CFOs and startups unite: AI innovation in finance

FP&A vs. Accounting: A Complete Game-Changer! Ever wonder if FP&A is just a fancy term for accounting? Spoiler alert: it's a whole different ballgame! Let me take you on a journey where numbers tell a story, plans pave the way for action, and forecasting isn't just a wild guess. Imagine you're at a football game. Accounting is like keeping the score—accurate, precise, and detailed. It tells us who scored, when, and how. Every dollar, every cent is accounted for, giving us the historical data we need to understand the game so far. On the other hand, FP&A is like your team's strategy coach. We're not just watching the game unfold; we're actively planning the next play. We're leveraging past performance to predict future outcomes. Let's dive into why these roles, though intertwined, are so different: Case Study: Strategic Moves of KingCorp KingCorp, an industry leader, began treating FP&A not just as number crunchers but as strategic partners. With FP&A, they forecasted market trends, identified new opportunities, and adapted their strategies quickly. Instead of just tracking spending, they predicted economic shifts, optimized resources, and increased profitability by 30%! Actionable Insight #1: Leveraging FP&A for Business Growth Want to enhance your business's strategic power? Start by integrating FP&A insights into your decision-making process. Here’s how to do it: - Collaborate: Foster open communication between accounting and FP&A teams. It’s like a dance; the smoother the partnership, the better the results. - Scenario Planning: Regularly simulate various business scenarios. What happens if sales drop 10%? What if a new competitor enters the market? Actionable Insight #2: Become the Strategy Coach Look beyond the numbers. Analyze patterns, predict trends, and develop strategies. Here are some steps: - Get Curious: Challenge assumptions and investigate anomalies. Why did costs spike last quarter? Is there a pattern? - Stay Informed: Keep updated with industry trends. Attend workshops, listen to podcasts—knowledge is vital! 3 Practical Tips to Get Started in FP&A - Learn the Language: Familiarize yourself with forecasting models and financial analytics. - Network: Connect with FP&A professionals—ask questions, share insights, learn from their experiences. - Embrace Technology: Use financial modeling software to automate data collection and focus on analysis. So, is your scorekeeping impacting your strategy? How do you use financial insights to steer your business forward? Let’s dive into the comments! #FinanceStrategy #BusinessGrowth #FPandA #Accounting #Leadership

Accounting vs FP&A: Same Coin, Different Sides When I first transitioned from Accounting to FP&A, someone told me, “The difference is one second – Accounting looks at this second and back, FP&A looks at this second and forward.” At first, it felt like an oversimplification. But the more I worked across both, the more truth I saw in that statement. ACCOUNTING has been the bedrock of finance for centuries. Manufacturing companies adoption of double-entry bookkeeping and financial statements wasn’t just about compliance. It meant to measure what truly matters: 1) Inventory levels 2) Sales growth 3) Receivables Accounting is more than “bean counting.” Every number—except cash—is an estimate shaped by assumptions: reserves for bad debts, valuation of intangibles, deferred taxes, and contingencies. These estimates involve the future as much as the past. Accounting ensures: ✅ Compliance & transparency ✅ Reliable financial statements ✅ Solid foundations for tax, audit, and reporting Without it, every decision downstream would be shaky at best. FP&A : Imagine a ship at sea. Accounting is the navigation log, where we’ve been, what we consumed, and how resources were used. But FP&A is the compass and the map forward—it answers: 1) Where are we going? 2) What scenarios could play out? 3) What risks and opportunities lie ahead? FP&A teams build on accounting data to: 🔹 Create budgets by cost center 🔹 Forecast revenues, expenses, and cash flow 🔹 Run “what if” models for strategic decisions But here’s the truth: garbage in, garbage out. If accounting isn’t solid, then FP&A is just colorful charts with little meaning. The best finance leaders I’ve met share one thing: a strong foundation in accounting. Why? Because the accuracy of forecasts (FP&A) is only as good as the integrity of historical data (Accounting). Think of it this way: ✅ Accounting manages the risk of misstatement in the financials. ✅ FP&A manages the risk of variance between what we expect and what actually happens. When both are aligned, businesses don’t just survive audits, they thrive in decision-making. Looking Ahead: Both Accounting and FP&A will be deeply impacted by AI. Routine reconciliations, reporting, and forecasting may get automated. But here’s the catch: understanding both disciplines will create new jobs. Why? Because someone has to validate AI’s outputs, apply judgment, and connect numbers to strategy. SUMMARY: Accounting provides the roots—stability, trust, and compliance. FP&A provides the branches—growth, foresight, and strategic direction. Together, they form the tree of sustainable finance. #Accounting #FP&A #FinanceLeadership #StrategicFinance #FinancialPlanning #AIinFinance #FutureOfWork #CFOInsights

