A chief financial officer is a role that can often be an overlooked position in smaller companies, according to Fingersoft CFO Markus Vahtola.
This relates to indie developers as well, with the Finnish developer head explaining at PGC Digital #6 that someone on the team should know about finances, metrics and the realities of what it takes to build a company. Going without this role can affect credibility and investment opportunities going forward, in his experience.
Tips to build enduring success throughout the company as a CFO was laid out as below:
- Focus on employees’ well-being
- Scale-up profitable games
- Empower employees’ personal growth
- Nurture an inclusive culture where everyone is valued
- Recruit inspiring people who love to mentor and share learnings
- Maintain a creative spark throughout the company (particularly in mobile)
- Processes should be effortless
High velocity
“We love high velocity and enjoy our relaxed yet professional culture where everyone is valued and constant learning is encouraged,” said Vahtola, when referring to the work culture at Fingersoft.
When describing how the role of a CFO has changed over time, it was highlighted how in addition to knowing about accounting and law, these days having a firm grasp of communication and leadership skills are just as important.
“Technology has transformed and enable finance function to be more efficient,” he added.
“Manage, analyse and present data in [a] way that yields the greatest value for the business. Data must be accurate, meaningful, consistent and readily available.”
We previously spoke to Fingersoft director of business development Daniel Rantala surrounding the five-year anniversary of Hill Climb Racing 2.
PGC Digital #6 will run from April 19th to April 23rd.
To keep up to date with all of our coverage, check out the roundups here. There’s still time to sign up – to find out more and book a ticket, head to the website.
