Episode 1338: The Metrics That Matter Most in Consumer Brands

Rapid growth can look like success on the surface while quietly creating serious cash flow, inventory, and operational problems beneath. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Matt Putra, Founder and Managing Partner of Eightx, who shares lessons from years of private equity and CFO experience on the financial discipline required to build valuable, scalable businesses. He explains why founders need to understand the numbers behind their decisions, how inventory and cash flow can become major growth constraints, and which financial metrics deserve close attention. Matt also discusses when companies need CFO-level thinking, how to identify the core constraint limiting growth, and why proactive problem-solving can make a major difference in enterprise value. Key Takeaways: → Proactive communication builds investor confidence and patience. → Identifying the core constraint can reveal the next growth priority. → Delayed decisions can quickly turn into costly financial mistakes. → Slow-moving SKUs can create hidden financial strain. → CFO-level support helps integrate marketing, inventory, cash flow, and reporting. Matt Putra is the founder of Eightx, a financial strategy firm serving growth-stage brands. His career began in operations at a metal-recycling plant and later expanded into manufacturing, accounting, private equity, lending, real estate, and corporate finance. As employee number three at New Market Funds, Matt helped the firm grow to 25 employees and participated in approximately $500 million in investment activity, ultimately serving as Group CFO. He later founded Eightx to help companies generating $5 million to $150 million in revenue access financial leadership they had outgrown but could not yet support full-time. Today, Matt leads strategy and client engagements, helping businesses improve margins, manage inventory, raise capital, and prepare for successful exits. His experience spans multiple eight-figure transactions, Series A and seed financings, debt raises, and interim CFO leadership. Connect With Matt: Website: https://eightx.co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eightx.consulting LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattputra/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/eightx/