Main Takeaways: - Adapt: The PM must adapt to a different reality - Learn: The magical world of Finance - Level: How to productize Finance

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Webinar: How to Work With a Finance
Team? by DAZN Sr PM

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6. Product School
How to work with a Finance Team?

7. Agenda
How to work with a Finance Team?
1) Different realities
2) Basics of Finance
3) How can Product work efficiently with Finance
Because “Finance Team” is so large - we’ll focus on a traditional Tech SaaS Company.

8. For the crazy ones
Interested to know more about how your Finance team works? Here are some great
resources available, for the curious ones:
- cfo.com
- finance-monthly.com
- fnlondon.com
- finovate.com
- Investopedia.com

9. What is not Finance Team?

10. What is not Finance Team?

11. A different Point of View
When Product Managers might see the world this way 👇

12. Finance might see it this way 👇
A different Point of View

13. Learnings
First Learning: Product Managers have to adapt to this new way of seeing the world
Second Leaning: Finance are data driven by definition! They thrive with Data and don’t give
too much attention to Opinions.

14. How is a Finance Team traditionally split?
Accounting &
Reporting
Strategic
Financial
Management
Let’s consider the following high-level organisational split

15. What is Accounting and Reporting?
4 traditional key responsibilities are:
1. Accounts Payable &
Accounts Receivable
2. Payroll
3. Finance Controls
4. Record Keeping and
Reports

16. What is Strategic Finance Management?
The traditional responsibilities are:
1. Treasury
2. Budgeting
3. Risk Management
4. Planning and Growth
They usually look after the Investor Relations.

17. So please, a little bit of respect!

18. Learnings
First Learning: Product Managers have to adapt to this new way of seeing the world
Second Leaning: Finance are data driven by definition! They thrive with Facts and don’t give
too much attention to Opinions.
Third Learning: Always remember when you receive your paycheck, that’s thanks to them!

19. What are their biggest pain points?

20. What are their biggest pain points?
How can Product Managers help? No brainer…
E.g. How can Product lower costs
a. Optimize Organic Traffic
b. Promote Cheaper Acquisition Channels
c. Lower FX fees (or any payment related fees
- such as Credit Card fees)
d. Lower OPEX fees through optimized stack
e. and the list goes on...

21. What are their biggest pain points?
-> It’s your job as a Product Manager to be
financially oriented and identify the biggest
opportunities.
-> When preparing your new feature (if you do
write a PR-FAQ) then make sure to ask
yourselves this question:
- What will be the impact on Profit!

22. What are their biggest pain points?
How can Product Managers help? Automate.
E.g. How can Product increase Automation.
a. Map out the processes using visualization
tools such as MIRO.
b. Identify the biggest bottlenecks &
opportunities. No worries, most likely, your
finance teams knows where they are!
c. Start automating all the quick wins (e.g.
KILL EXCEL!)
d. Monitor the impact.
e. Repeat!
E.g. Before jumping into an ERP project, fix and automate
everything you can internally! The ERP might be an
overkill for your org.

23. Learnings
First Learning: Product Managers have to adapt to this new way of seeing the world
Second Leaning: Finance are data driven by definition! They thrive with Facts and don’t give too much
attention to Opinions.
Third Learning: Always remember when you receive your paycheck, that’s thanks to them!
Fourth Learning: Finance Pain points are heavily Tech oriented!

24. Heavily Tech oriented
Meaning loads of opportunities for “cool” integrations

25. Other ways Product can work with Finance.
Autonomous Squad? Think again!
Checklist:
- As a Squad, you should be FULLY responsible of ALL your data!
- Are you able to track your data up to Finance stage?
- Are data flows clear for the Finance team?
- How about often overlooked KPIs such as VAT returns?
Be humble - there are tons of insights Product can learn from Finance.

26. Other ways Product can work with Finance.
Autonomous Squad? Think again!
Checklist:
- Add Finance as a Launch Requirement for your feature releases

27. Other ways Product can work with Finance.
Autonomous Squad? Think again!
Checklist:
- Add Finance as a Launch Requirement for your feature releases
- When testing your releases don’t stick to your Key Metrics only, do have a check
of the Finance data too!

28. Other ways Product can work with Finance.
Autonomous Squad? Think again!
Checklist:
- Add Finance as a Launch Requirement for your feature releases
- When testing your releases don’t stick to your Key Metrics only, do have a check
of the Finance data too!
- Track your finance data regularly. Whenever possible, build a dashboard where
you’ll be able to easily track them overtime.

29. How can product help?
Just as Product Managers work with Engineers, Design, Customer Care … they need to
have Finance around them!
Some best practices:
- Create an Embedded Finance Agent that will participate to your key agile
sessions.

30. How can product help?
Just as Product Managers work with Engineers, Design, Customer Care … they need to
have Finance around them!
Some best practices:
- Create an Embedded Finance Agent that will participate to your key agile
sessions.
- Invite Finance to your retros and other agile reunions if possible!

31. How can product help?
Just as Product Managers work with Engineers, Design, Customer Care … they need to
have Finance around them!
Some best practices:
- Create an Embedded Finance Agent that will participate to your key agile
sessions.
- Invite Finance to your retros and other agile reunions if possible!
- Think about building some shared OKRs with Finance.

32. Learnings
First Learning: Product Managers have to adapt to this new way of seeing the world
Second Leaning: Finance are data driven by definition! They thrive with Facts and don’t give too much
attention to Opinions.
Third Learning: Always remember when you receive your paycheck, that’s thanks to them!
Fourth Learning: Finance Pain points are heavily Tech oriented!
Fifth Learning: Make Finance part of your day-to-day.

33. Thank you

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