Hunter Chen: How to Maximize Value from Third-Party Service Providers

About the Episode

Hunter Chen is the CFO at 9Yards Capital, a FinTech and supply chain focused VC firm that started off with just 45 million in assets under management and has grown to now nearly a billion.

In this episode, Hunter draws on nearly a decade of experience at Standish Management to offer advice on maximizing value from third-party service providers. He shares his perspective for when to bring in external vendors, how to leverage individual relationships to extract maximum value, and what to consider when balancing cost vs. quality.

In this episode, you will learn:
- Best practices for utilizing your vendors to their fullest capacity
- Advice on negotiating costs with your partners
- The risks of engaging low-cost discount providers

Key moments to listen for:
[00:45] Rapid-fire questions with Hunter
[01:45] Hunter’s role and the finance function at 9Yards Capital
[04:10] Best practices for effective communication and efficient infrastructure
[06:50] Getting the biggest bang for your buck with third-party providers
[08:25] Balancing cost with quality
[11:00] Internal communication tools and tactics
[13:30] Avoiding miscommunication errors
[15:45] How technology can help
[17:30] Hunter’s advice for his younger self