🚀 Helping clients scale product & engineering ops 🚀 Head Of Tech | FractionalCTO | Product Ops | Content Ops | Transformations | Automation | AEM Specialist | Solution Architect | E2E Technologist | Digital Strategist

From end‑to‑end hands‑on delivery to product‑wide modernisation — helping engineering teams 10× efficiency through fast AI adoption and automated workflows built on scalable architectures.

I’m a Senior Product Engineering Consultant and Fractional CTO (in practice) helping scale‑ups and established enterprises modernise their engineering systems and accelerate delivery through AI adoption and automation.

Over the past two decades, I’ve led and delivered large‑scale digital transformations across financial services, retail, and automotive, working with brands like HSBC, Nissan/Renault, and JPMorgan Chase.


My experience bridges strategy and implementation with hands‑on technical leadership. Core expertise includes:


– Adobe AEM/CMS: 10+ years of development, custom components, workflows and integrations (also Magnolia & Alfresco).

– Java/Spring Boot: Enterprise applications, microservices, REST APIs, Kafka, full‑stack development.

– Frontend: React, Angular, JavaScript, responsive design and modern web standards.

– Cloud & DevOps: AWS, CI/CD, Docker, automated deployment pipelines.

– AI Integration: Modern automation and GenAI‑powered development workflows (emerging).


Today, my focus is on:


✅ Modernisation & Efficiency: Evolving legacy systems into scalable, cloud‑ready architectures.

✅ AI‑Driven Delivery: Embedding automation and GenAI workflows into engineering pipelines.

✅ Team Empowerment: Building clarity, confidence and measurable improvement across delivery teams.


I combine deep technical knowledge with strategic execution to deliver measurable improvements in speed, quality and cost for my clients.


Open to strategic engagements and senior leadership roles in modernisation and AI‑driven engineering.


🚀 Currently: Consulting with scaling and established organisations to define their technology strategy, streamline delivery and build AI‑ready product foundations.

Manish Dani

If finance gives you anxiety, let’s talk.

Here's how I can help:

☑️ Capital strategy & runway — aligned funding and cash clarity
☑️ Systems as leverage — integrated, scalable, one source of truth
☑️ Operating cadence — fast close, timely decisions, accountability
☑️ Actionable models — forward view that guides decisions
☑️ Strategy + execution — I own the plan; my team delivers
☑️ Investor-grade reporting — clear story, trusted metrics
☑️ Resource allocation — invest where returns compound
☑️ Unit economics — durable, scalable profitability

Hi, I'm Dave, a Strategic CFO and COO who works with fast-moving startups that need finance to keep pace. 

Most finance leaders live in the rearview. They speak in riddles. They show up once a quarter with a post-mortem. 

I operate in real-time. I break things down in plain English. I build systems so you stop firefighting and start leading.

Why you should trust me:

⚡ Accountant with 20+ years across UK & Australia
⚡ Owned nine-figure P&Ls at public companies
⚡ Built finance teams from zero to hero
⚡ Turned cash burn into cash flow
⚡ Grew revenue £8M in one year

Experience spans VC & PE-backed Tech, Big Four consulting, ASX-listed enterprises.

A bit about me:

I’m not your typical CFO.

Started out chasing a career in professional sport. When that dream died, I pivoted, joined KPMG, and learned to play the corporate game. I spent years trying to fit in.

Eventually, I stopped trying to blend in and embraced my differences: the way I think, lead, and work with people.

Since then, I’ve lived in Australia, built finance functions from scratch, scaled companies across continents, and earned trust in rooms filled with operators, investors, and founders trying to figure out how to grow rapidly without losing the plot.

Now I’m back in the UK — still not your typical CFO.
And that’s entirely the point.

Let's connect. DMs open (replies might take a day or two).

Dave Leaver

Growth doesn't break your business.

It just shows you what was already broken.

Most companies chase scale. 
Few ask what scale will expose.

Here's what growth stresses:
→ Decisions that used to take hours now take days 
→ Cash that felt comfortable now runs out in weeks 
→ Leadership "alignment" that was actually just politeness

Small companies hide these problems. 
Scale makes them fatal.

The question isn't "Can we grow?"
It's "What breaks when we do?"

Most founders won't answer honestly.
Then they wonder why growth killed them.

What's the thing in your business that's working now but won't at 2x scale?

Strategic CFO Helping Bold CEO’s Build Unstoppable Businesses || +20 Years’ Experience || Ex-KPMG || Follow for Posts on Finance, Strategy & Leadership

Most people rebel against the wrong things.

I once sat in a meeting I’ll never forget.
Performance had fallen off a cliff.
Cash was burning.
Everyone knew it.

And the debate?

▶️ “Culture”
▶️ Dress codes
▶️ Email etiquette

Not one person challenged the strategy.
Then they wondered why nothing changed.

