Joe Tsai’s Three Levels of the CFO—and Three Levels of VC
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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above
English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2021-01-24. Translated 2026-10-27 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文
Reading guide
Joe Tsai may well have been the greatest gift Jack Ma ever received. Tsai describes three levels of CFO contribution: avoiding financial detours; helping the CEO commit to moving forward at critical moments, beyond risk control; and allocating resources. Robin proposes three corresponding levels for venture capital and private equity. First, invest in promising companies, help them grow quickly, and exit. Second, raise funds by earning shareholders’ trust, creating wealth for them, and helping them transform. Third, use investing and fundraising to change industry structures and support industrial upgrading. These levels reinforce one another in a flywheel. Robin asks what the three levels are in your own field, observing that helping others succeed can bring success to yourself.
Key points
- Tsai’s three CFO levels: avoid detours, help the CEO commit, and allocate resources.
- Robin’s three VC levels: investing, fundraising, and changing industries.
- The three levels reinforce one another to form a flywheel.
- ‘Helping others succeed can bring success to yourself.’
Full text — English translation
These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.
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