Last week, Hima and I went on a short roadshow to meet Montreal-based finance teams and see how they actually run their back office today. The goal: test early reactions to Finn, Delo | A Wonder by Deloitte Business's digital accountant, and understand where the real opportunity lies. We met companies making between $10M and $500M in revenue, running on NetSuite, Xero, Intuit QuickBooks, Sage, Rillet, and Campfire. ➡️ 92% of teams we met said they’d be interested in becoming design partners. 🙌 But the real learnings came from the conversations themselves 👇 💡 1. Companies don’t want another tool. They already have an ecosystem of app that works. What they need is something that connects to it, and handles the manual work no one wants to do anymore. 💡 2. Expense categorization is still the biggest time sink. Even advanced teams spend hours here. Connecting with Brex and Float makes Finn a no-brainer. It sits on top of these tools and does the work the way teams already operate. 💡 3. The next generation of accountants wants more. They’re not looking for repetitive work. They want to spend time on insights and strategy. If the job is purely transactional, they’ll leave, and that shift is already happening. 💡 4. Next-gen ERPs (Rillet, Campfire) are gaining real traction. They’re modern, fast-moving, and winning market quickly, which is exciting to see. We see huge potential for us to collaborate and complement these new systems, extending their capabilities and building a connected ecosystem that works seamlessly for finance teams. It all reinforces our vision: Not to replace your finance stack, but to become the layer that connects, understands, and acts across it. Huge thanks to everyone who welcomed us in their offices and shared their workflows so openly. 🙏 Toronto, you are our next stop. And then..perhaps the West Coast? 🚀

Awesome recap from Nessim Boussetta, MBA, CPA of our recent roadshow in Montreal for Finn, our first AI teammate for finance teams at Delo | A Wonder by Deloitte Business The feedback we're getting from finance leaders has reinforced what we set out to build: an AI teammate, and not another tool to elevate accountants from being doers to reviewers. The most exciting thing about building AI agents is that it's finally possible to make software adapt to you. Finance teams have always leveraged a ton of automation, but the best they could get is strong pattern-matching tools, and not ones that could reason and solve problems. Today, with a proprietary ML system designed for finance teams, we can tailor Finn to any team's specific workflows, SOPs, budgets, industry nuances, etc. Lots more to come and I'm looking forward to sharing Finn with more folks! Please reach out for a demo :)

💼 The Private Equity Wave Is Rewriting the Future of Accounting Firms Once, accounting firms were built on legacy, relationships, and reputation. Now, they’re being rebuilt on capital, consolidation, and scale. Private equity isn’t just buying into accounting — it’s transforming the very DNA of the profession in 2025. In 2025, we’re witnessing one of the most significant shifts in the history of the accounting industry. Private equity (PE) investors have discovered what many insiders always knew — accounting firms are cash-flow strong, client-sticky, and recession-resilient. But PE doesn’t just bring money. It brings a playbook — and that’s where the transformation begins. Here’s how PE is reshaping the landscape: 1️⃣ Acceleration of M&A – PE is fueling a wave of consolidation. Mid-tier firms are merging to gain national scale, access talent, and compete for larger clients. The result? A more concentrated market with fewer, more powerful players. 2️⃣ Shift from Partner-Owned to Investor-Backed Models – Traditional partnerships are being replaced by corporate-style structures. Decision-making is faster, but so is the pressure to deliver growth and ROI. That changes how firms set strategy — and how they reward performance. 3️⃣ Technology Investment at Scale – PE-backed firms are rapidly adopting AI, automation, and data analytics. Tools that once seemed optional are now essential to efficiency, audit quality, and advisory growth. 4️⃣ New Career Paths for CPAs – The partner track is evolving. With external capital and corporate governance, firms now offer leadership roles beyond partnership — from CFO to Chief Strategy Officer. For ambitious professionals, the ceiling is rising. 5️⃣ A Reimagined Value Proposition – As PE demands measurable outcomes, firms are expanding into advisory, ESG, and digital transformation services. Accounting is no longer just about compliance — it’s about insight, innovation, and impact. Why it matters: For accounting professionals, this isn’t a distant corporate trend — it’s the environment we’re now working in. Understanding the PE mindset helps you navigate new opportunities, leadership structures, and expectations. In short: 📈 Private equity is accelerating growth. ⚙️ Technology is redefining delivery. 👥 And the profession itself is evolving before our eyes. The question isn’t if this change will impact you — it’s how prepared you are to adapt to it. #Accounting #PrivateEquity #FinanceTransformation #CPA #AccountingFirms #FutureOfWork #Leadership #MergersAndAcquisitions #AccountingInnovation #AdvisoryServices

