Episode 292

292 Natalia Zacharin - Cash Flow Control: Transforming Stress into Strategic Growth

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Natalia Zacharin, founder of Zacharin & Co Consulting, to talk about financial clarity, fractional CFO strategies, and turning financial chaos into sustainable growth.

They unpack why most SaaS companies operate blind when it comes to money, the dangers of growing too fast, and how founders can stop guessing and start scaling—with confidence.

Natalia also shares how one founder survived a major revenue drop without debt, and the psychology behind smart financial decisions that separate profitable businesses from struggling ones.

Key Takeaways

00:00 – The payroll-to-revenue sweet spot for SaaS (30% rule)

01:06 – Welcome to SaaS Fuel with Jeff Mains

02:00 – Why financial clarity is a superpower

03:48 – Meet guest: Natalia Zachary, founder of Zachary & Co

05:37 – From accounting to strategic CFO: Natalia’s journey

06:38 – Why founders must own their numbers

08:22 – What a fractional CFO actually does

10:54 – Why growth can lead to running out of cash

12:05 – Hiring mistakes and scaling with intention

18:10 – Forecasting tips for SaaS founders

21:57 – Most important SaaS metrics to watch

24:45 – The difference between profit and cash in the bank

27:12 – Avoiding the CAC-to-cash gap

30:33 – Why profit matters again (finally)

35:07 – Turning a low-margin SaaS into a sellable asset

39:11 – Tools to simplify financial tracking

41:23 – How masterminds improve founder financial IQ

43:15 – The future of AI in finance

46:42 – Mindset shift: clarity > avoidance

Tweetable Quotes

“Fast growth can kill your business if you don’t manage cash.” — Natalia Zacharin

“Financials aren’t just numbers—they’re the story of your business.” — Jeff Mains

“You don’t need a huge finance team. You need a smart one.” — Natalia Zacharin

“If you don't know your runway, you're already flying blind.” — Jeff Mains

“A mind once stretched by new numbers never returns to old assumptions.” — Natalia Zacharin

“Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is reality.” — Jeff Mains

SaaS Leadership Lessons

Keep Payroll at 30% of Revenue – It gives breathing room for taxes, reinvestment, and founder salary.
Fractional CFOs Are Game-Changers – They offer high-level insights without the full-time cost.
You Can Grow Yourself to Death – Fast growth without cash control leads to disaster.
Forecasting Beats Guessing – A basic forecast can prevent gut-based, costly decisions.
Profit ≠ Cash – Just because you're profitable on paper doesn't mean you have money in the bank.
SaaS Valuation Starts with Financial Clarity – A sellable business has healthy margins, clean books, and intentional growth.