Most people rebel against the wrong things.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁:

It's not about noise and optics.
It's about breaking patterns that don't work.

👉 Challenging leaders who take credit for others' work
👉 Saying "this isn't working" when others pretend it is
👉 Calling out strategies everyone knows are broken
👉 Speaking up when everyone else stays quiet
👉 Refusing to waste time in pointless meetings

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:
Fake rebels fight against accountability.
Real rebels fight against that bullsh*t.

Fake rebels pretend it’s fine. 
Real rebels fix the dysfunction.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲:
👉 Admitting your strategy failed
👉 Firing a high performer who's toxic
👉 Choosing authenticity over approval
👉 Being the only one saying "we need to pivot"
👉 Walking away from revenue that kills margins

The pattern I see:
People who fight the wrong fight get ignored.
People who tackle what actually matters earn respect.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

The truth:
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

And the willingness to be uncomfortable while others stay quiet.

The choice:
𝗙𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.
Or stand out and risk being told you're difficult.
I chose difficult.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

What broken pattern are you tolerating that you should challenge?

🔔 Follow Dave Leaver for more uncomfortable truth
♻ Share if you've ever stayed quiet when you should've spoken up

𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: How do you manage being a 𝗖𝗙𝗢, 𝗖𝗢𝗢, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿, and 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿?

I don't.

Not in the way you think.

I stopped trying to "balance" everything years ago.

Instead, I built systems that work whether I'm in the room or not.

Every role gets a clear framework.

- Financial work? 
- Blocked time for numbers, forecasts, decisions.

- Operations? 
- Delegated to leads who know their stuff better than I do.

- Client calls? 
- Batched together.

- Strategic reviews? 
- Protected slots in my calendar.

I'm not superhuman.

I just stopped pretending I could do everything at once.

And I hired people smarter than me in their areas.

You can't manage multiple roles by working harder.

You manage them by building better systems and trusting your team.

That's it.

Follow Dave Leaver for more such content.

Not everyone clapping for you is in your corner.
Took me years to learn that.

Some will smile to your face.
Celebrate your wins in public.
Then say nothing when you're not in the room.
Or worse, they join in when someone else throws you under the bus.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵:
Loyalty isn't about who cheers loudest.
It's about who defends you when you're not there.

Most people won't.
👉 They'll stay quiet.  
👉 Protect themselves.  
👉 Let you take the hit.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴?
They don't just value your results.
They stand up for you when it counts.

The kind who:
🟢 Call out lies  
🟢 Shut down gossip  
🟢 Speak up when you're being misrepresented  
🟢 Defend you because they know your character

That kind of loyalty is rare.
Most leaders are politicians.

They'll back you when it's safe.  
Abandon you when it's not.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀?
Hold onto them.

Because if no one's watching your back, you're in the wrong room.

And it doesn't matter how good you are at your job.
Without air cover, you're exposed.

𝗦𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳:
Who's actually in your corner?

Not who likes your posts.  
Not who buys you drinks.

Who defends you when you're not there?
If the answer is nobody, you're in the wrong place.
.....................
𝗪𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱? 

Drop their name below 👇

🔔 Follow Dave Leaver for more leadership reality  
♻ Share if you've learned this the hard way

4 controversial mindsets to adopt in 2026

(I guarantee they'll help you win)

I spoke to an old boss over Christmas.
He’s out of corporate life and absolutely loving it.
 
Why?
 
No politics. No empire-building. No d*ckheads.
Just decisions, accountability, and outcomes.

But most companies pretend these truths don’t exist:

𝟭. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

People protect themselves first.
They’ll throw you under the bus if it helps their agenda.

Stop enabling empire-building. 
Ensure outcomes matter more than egos.

𝟮. 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

If they can't show you numbers, they're selling fiction.

Always ask for evidence before acting.
Numbers over narrative.
Every. Single. Time.

𝟯. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 “𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁”.

More meetings. More decks. More delays.  
Accountability is scary and easy to avoid.

Assign a single owner to every key decision. 
No owner = no outcome.

𝟰. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.
 
When you dislike someone, it's easy to dismiss their perspective. 

That's dangerous. Business shouldn't be personal.  

Separate ego from evaluation. 
Judge the thinking, not the person. 

𝗠𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?

No-one owes you anything, so
If you want to win, learn the game 
and play it better than anyone else.

..................

Which truth is your company pretending doesn't exist?

🔔 Follow Dave Leaver for more brutal business truth
♻ Share if you're done with pretty lies

The best manager I ever had?

They scared the living sh*t out of me.

But most managers want you cozy.
Because comfortable people are easy to control.

Real leaders?
They're actively trying to make you so capable that you outgrow them.