The way start-ups run finance today is slowing them down, AI is about to change that The next generation of AI-native finance software is here — and it’s a game changer for start-ups… month-end could finally be over. For too long, accounting teams have been stuck: 💻 Stretching Xero beyond its limits - stitching together multiple entities in static spreadsheets 🏗 Or jumping to an ERP like NetSuite — long implementations, high costs and only modest improvements Add tight runway, constant uncertainty, rapid pace of growth, and no single source of truth — and finance teams can quickly become bottlenecks rather than enablers. Manual processes, long closes, bloated reporting decks — it’s a hamster wheel. Enter the next generation of AI-native finance tools Platforms like Light, Campfire, and Rillet are transforming accounting:  ⚡ Real-time reconciliation and insights 🌐 Multi-entity setups without the ERP headaches 🤖 Automated workflows that learn from your data and policies AI-powered FP&A tools like Abacum and Drivetrain are redefining forecasting: 📈 Scenario analysis live and adjustable on the fly 📊 Dynamic dashboards replacing lengthy slide decks 🚨 KPIs monitored by agents in real time, with alerts for anomalies and milestones. The result? Month-end closes shrink from days (or weeks) to hours, and financial models break free from bloated spreadsheets, transforming budget season. Finance teams shift from number-crunchers to insight generators, and junior accountants move from data entry to validating, analysing, and acting on insights — partnering with AI rather than pushing spreadsheets. Of course, challenges remain: integration across systems, trust in automation, and change management for already lean teams. But the payoff is huge: faster decision-making, cleaner data, and finance teams as true strategic partners. Having worked in startups for the past decade, I’ve seen the limits of Xero centric stacks time and time again. I’ve recently seen both Light and Abacum in action, and it was a revelation — finance can actually drive growth, not just report it. AI will transform finance. How is your team experimenting with AI in finance today? ===== Light - light.inc Campfire - campfire.ai Rillet - www.rillet.com Abacum - www.abacum.ai Drivetrain - www.drivetrain.ai

MASSIVE $$ Alert: AI Bookkeeping Giant FinQuery Just Got Acquired by Private Equity Powerhouse! FinQuery (formerly LeaseQuery) just secured a majority investment from TA Associates. This isn't just another acquisition story. It's a signal of where our industry is heading. Here's what caught my attention: ➡️ FinQuery serves over 8,700 companies with AI-powered accounting automation ➡️ They transform contracts into streamlined accounting workflows ➡️ Their focus? Helping controllers and CFOs achieve greater compliance and efficiency But here's the bigger picture: Private equity doesn't invest in dying industries. They invest in growth. In transformation. In the future. This deal tells us that accounting automation isn't just a trend—it's the new standard. While some bookkeepers worry about AI replacing them, smart firms are asking: "How can we use these tools to deliver MORE value to our clients?" The companies thriving in 2025 aren't fighting technology. They're partnering with it. They're using automation to handle the routine work. So they can focus on strategy, insights, and advisory services. FinQuery's success proves there's massive demand for solutions that make accounting faster, more accurate, and more strategic. The question isn't whether AI will change our industry. It's whether you'll lead the change or get left behind. 💡 How is your firm adapting to the automation wave? Are you seeing more demand for advisory services as routine tasks get automated?

