes the superhero's psychological foundation for their motivations, values, and actions. These formative experiences often involve personal loss, trauma, or a transformative event that instills in them a sense of duty, purpose, and a commitment to using their abilities for the greater good. Origin stories explain why Bruce Wayne becomes Batman and why Peter Parker becomes Spiderman.

10xVista's Origin Story

In the summer of 2024 I reached a major pivot point in my career. I had been Head of Finance at a fast-growing VC backed SaaS startup and just helped the executive team secure a Series D raise. After 2 and a half years of leading a very lean team, navigating the treacherous startup market starting in 2022, helping the team rapidly grow revenue, and executing on several initiatives that reshaped the company I had a chance to reflect.

I looked back at my 11 years in strategic finance positions, looked at where I was at the moment, and tried to picture where I wanted to go in the future. In many ways, I had accomplished what I had set out to do at my current company and I was ready for the next thing.

I began applying and interviewing for jobs. I interviewed at a dozen different companies but none of the roles felt right.

Then I started interviewing for finance leadership roles at earlier stage startups. These roles seemed to align a lot more with what I was looking for and I was excited to jump and help these startups grow. After 11 years in strategic finance positions these companies recognized that I had a lot to offer and that I would be a able to make a major impact at their fast-growing startups.

Despite being thrilled at the prospect of adding someone like myself to the team we encountered 2 issues. First, as a startup still gaining traction they weren't ready to commit the budget required to bring on experienced finance leader like myself (I was too expensive 😬). Second, these startups weren't sure that their financial strategy and execution was a full-time job yet, so they wanted to combine the head of finance role with head of operations, or chief of staff, or head of rev ops.

After repeating this same sequence of events a handful of times at earlier stage startups, I was racking my brain for how to make this work. About the same time a person running his own fractional CFO firm reached out to me and asked if I would like to help him out as a fractional CFO for a few of his clients. I was able to insert myself into his clients' companies, integrate with the executives, perform strategic analysis and core financial operations and management on a part-time, or fractional basis. I loved the work, the sense of satisfaction in helping these startups out and being a part of their success!

That is when it clicked for me! These companies don't need a CFO or Head of Finance: they need a fractional CFO. Someone with all the experience and strategic expertise, but at a cost and time commitment that matches their current business needs. Through the fractional CFO model, I was able to create the ideal win-win outcome for me and my clients.

Once I realized that I could still help and be a part of these fast-growing startups as a fractional CFO 10xVista was born. I quit my full-time job to start working full-time with multiple companies on a fractional basis. All of sudden the next step in my career became clear and 10xVista had its origin story.

Fractional CFO's to the Rescue!

I like to think of myself as a superhero CFO. It sounds better than a fractional CFO, and it gives you a better sense of what I am going for when I engage with a company.

When companies are starting to scale and grow and when the go-to-market motion is becoming dialed in and repeatable the business is entering a critical phase. It is crucial to have a solid understanding of the growth drivers, what investments are needed to support a growing customers base and most importantly how much cash is going to be used up investing in the business and funding that growth.

This is where a fractional CFO can he a superhero for your business.

Imagine navigating the complexities of business growth—managing cash flow, optimizing financial operations, and planning for sustainable expansion—without a trusted advisor by your side. As a fractional CFO I can step in with the precision of Spider-Man's web-slinging and the strategic mind of Batman, providing tailored financial insights, identifying opportunities for improvement, and implementing robust financial controls. A fractional CFO brings clarity and confidence to decision-making, empowering business owners to focus on their core mission while ensuring their financial health and growth are on a solid footing. Just like a superhero, a fractional CFO is there to tackle challenges, avert financial crises, and steer the business toward a prosperous future.

The best part is that a fractional CFO can adjust the amount of time and cost to match your companies unique situation. Some companies are well served by a fractional CFO with as little as 10 hours per month, while other companies might need 10-20 hours per week. The great thing about a fractional CFOs is that they can flex the amount of work they do for you company to match your companies current needs.

What's in a Name?

Every superhero has a dope name. 10xVista is no exception.

So why have I chosen the name of 10xVista as the name for my fractional CFO firm?

To me the name embodies a lot of key elements in what my mission is as a fractional CFO servicing tech and other startups.

First, "10x" signifies my goal to help companies achieve tenfold improvement in their financial performance, efficiency, and scalability. It embodies the transformative impact I strive to have on my clients' businesses, pushing boundaries and unlocking their full potential.

Additionally, 10x signifies the value that I am hoping to provide vs another fractional CFO. In his book Zero to One, Peter Thiel emphasizes the importance of creating products and services that are not just marginally better, but ten times better than what currently exists. He argues that aiming for 10x improvements forces companies to think differently, innovate radically, and achieve breakthroughs that can redefine industries. Thiel believes that this level of innovation is crucial for achieving lasting success and making a significant impact in the market. This is my aspiration. But how do I do this?

I am striving to take an AI forward posture as I build 10xVista. The only way that I will be able to offer services that are 10x better than the competition is if I am able to effectively leverage the power of AI in my work. By leveraging AI and data analytics, a 10x CFO can automate routine financial tasks, provide real-time financial insights, and forecast future trends with greater accuracy. This approach allows them to identify opportunities for cost savings, optimize resource allocation, and implement innovative financial strategies that significantly enhance the company's performance. Just as a 10x engineer revolutionizes their field, a 10x CFO transforms the financial landscape of a business, ensuring sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

Finally, the Vista in 10xVista. The term "vista" means view or vision and evokes images of expansive, far-reaching views, symbolizing our ability to provide comprehensive financial insights and long-term planning. In the superhero context, vista could be like x-ray vision for your business, uncovering business insights and recommendations that are otherwise obscured and concealed behinds sheets and rows of data. Ultimately, I want my clients to feel like they have 10 times the visibility and insights into their business, which then allows them to act confidently and decisively in growing and managing their business.

So this is where I invite you to be a part of my origin story, and let me help you out as a superhero CFO. I am dedicated to the ideals symbolized in the name 10xVista and in making the vision for your company a reality through strategic insights, expert analysis, and brilliant execution.