Every startup has its own unique story, but those stories often follow a similar trajectory: A small group of founders have a good idea for a product, which they build in their spare time (bonus points if they build it in someone's garage). From there, they attract their first seed investments and build towards Series A, Series B, and so on. As the startup grows larger, the founders may start thinking about their exit strategy -- an acquisition or an IPO.

In the early days, just about everything the startup does is in service of developing the product -- the key competitive asset. For software companies, every function in the business relies on understanding the software itself; strategic decisions in everything from sales to marketing to finance depend on leaders understanding how the software is being built and on what timeline. But the startup's growth goes hand in hand with the need for increased maturity. An organization can rely on simple tools and strategies for sales and finance at the beginning, but it needs to lay the groundwork for maturity sooner rather than later, or risk stumbling at a critical moment.

Startups can set themselves up for success by fostering transparency and collaboration between engineering and other areas of the organization. In particular, software companies can use a strategy called DevFinOps, which makes financial strategies an integral part of engineering operations. By embracing DevFinOps early, startups can lower many of the most common barriers standing between them and a successful exit.