Bridging the gaps between finance, revenue & operations

Amartya Singh: Hello everyone! I'm your host, Amartya Singh, co-founder and CEO of FinFloh, a product built by and for modern finance teams. We are back with the fourth episode of our podcast series, Inside the CFO Office, an exclusive channel for finance professionals to learn more about the journeys of finance leaders and trailblazers in the CFO office.

Today, we are super excited to have Ruchi Kasliwal as a guest to share her journey and experience in bridging the gaps between finance, revenue, and operations. Ruchi brings over 20 years of stellar experience, with a proven history of expertise in finance operations, strategy, and assembling and empowering teams to navigate rapid growth within SaaS, subscription, and enterprise software sectors.

Currently, Ruchi serves as an advisor and leads firms at Clarity and DoubleFin. Prior to this, she held finance leadership roles at Singularity University, Telenav, Confluent, MongoDB, and Kosher Technology, where she spearheaded finance and operations functions, led M&A activities, and drove strategic growth initiatives. With a robust track record in high-growth tech companies, Ruchi has consistently contributed to financial success and operational efficiencies.

I have loved Ruchi's product-focused approach during our past discussions. I remember a conversation we had on the importance of credit scoring and credit decisioning—something we’ve built into our product. We discussed its impact on firms, the sales and finance functions, and onboarding processes. We even incorporated some of her feedback into our product. So, here we are, looking forward to an engaging conversation today.

Welcome to the podcast, Ruchi!

Ruchi Kasliwal: Thank you, Amartya. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m excited for our discussion.

Amartya Singh: Great! Let’s dive right in. You’ve worked across various companies of different shapes and sizes, particularly in the tech sector. You must have seen many challenges and growth stories. How has your journey been so far, leading up to your current finance leadership roles?

Ruchi Kasliwal: My career journey spans from very small companies to high-growth startups and even late-stage startups that I’ve taken public. It’s been a rollercoaster ride. Each company comes with its own unique challenges and rewards. In smaller companies, it’s all hands on deck. You’re not just the finance person; you’re handling a bit of everything. In larger organizations, responsibilities are more defined and focused.

As the stage of the company changes, your roles and responsibilities evolve. That’s the beauty of being in a startup environment—you learn so much in a short span of time.

Amartya Singh: Right. You’ve worked at startups and larger organizations. When you’re at a startup, you take on diverse roles, and the learning is immense. As you moved through different organizations, like MongoDB, Telenav, and Singularity University, how did you adapt to the varying requirements of these roles and industries?

Ruchi Kasliwal: Each company is unique, even within the same sector. Their products, processes, and focus areas differ. For example, at MongoDB, my initial focus was on building the revenue team—learning the product, understanding revenue recognition for that product, and developing backend processes to help the organization scale. At Telenav, revenue operations were also a key focus—understanding the sales channels, deal structures, and ensuring the infrastructure supported growth.

At Singularity University, my role expanded significantly. I wasn’t just handling accounting and finance but also led the IT and RevOps organizations. This required thinking beyond finance—figuring out solutions, tools, and systems for the entire organization, including engineering and IT operations. It’s been a continuous learning process, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

Amartya Singh: Got it. With each role, you must have faced challenges—whether with people, processes, or systems. What were the top two business challenges you encountered, and how did you navigate them?

Ruchi Kasliwal: Narrowing it down, I’d say learning to work with product and sales teams was a significant challenge. As a finance leader, your role touches every part of the organization—product, sales, operations, HR, and more. Understanding the product—how it’s built and what it aims to achieve—was crucial. Similarly, understanding how sales functions, how they position the product in the market, and how finance can support their success was another key challenge.

For instance, simplifying processes for sales teams can make a big difference. Take a travel and expense (T&E) process as an example—if it’s overly complex, it becomes a pain point for salespeople, who are often on the go. Keeping processes simple supports growth and ensures smooth collaboration.

Amartya Singh: That’s insightful. Moving to another question—you’ve worked across startups, mid-sized companies, and enterprises. Each comes with unique challenges—different cash flows, decision-making processes, onboarding, and more. What has been your approach to navigating these differences?

Ruchi Kasliwal: My core approach has always been to keep it simple. Overcomplicating things doesn’t help. For example, sales processes at MongoDB, Telenav, and Singularity were vastly different. At MongoDB, I launched the deal desk function, which streamlined sales cycles and helped the company scale. At Telenav, the sales cycle was longer but simpler, with fewer variables. At Singularity, sales were relationship-driven rather than product-driven.

