1.  There’s a hierarchy of business cases — and not all are created equal

Jessica laid out a simple but powerful framework: the most valuable business cases either make money or save money. Time-saving comes last — unless you can translate that time into measurable gains.

“The worst type of business case is just ‘we’ll save time.’ Because the immediate question is: what are you going to do with that time? If you don’t have a clear answer — like increase revenue or cut costs — it’s an incomplete business case.”

She emphasized that vague outcomes like “increased engagement” rarely move the needle unless they’re backed by hard numbers. Executives want ROI, not vibes.

2. Gut-led pitches won’t cut it

Jessica recalled a moment early in her career when she pitched a project she felt strongly about — but couldn’t quantify.

“I used all the right words — strategy, impact, culture. But they said no. Then our VP of Data presented something similar, but with clear assumptions, ROI, and projections. Everyone applauded.”

That moment shifted her mindset: no more being “the non-numbers person.” She learned to lead with data — and it changed everything. She now runs finance teams.

3. Use the “So What?” test to find the real value

One of Jessica’s go-to techniques: say your business case out loud to a trusted peer, and have them respond with “so what?” until you hit a clear outcome.

“We have 10% of people unhappy with their managers. So what? They resign. So what? That costs $5K per hire and productivity loss. So what? That’s a $250K opportunity if we solve it.”

It’s a ruthless but effective way to pressure-test whether your case holds up — and forces you to get specific about the business impact.

​4. Start with the bottom line — then build your case

Jessica dropped a Gen Z acronym we’re adopting immediately: BLUF — Bottom Line Up Front.

“Don’t start with a history of your current system or how things feel outdated. Lead with: ‘If we do this, we’ll unlock $X in new revenue or $Y in cost savings.’ Then show your math.”

Once that’s out of the way, everything else becomes operational: How will it work? What could go wrong? What’s the rollout plan?

5. Yes, you can tie HR initiatives to revenue

Jessica didn’t let HR off the hook: even if it feels “indirect,” you can — and should — try to link your work to revenue.

She suggested diving into sales, product, and churn data to look for patterns. Are low performers missing targets? Are bad managers causing turnover? Start there, then connect the dots.

“Try to find revenue leakage. If you replace underperformers 3 months earlier, what would that mean for your ARR? You don’t need perfect numbers — just directional clarity.”

And if you can’t make a revenue case? Then make a clear, quantified cost-savings one. But don’t stop at “we’ll be more efficient.”

Thanks for reading. See you next time!

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