Toptal Finance Blog

The Toptal Finance Blog is a hub for in-depth studies and analysis on all facets of finance, ranging from innovative strategies on raising capital to detailed coverage of new finance trends and technologies.

Toptalauthors are vetted experts in their fields and write on topics in which they have demonstrated experience. All of our content is peer reviewed and validated by Toptal experts in the same field.
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Toptalauthors are vetted experts in their fields and write on topics in which they have demonstrated experience. All of our content is peer reviewed and validated by Toptal experts in the same field.

An Effective ROI Framework for Developing a Work-From-Anywhere Policy

As workers increasingly prioritize flexible working arrangements, Toptal finance expert John Lee suggests a strategy to help employers balance the potential risks and rewards of offering a WFA option.

12-minute readContinue Reading
John Lee

John Lee

John Lee is the co-founder of The Work From Anywhere Team. He advises corporations and individuals on how to solve for tax complexity and other regulatory risks in an increasingly geomobile remote working environment. John has worked across EMEA, APAC, and the US, and has been a remote worker himself. He’s a chartered accountant and has held senior roles for global multinationals, including CRH.

Bots for Finance: How to Increase Back-office Efficiency Through Automation

Automating basic financial functions can save your company time and money and free your employees from tedious rote tasks. Toptal finance expert Miklos Lukacs explains how building a simple Python bot can streamline your business.

10-minute readContinue Reading
Miklos Lukacs, CFA

Miklos Lukacs, CFA

Miklos is highly experienced in finance processes, fintech, and Python programming. In addition to being a Toptal finance expert and software developer, he is the director of the structured finance consulting company Pylink Ltd.

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The Evolution of Venture Capital: Investing in Global Talent

By adopting a global talent acquisition strategy, venture capital not only extends the opportunities of entrepreneurship across the world, it helps startups reduce churn and break even faster.

9-minute readContinue Reading
Erik Stettler

Erik Stettler

Erik is a co-founder of a global venture capital fund that has invested in 50 startups (raising more than $500 million) and has realized six exits. He serves as Toptal’s Chief Economist.

Successful SaaS Fundraising: Navigating the Evolving Landscape

Investors have been pouring capital into SaaS startups. But that doesn’t mean raising funds is easy. This guide to finding the right financing options can help lead you to the treasure in this tricky terrain.

13-minute readContinue Reading
Julio C. Ortiz

Julio C. Ortiz

Julio has more than 25 years of diversified experience as a finance VP for multinational companies in a number of industries. Over the last five years, he has focused primarily on helping owners of early- to mid-stage SaaS and e-commerce startups raise funds to successfully grow their companies. Julio’s experience includes financial planning and modeling, business plan development, company valuation, fundraising, and strategic leadership.

What Is Bitcoin Mining? How It Works and What It Takes to Make It Pay

Bitcoin mining is still strong in North America, sparking new revenue opportunities for companies with access to cheap power, especially renewables. Learn about the risks as well as the rewards.

13-minute readContinue Reading
Dhruv Tandan

Dhruv Tandan

Dhruv is a veteran finance expert who has worked on fundraising and consulting projects worth more than $1 billion. His work focuses on cryptocurrency, energy, technology, food, and life science projects around the globe.

Modeling an Asset Class: Why Wall Street May Be in the Single-family Rental Market for Keeps

Wall Street has its eye on the single-family rental market. A convergence of rising home prices, changing rental preferences, and advancing technology is fueling the boom.

8-minute readContinue Reading
Hudson Cashdan

Hudson Cashdan

Hudson is a finance expert with a decade of experience organizing and investing in single-family housing funds. He has worked as a hedge fund equity analyst, portfolio manager, and startup advisor, and has deep expertise in financial modeling and forecasting.

How Companies Are Building Digital Asset and NFT Strategies

Despite crypto volatility, major brands are continuing to invest in NFTs. It’s time for more companies—not just those with valuable, recognizable IP—to explore how to create NFT strategies of their own.

10-minute readContinue Reading
Brian Nichol

Brian Nichol

Brian is an NFT strategy expert who has modeled digital asset strategies for clients in a number of industries. A seasoned finance professional, he previously worked for KPMG and South Africa’s PG Group.

How to Build a Basic Python Cash Flow Model for a Loan

Python has taken the financial programming world by storm, and demand for finance experts who can use it is soaring. Here, a Toptal finance professional and Python expert shows beginners how to build a loan payment cash flow model with Python.

