Ep#85: The Finance Skill Most Founders Never Learn - Brett Turner, Trovata

Brett Turner has built four companies and sold three of them for a combined $500 million plus.His sharpest insight has nothing to do with pitch decks or growth hacks, it comes down to cash. Most founders treat treasury as a back office problem, something you hand off the moment you can afford a CFO. Brett spent over a decade as a CPA at Deloitte, ran corporate finance inside Amazon, then worked Controller and CFO roles across a string of startups before he ever founded one himself.This episode traces that arc, from CPA to three time founder, and lands on Trovata, the AI native treasury platform he calls his last hurrah, now pulling stablecoins directly into corporate cash management. The takeaway is not to go learn accounting. It is that the boring disciplines, cash visibility, liquidity planning, financial literacy, are the actual infrastructure that lets founders survive long enough to get “lucky”. Skip them and speed is what kills you, not the market.Episode outlineThe accountant's apprenticeship: a dozen years across CPA, Controller and CFO roles at Deloitte, Amazon and early-stage startups, before he ever touched a company he owned.Amazon and the SEC grind: corporate finance discipline inside Amazon, the unglamorous training ground for the founder he'd later become.Four companies, three exits: the pattern connecting the lessons, and how it spawned Trovata, saving his best for last.From operator to founder: the shift from CFO to building and owning as CEO.Trovata: ten years building the treasury platform he wishes had existed for every company before it.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeBrett Turner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-turner/ Founder and CEO of Trovata, an AI-native treasury platform bringing stablecoins into corporate cash management. This is his seventh startup, following three prior exits.Andy Walsh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/Three-time founder with two exits who bootstrapped to $10M ARR, now host of Startups Decoded (top 2%, 850k+ downloads) and advising founders on growth through consulting and his podcast.Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackConnect: LinkedInWeb: startupsdecoded.com Socials: TikTok || Instagram || XMusic Credit.“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia) https://phondupe.bandcamp.com/album/air-conditioning-vol-2Disclaimer.The views and opinions shared on Startups Decoded are for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making any financial or legal decisions.