But weak managers are terrified of that.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 (𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂) 
↳ No hand-holding or shielding from reality 
↳ "Sort it out. I'm right here if you drown."

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘀 
↳ No corporate waffle or yearly review bollocks 
↳ "That was shit. Here's exactly why."

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 
↳ They see what you can't yet 
↳ "You're capable of way more than this."

𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 
↳ Zero micromanagement garbage 
↳ "It's yours now. Don't fuck it up."

𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 
↳ They connect you with power players 
↳ "This person can change your trajectory."

𝟲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 
↳ You're blind to your own evolution 
↳ "Six months ago you couldn't do any of this."

𝟳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗽𝘂𝘁 
↳ You're a person, not a productivity unit 
↳ "Life matters more than deadlines. Always."

The difference?
Weak managers build dependence.
Elite leaders build freedom.

Most people have never worked for someone who genuinely wanted them to eclipse them.

If you have?
You know exactly how rare that is.
And how much it changes everything.

The best compliment I ever received:
"We didn't notice you were gone for two weeks."

That's leadership.
Building people who don't need you anymore.
.......................
Who pushed you hardest when you thought you'd break?

🔔 Follow Dave Leaver for leadership reality without the fluff
♻ Share if someone believed in you before you believed in yourself

The old growth playbooks are dead
Last week, our team built a product in 1 day.
Shipped a rough, lovable prototype by 7 pm. 

A PM led it, but it worked because engineering and leadership rallied behind learning over polish.

That’s the culture we must set: prioritise innovation over optimisation in a market that resets weekly.

Here's how to grow in today's world of AI:

𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳
Ship a minimum lovable product with a 60-second wow, your brand lives in your product.

𝟮. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰
Ship constantly and share updates, your social feed becomes the re-engagement loop.

𝟯. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆
Remove all barriers to trying the product, with free trials. It's more effective than paid marketing.

𝟰. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀
Influencer marketing is 10x bigger than paid social, showing customers "what's possible". Build community

𝟱. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Launch new capabilities and stand up new growth loops constantly vs. optimising existing ones

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆:
 • 𝟵𝟱% 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝟱% 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
 • 𝗧𝗼 𝟵𝟱% 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝟱% 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴

Most teams still build for permanence in a world of constant change.

The winners aren't the most experienced.
They're the most adaptable.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀:

→ Comfort with temporary wins
→ Passion for constant reinvention
→ Fire in the belly over résumé depth
→ Creating clarity from chaos, not waiting for it

Old mindset: "Let's optimise this feature."
New mindset: "Let's blow this up and build better."

The winners are building the future, while losers are defending the past.

The question isn't whether you 𝗰𝗮𝗻 adapt to AI.
It's whether you 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 to.

Are you optimising yesterday's solutions or inventing tomorrow's?

What 20+ years of experience taught me in leadership. 🙌

(Nobody warned me about any of this)

Most of this I learned the hard way. 
Some cost me teams. 
Some cost me sleep. 

All of them are true.

 • Adapt.
 • Delegate.
 • Own mistakes.
 • Fire likeable people.
 • Niceness isn't leadership.
 • Consensus creates mediocrity.
 • Loyalty doesn't pay mortgages.
 • Your best performer poisons teams.
 • Your exec team lies to you more often.
 • Most leadership books are useless theory.
 • Hiring slow firing fast is bullshit, do both fast.
 • The loudest voice isn't the smartest one ever.
 • Your legacy isn't who you developed, it's results.
 • Being liked matters far less than being respected.
 • People don't leave bad companies, they leave you.
 • If you're working weekends, your team definitely is.
 • If nobody's scared to challenge you they don't care.
 • You'll compromise values under pressure eventually.
 • Promoting your mate because they're loyal, backfires.
 • Transparency without action is performative leadership BS.

Experience doesn't make you better. 
Getting punched in the face does.

Which one made you uncomfortable?

I'm Dave Leaver. I write the finance and leadership advice I wish someone had given me earlier. Real talk only.

Last week we “closed” a big decision in 12 minutes.

(It’s bothered me ever since)

Everyone nodded. It felt efficient. We called it momentum. 

But… Fast agreement is usually a warning sign
Most leaders chase agreement early.
In practice, it often creates blind spots.

When teams align too fast:
🔴 Risks stay unspoken
🔴 Assumptions go untested
🔴 Accountability weakens later

Over time, those gaps show up as:
🟢 Surprise issues
🟢 Slow reversals
🟢 Finger-pointing


Before committing to a big decision, I use a simple check.

𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:

1️⃣ 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
 If no one pushes back, thinking stayed shallow.

2️⃣ 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲
 Someone must articulate what could go wrong.

3️⃣ 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
 One person owns the outcome, not the group.


This isn’t about encouraging conflict.
It’s about protecting decision quality as scale increases.

Agreement feels efficient.
Tension is more useful.

