A blessing of unicorns: A roundup of resources for companies with a growth mindset.

Not long ago, the entrepreneurial landscape was filled with the sparkling allure of unicorn companies — those who reached an impressive $1B valuation. But in 2023, the unicorn narrative feels a bit more like a fairy tale, and the once-vibrant “unicorn economy” has shifted its focus on to emphasizing resilience and runway preservation. As conditions for funding grow stricter, the old adage of “hold on to what you’ve got” has never felt more relevant. 

At Airbase, we’re proud to include a growing population of odds-defying unicorns as customers. These companies recognize the importance of control, compliance, and efficiency. Did you know that a gathering of unicorns is called a “blessing? In that sense, we’re blessed.

For anyone wanting to join the exclusive unicorn club, here’s a curated collection of resources to help you get there.

1. Ebook: The Unicorn Playbook, Volume 1: Finance leaders at unicorn companies share the strategies that helped elevate their companies to unicorn status. A common thread: Right from the beginning, they built processes and systems that could accommodate growth.
2. Ebook: The Declining Unicorn Population 2023: This succinct ebook takes a look at the current state of the unicorn economy and explains why smart companies are adjusting their strategies in response.
3. Podcast on Apple or Spotify: Path to Becoming a CFO: Michael Scarpelli, CFO at Snowflake. What’s it like to lead the largest software IPO in history? Michael shares insider stories with veteran investment advisor Jeff Epstein.
4. Blog: Unicorn secrets for effective change management everyone can learn from: In the race toward a $1B valuation, emerging unicorns often prioritize rapid scaling and neglect the essential process building blocks. That leads to strain and disorganization as the demands of growth outpace infrastructure. Read this blog to discover how change-management strategies eliminate this friction.
5. Ebook: Unicorn Playbook, Volume 2: Read more top tips from unicorn finance leaders. One highlight: “The more I revisit stories of how others set up early-stage systems, the more I understand that an alternative growth mindset was what really enabled me to go to the next level of solutions. For example, moving straight to an ERP instead of going from solution to solution.” — Pedro Monteiro de Barros, Remote
6. Blog: How the best procurement software fuels growth for unicorn companies: Smart companies recognize that with the right systems in place, procurement can drive efficiency, control, and savings. Check out the blog to read strategies on leveraging the strategic power of procurement at any stage.
7. Podcast on Apple or Spotify: Path to Becoming a CFO: Kelly Steckelberg, CFO at Zoom. As CFO at Zoom, Kelly led the company’s finance teams through a period of truly unprecedented growth. Hear about her career path and how she helped Zoom superscale when the working world became remote.
8. Webinar: How should today’s unicorns think about exits?: As prospective unicorns chart their future, the ability to decode the M&A landscape becomes increasingly important. M&A powerhouse, James Kim, joins Airbase CFO, Aneal Vallurupalli, to look at diverse exit strategies and how to prepare. James has participated in over $100B in M&A transactions, including ​​Afterpay to Square, Motorola Mobility to Google, Pixar to Disney, Credit Karma to Intuit, HomeAway to Expedia, OpenTable to Priceline.

Discover why unicorn companies love Airbase. Schedule a demo or book an interactive tour.