In this episode of Incoming Statements, host Anthony Alvernaz speaks with Sruthi Lanka, CFO of Public. With a unique background transitioning from software engineering during the financial crisis to finance leadership, Sruthi shares her perspective on how data and finance should be intertwined in modern financial operations.

Sruthi discusses her philosophy that data warehousing should be central to finance teams, enabling daily financial visibility instead of traditional monthly reporting cycles. She explains how Public captures business metrics daily, and why she prioritizes hiring team members who demonstrate curiosity, technical expertise, and collaborative problem-solving skills.

The conversation explores the incremental impact of AI on finance operations, Public's AI-powered investment assistant "Alpha," and Sruthi's approach to building flexible financial systems that can adapt to uncertainty. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes the importance of first-principles thinking and building systems that support operational decision-making rather than just satisfying external stakeholders.