So ask yourself:
What did your team agree on too quickly?

Call it what it is: you're not growing.
You're just making more mess at higher velocity.

You hit your ARR targets. 
The board loves you. 

But your finance team can't close the books on time.

That's not success. 
That's a problem waiting to explode.

Most founders celebrate revenue milestones. 
I celebrate when someone can actually explain where the money went. 🙌

Growth outpacing control kills businesses. 
Fast.

You're up 300% in revenue but cash is mysteriously tight. 
Why? 

Nobody tracked what actually got spent.
Finance uses six spreadsheets for one answer. 

Margin questions take days. 
Your CFO approves invoices manually.

This isn't about hiring smarter people. 
It's about building systems before you desperately need them.

🟢Process before people.
🟢Visibility before velocity.
🟢Control before chaos.

The companies that survive aren't the fastest growers. 
They're the ones who made operations boring early.

Every pound leaked started as "we'll fix that later." 
Later never comes.

Scale the engine, not just the output.
PS. What control broke first when you scaled?

PPS. I'm Dave Leaver. Finance and leadership content for people who are allergic to bullshit. If that's you, follow along.

The red flags that kill companies rarely show up on a dashboard. Most companies don’t fail in dramatic ways.

I’ve been in rooms where the founder was smart, driven, and well-intentioned.

And still, things slowly unravelled.

A few red flags I keep seeing 

𝟭. 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Not bad numbers.
But missing conversations.

Reports come late.
Meetings get postponed.
Questions are answered with, “Let’s circle back.”

That’s not a finance issue.
That’s discomfort.

𝟮. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿.
The team is busy, Slack is loud, and calendars are full.

But no one can clearly explain:
– where the cash will be in 6 months.
– What must go right for survival
– which costs actually matter

Busyness becomes a cover for uncertainty.

𝟯. 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.
They stop delegating decisions.
They stop sharing concerns.

It feels noble, but it’s dangerous.

𝟰. 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
One more hire will fix it.
One big client will change everything.

I’ve seen hope keep companies alive for months and kill them in the end.

𝟱. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀.
Keeping the wrong people too long.
Not admitting a strategy isn’t landing.

Because confrontation feels heavier than risk.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗙𝗢:

Companies don’t run out of money first.
They run out of honesty.

If you’re a founder reading this, ask yourself gently, not defensively:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

That answer is usually where the real work is.

PS: Strong companies aren’t fearless.
They’re just brave enough to look early.

Follow Dave Leaver for more such content.

Algorithms demand content. 
Finance demands margin.
𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵.

But not how most brands do it.

Most brands hire random influencers. 
▶️ Pay fixed fees. 
▶️ Hope for results. 
▶️ Then wonder why CAC climbs.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.

Here's how we do it at Mention Me.

👉 First, recruit from your customer base. 
Not Instagram randoms. 
People who already bought. Already give a shit. 
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

👉 Second, commission tiers based on outcomes. 
Not posts. Not impressions. Actual conversions. 
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗖𝗔𝗖 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆.

👉 Third, rights-cleared UGC powers everything. 
Ads. Emails. Product pages. One piece works across channels. 
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽.

👉 Fourth, clear briefs with brand safety guardrails. 
Scale without constant rework. 
𝗡𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵.

👉 Fifth, add referral overlays. 
Views become advocates. 
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁.

This isn't creator marketing. 
It's performance marketing using creators.

The difference? 
One burns the budget.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻.

🔔 Follow Dave Leaver & Mention Me 
♻️ Share if you're done burning cash

I’m an introvert. Still became a CFO.

Small talk drains me.
For most of my career, networking felt… unnatural.

So I didn’t do it.

I focused on the work and delivered results.
Built a solid career.

And for a long time, that was enough.

But if I’m honest, I was coasting.

Not because I lacked capability.
But because I stayed inside my comfort zone.

A few years ago, I made a deliberate decision:

Not to attend every event.
Not to “become extroverted.”
But to step slightly outside my comfort zone.

One coffee instead of none
One follow-up instead of moving on..
One conversation instead of avoiding the room.

Opportunities started coming to me.
Roles. Boards. Introductions. Ideas.

Things I used to chase earlier in my career now appeared through conversations I almost didn’t have.

What changed wasn’t my personality.

It was my exposure.

As CFOs, we’re trained to optimise systems, reduce risk, and focus on substance over noise.

But visibility isn’t noise.
And relationships aren’t inefficient.

They’re leverage.

Especially at senior levels, the next opportunity rarely comes from a job board.

It comes from someone who knows how you think.

I never knew what I was missing until I stepped just far enough outside my comfort zone to see it.

Curious how other introverted leaders approach networking:

Do you avoid it, tolerate it… or design it to work for you?

PS: You don’t need a bigger social battery. You need a smarter strategy.

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