Adapting to these differences required understanding the complexities of each organization and tailoring processes and tools to meet their specific needs. Building strong relationships with the product and sales teams was key to aligning processes with organizational goals.

Amartya Singh: When implementing tools at these companies, how did you handle the learning curve? Who did you collaborate with, and how long did it typically take to deliver results?

Ruchi Kasliwal: Learning is constant, no matter how experienced you are. My first step is always to understand the company, its products, and its goals. I work closely with the CPO or head of product to understand their roadmap and with the CRO to align on go-to-market strategies. Designing territories and quotas, for example, involves both top-down and bottom-up approaches—it’s a collaborative effort with FP&A, sales ops, and finance teams.

Building strong relationships with the CRO and sales ops teams is critical. Syncing metrics between finance and sales ensures alignment and prevents discrepancies during leadership presentations. This collaboration lays the foundation for effective execution.

Amartya Singh: We touched on RevOps earlier, and I’d love to dive deeper. How does RevOps impact finance operations, and how do people, processes, and systems play a role?

Ruchi Kasliwal: RevOps is integral to organizational growth. Previously termed sales ops, RevOps now encompasses marketing, GTM, and finance functions. From people to processes and technology, RevOps holds the company’s growth together.

For example, defining MQL-to-SQL transitions, deal structures, and standard vs. non-standard terms requires RevOps’ involvement. On the finance side, RevOps plays a role in commission calculations, pipeline management, and CRM-to-ERP integrations. Streamlined processes and effective tools ensure data flows seamlessly, enabling accurate reporting and decision-making.

Amartya Singh: Speaking of tools, integrating CRMs like Salesforce with ERPs like NetSuite often poses challenges. What’s been your experience in overcoming these gaps?

Ruchi Kasliwal: Integration challenges are common. At Confluent, for instance, orders were manually keyed into NetSuite from Salesforce. We implemented an API connection, automating the process and saving significant time during monthly close cycles.

Technology should be your ally, not a foe. Leveraging it effectively improves efficiency and reduces human error. For smaller organizations without internal expertise, partnering with third-party integrators can help manage such transitions effectively.

Amartya Singh: Let’s talk about finance software stacks and AI. What has been your experience with finance tools, and how do you see AI shaping the future?

Ruchi Kasliwal: I’m passionate about AI—it’s a game changer across industries. While some fear job displacement, I see it as an opportunity to enhance productivity and focus on strategic tasks. For instance, billing analysts can automate repetitive tasks using AI and redirect their time toward value-added activities.

When implementing finance tools, planning is critical. Understand your organization’s current and future needs, assess data readiness, and plan for smooth transitions. A poorly planned ERP migration, for example, can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. With AI, tools will only become smarter, offering predictive insights and streamlining operations further.

Amartya Singh: This has been an incredibly insightful conversation, Ruchi. Before we wrap up, what advice would you give to aspiring finance leaders?

Ruchi Kasliwal: My advice would be to embrace lifelong learning. The finance world is evolving rapidly, and staying updated is crucial. Listen carefully to different perspectives, understand the challenges, and then execute your plans. Building strong relationships across the organization is key—whether it’s with product teams, sales teams, or leadership. Collaboration ensures alignment and drives better outcomes.

Another piece of advice is to focus on data-driven decision-making. In today’s world, numbers tell a story. Whether you’re implementing a new tool, revising processes, or planning strategies, always use data to support your arguments and decisions. Data provides clarity, removes bias, and helps you build a strong case for your initiatives. It also enables you to measure the impact of your actions and adjust your approach when needed.

Finally, don’t forget to consider the human element. While data is critical, understanding the people behind the processes is equally important. Empathy and clear communication go a long way in addressing concerns, resolving pushbacks, and fostering collaboration across teams. Combining data-driven insights with a people-centric approach creates a balanced strategy that benefits both your team and the organization as a whole.

Amartya Singh: Got it.

Ruchi Kasliwal: Those are just a few of my learnings and reflections from my journey. Over time, I’ve really grown by embracing these principles.

Amartya Singh: Right, right. Got it. Thanks, Ruchi. It was great having you on the podcast. We had such an insightful conversation covering multiple aspects of RevOps, finance technologies, and the importance of planning for finance team members.

Thanks, everyone, for joining the fourth episode of the Inside the CFO Office podcast. We look forward to seeing you in the fifth episode. Have a great day!