5-minute readContinue Reading
Miklos Lukacs, CFA

Miklos Lukacs, CFA

Miklos is an expert in cash flow modeling and Python programming, and has worked for Morgan Stanley and DBRS Morningstar. He is a Toptal finance expert and the director of the structured finance consulting company Pylink Ltd.

Cash Flow Optimization: How Small and Medium Businesses Can Unlock Value and Manage Risk

Cash flow optimization requires a disciplined approach that anticipates liquidity shocks and allocates windfalls strategically in order to maximize opportunity.

9-minute readContinue Reading
Emilio Parente

Emilio Parente

Emilio is a former Deloitte consultant and CFO with experience in optimizing finance departments, supporting growth plans, and creating strategic roadmaps for start-ups and small and medium enterprises. He has worked with and advised more than 50 clients around the world, including global corporations such as Swissport International in Switzerland.

Platform Business vs. Pipeline Business: How to Leverage Your Network

Platform businesses of all kinds are hot in the startup world, but even pipeline businesses can benefit from the principles that make a platform business model successful.

9-minute readContinue Reading
Greg Barasia, CFA

Greg Barasia, CFA

Greg is a seasoned financial professional with experience at major investment firms such as Lazard. He has executed more than $20 billion in transactions, from seed-stage venture investments to large corporate buyouts.

Understanding the Cybersecurity Landscape in 2021

More than a year after the onset of COVID-19, organizations must shift from temporary stopgap measures to more robust cybersecurity strategies and technologies. Here’s how to keep your company safe.

10-minute readContinue Reading
Melissa Lin

Melissa Lin

Melissa has worked at tech startups, as well as in management consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies across multiple sectors.

Crypto Exchange Wars: How Coinbase Stacks Up Against Its Rivals

Coinbase is among the hundreds of cryptocurrency exchanges that have sought to fill a gap left by the mainstream, for years offering investors the only platforms for investing in Bitcoin and other tokens. However the industry has matured, and the mainstream is warming up to crypto, making the exchange business hotly contested and challenging leaders like Coinbase.

6-minute readContinue Reading
Michael J. McDonald

Michael J. McDonald

Michael J. McDonald is an award-winning journalist who has worked at Bloomberg News and Thomson Financial. He is a Senior Writer at Toptal.

Thinking of Using a SPAC to Go Public? Here's What to Consider

“I know more people that have a SPAC than have COVID” is a common refrain among finance professionals these days. So what’s driving the spike? Is a SPAC IPO right for your company?

9-minute readContinue Reading
Aleksey N. Krylov, CFA

Aleksey N. Krylov, CFA

Aleksey has significant experience raising equity. As CFO, he completed the reverse merger of SELLAS into a Nasdaq-listed company in 2018.

How Roblox Became One of Gaming’s Hottest Companies

Roblox Corp. is an online gaming company with no history of blockbuster titles and whose biggest market is preteens. Yet, after its IPO in mid-March, the company’s value surpassed industry stalwart Electronic Arts Inc. So what’s the secret to its success?

5-minute readContinue Reading
Michael J. McDonald

Michael J. McDonald

Michael J. McDonald is an award-winning journalist who has worked at Bloomberg News and Thomson Financial. He is a Senior Writer at Toptal.

Hard Seltzer Industry: Unlikely to Fizzle Out

In 1994, Coors introduced Zima, a low-ABV beverage alternative to wine coolers. Ultimately, the product flopped. Yet, today there are more than 65 hard seltzers. What dynamics are driving the booming hard seltzer market?

11-minute readContinue Reading
Melissa Lin

Melissa Lin

Melissa has worked in ECM, tech startups, and management consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies across multiple sectors.

A Month in the Life: Interim CFO Roles and Best Practices

An interim CFO has, on average, six to eight months to complete the job set forth by the company, meaning the first 30 days will be critical to accomplishing the goals for the position and setting a good long-term strategy for the company.

8-minute readContinue Reading
Jen Banzaca

Jen Banzaca

Jen Banzaca has been a financial journalist for 16 years, covering topics from financial services trends, investing, hedge funds, regulatory issues and compliance best practices.

Toptal Finance Expert

Neil Portus | CFA, CMA

Neil is a CFO for growth companies and a former equity analyst at Goldman Sachs in NY where he helped lead numerous transactions including Zipcar's $1.1 billion IPO. He was also an equity analyst at Barclays Capital & Lehman Brothers and began his career at a boutique investment bank (M&A, restructuring, debt financings). He's built his operational skills both as a startup founder and as the CFO of an East Africa-focused impact investment firm.
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Previously At

Goldman Sachs

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