Why Hiring the Right Finance People Fast Is Critical in Startups and Scaleups
When founders think about building a startup team, they usually focus on product, tech, and sales. That’s natural, those are the engines of growth. But one of the most overlooked early hires, and arguably one of the most important, is finance.
I’ve worked with countless startups and scaleups, and a pattern emerges every time: the ones that get their finance hires right (and early) tend to grow with clarity and confidence. The ones that delay it often find themselves scrambling, fixing avoidable mistakes, reworking models, or struggling through funding rounds that could have been smoother.
The Hidden Power of Finance in a Startup
Finance in a startup is not just about bookkeeping or compliance. It’s about building visibility and control in a business that’s constantly evolving.The right finance professional brings structure to the chaos. They provide real-time insight into what’s working, what’s not, and where the company’s money is truly going. They help the leadership team make decisions based on data, not just instinct.
In a startup environment where every pound (or dollar) counts, that clarity can mean the difference between scaling sustainably and running out of runway.A strong finance hire can:
- Build accurate financial models that help guide strategic decisions
- Forecast cash flow and extend runway
- Support investor relations and funding rounds
- Design scalable systems and reporting structures
- Identify inefficiencies before they become critical issues
It’s not glamorous work, but it’s essential.
Why Speed Matters
One of the biggest challenges I see as a recruiter is timing. Many founders wait too long to bring in finance expertise, either because they’re focused on hiring engineers or because they assume they can “get by” with outsourced accounting for a while.
But finance is not a function you can afford to delay for long.
When the business begins to grow, new markets, more employees, increasing complexity, the lack of financial infrastructure becomes painfully obvious. Founders find themselves spending weekends in spreadsheets, chasing invoices, or trying to make sense of metrics that don’t quite add up.Hiring the right finance person early means your company builds with a foundation, not a patchwork. It also means you’re ready when opportunities come, whether that’s a funding round, a new product launch, or an acquisition conversation.
In startup terms, it’s the difference between being reactive and being ready.
Getting the Hire Right
Speed matters, but so does quality.
Hiring finance talent isn’t just about finding someone who can handle the numbers. It’s about finding someone who understands your stage of growth, your business model, and your vision.A finance leader in a pre-Series A startup, for example, looks very different from one in a post-Series B scaleup. Early on, you need someone hands-on, comfortable getting into the weeds, setting up processes, and wearing multiple hats. Later, you might need someone more strategic, capable of managing teams and overseeing investor relations.
That’s where the right recruiter or hiring partner can make all the difference. We understand the nuances of startup finance roles, what “good” looks like for your specific growth phase, and we can help you find candidates who bring both the technical expertise and the cultural fit to thrive in a fast-moving environment.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Hiring too slowly or hiring the wrong person can be expensive, not just in salary, but in missed opportunities.A finance function that’s underpowered or underqualified can lead to:
- Misreported financials (a huge red flag for investors)
- Cash flow crises that could have been predicted
- Compliance issues that take months to untangle
- A lack of trust in your financial data, which affects decision-making at every level
In contrast, a well-chosen finance hire pays for themselves many times over, through smarter planning, better investor relations, and ultimately, more efficient growth.
Final Thoughts
In startups and scaleups, there’s often a sense that finance can “wait.” But in reality, it’s one of the first areas that should be built with intention.The best founders I’ve worked with understand that finance isn’t a back-office function, it’s a growth enabler. It provides the visibility, structure, and foresight that fast-growing businesses need to scale successfully.
So, if you’re building or scaling your business right now, ask yourself:
- Do you have the right finance capability for your next stage of growth?
- Is your financial reporting as robust as your product roadmap?
- And if your finance person handed in their notice tomorrow – would you be ready?
Hiring the right finance talent fast isn’t just about filling a gap. It’s about investing in the stability, credibility, and scalability of your entire business.
Looking to build financial clarity into your next growth phase?
Contact sam@akkar.com to learn how Akkar helps startups and scaleups secure the right finance talent to scale with confidence.
Contact sam@akkar.com to learn how Akkar helps startups and scaleups secure the right finance talent to scale with confidence.
