I am not a big fan of stand-up comedic acts.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say that I don’t like stand-up comics. I think the best of them [you have your list, and I have mine] have an acutely aware insight into the human condition, the state of current affairs, and a nuanced view of the balance between life’s successes and struggles.
I just don’t care about the “act” in and of itself, as in, I likely wouldn’t pay for a ticket to see a stand-up act. But I would, and have, listened with rapt attention as comics explain the craft behind a show. And, similarly to how pro wrestling has allowed fans to increasingly peek behind the “kayfabe” veil to understand the business behind the business, so too comics have utilized social media platforms to help audiences understand with great detail, focus, and a surprising level of solemnness, the kind of work that goes into making someone laugh.
What does this have to do with CFOs?
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We’ve said it many times over the years here at CFO — the best way to understand how finance chiefs think about things is to a) ask them; and b) listen to them talk to each other about such things. We are present at nearly every open in-person event we can access. Chances are, if you attended an event over the past 24 months that caters specifically to you and your finance peers, we were there as well. We even built an in-person conference tracker to help you — and us — stay on top of everything we need to attend.
It is in these spaces where you hear the best accounts of what’s going on “inside baseball.” Last week, I had the opportunity to attend and speak at an inside baseball event, but this one was for media executives. While the “niche” aspect of the event was different from, say, the CFO Leadership Council or the CIMA CFO Conference (e.g. finance versus media), the “community” aspect of it was similar. It was media executives and operators from around the world seeking to connect and learn from each other to navigate current headwinds.
And it was through this lens that I came to realize that “niche” and “community” are not the same. We at CFO are a business publication that endeavors to serve the office of the chief financial officer. We dive deep into the persona, the role, the challenges, and the problem-solving that you engage in every day to help equip you in some small way to do your jobs better. Our “niche” is the finance chief.
But an interesting part of it is that when you’re dealing not just with an industry, but a specific person within that industry, you have the foundation of a “community.” And that’s why it is so important for us to track for you, and for us to be present at, events where community forms. Niche doesn’t replace community. But it can feed into it, and it intersects at the precise moment when a great thought leadership talk ends, and the immediate conversation in the aftermath begins.
Stay on top of the upcoming in-person events landing in the next few months. Chances are, you’ll see us there as well, listening in to further develop this niche while sharing in the community.