Brandon grew up in Idaho and earned both a Master of Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Boise State University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California. Most recently, he served as the Director of Accounting and Operations at Split Software in Redwood City, California. Prior to that, he was an Accounting Manager at Officengine in Oakland and an Audit Associate at PwC.

In our conversation, we focus on the three key financial statements: the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. We discuss their importance in assessing the financial health of a business. We delve into the details of the income statement, starting with an explanation of the difference between the top line and bottom line. Together with Brandon, we analyze Datadog's recent 10-K filing to better understand the company's financial health through mandatory SEC disclosures. We conclude with a list of finance and accounting questions that startup employees should ask during all-hands meetings to gain insights into their company’s financial well-being.