When Apideck came to us for help with their positioning, they had what I call the “buffet problem.” Their product was so versatile, they tried to mimic its power in their positioning and messaging. (ie. they tried to sell everything at once: HR, CRM, e-com, accounting integrations) The result? Broad marketing campaigns → vague messaging → forgettable and hard to buy. Here were the key moments in our positioning sprint that shaped a sharper, more defensible positioning strategy:  ☝️ Moment 1 — Picking the wedge In Workshop 1, I asked the group straight up: “Where are you winning the most today?” Tom Schouteden (COO) paused, then admitted: “If we’re honest, accounting is where the real traction is.” Bernard Willems (Head of Partnerships) nodded, pointing to growth numbers. Hila Qu 曲卉 (growth advisor) added: “We're seeing growth with other Unified APIs, but Accounting is still growing the most at 30% YoY.” That was the first breakthrough. The wedge had picked itself: accounting integrations. ☝️ Moment 2 — Choosing the real alternative In Workshop 2, the next debate broke out. Do we frame Apideck against competitors like Merge and Codat? Or against the real competitor most teams were choosing: building integrations themselves. Jingyi Wang (investor) leaned toward competing head-to-head. But Tom pushed back: “Most prospects we talk to aren’t even aware of the category. They’re burning months of dev time coding this in-house.” That settled it. Apideck wouldn’t fight other Unified APIs for category share—they’d fight inertia. The real competition: teams building accounting integrations in-house. ☝️ Moment 3 — Sharpening the copy Workshop 3 is where it got spicy. The team kept circling the line: “Every accounting integration pre-built.” Gertjan "GJ" De Wilde (CEO) liked it: “It shows we’ve done the heavy lifting.” Tom shook his head: “But it’s not true. Engineers will call bullshit—we don’t ship the whole thing out-of-the-box. They still have to code.” That back-and-forth forced the real breakthrough. Instead of fuzzy promises, the messaging zoomed in on the specific work developers don’t have to do with Apideck: OAuth flows, token handling, data mapping, ongoing maintenance. Suddenly the the big promise felt sharp, believable, and defensible — if we were willing to get specific. ——— The final homepage tells a step-by-step story:  1. Choose your prebuilt accounting connectors  2. Drop in Apideck’s auth UI instead of coding it yourself  3. Build once on a unified data model  4. Let Apideck handle the maintenance and updates  Lesson: positioning happens in the messy debates. The breakthrough moments are when someone in the room says, “Our buyers won’t believe that” Only when you tap into customer reality, can the whole story gets sharper. Check out the final results in our Before/After library — And if you are building out accounting integration yourself, you should definitely check out Apideck

Attended the Xero Roadshow in Toronto yesterday. It was awesome! Two big themes dominated the day: Advisory and AI. Coincidentally, those have been my obsession for the past 12 months. One thing that stood out: we still don’t have a shared definition of CAS. Personally, I like CPA.com's framework as a place to start. CAS isn’t one thing — it’s a spectrum that moves from transactional work to strategic partnership: -> Transactional Accounting -> Controllership -> CFO Finance -> CFO Insights -> Trusted Advisor And along that spectrum, you can think in 3 broad buckets: Bucket 1 — Core Accounting Bookkeeping, monthly close, AP/AR, payroll, expense management. Bucket 2 — Financial Management Cash flow, spend management, budgeting & forecasting, FP&A, financing advisory. Bucket 3 — Strategic Advisory Business insights, financial strategy, advanced modeling, analytics, market and people insights. That feels about right. You start by helping clients offload the basics — accounting, tax, payroll, AP/AR. Then you evolve into metrics and management — tracking KPIs, managing cash, and keeping forecasts current. Finally, you move into strategic partnership — blending financial and non-financial data, identifying opportunities, and earning a seat at the decision-making table.

We just wrapped our latest Inner Circle Event, and honestly? We uncovered truths that don’t show up in any financial statement. The Numbers Behind the Numbers! Two days of high energy and driven accounting professionals. The conversations that go deeper than any P&L. The wake-up call that stopped everyone: We’re trained to read the numbers. But what about reading the stories those numbers are trying to tell us? Most clients aren’t struggling with accounting, they’re struggling with the decisions the accounting should inform. What we explored this weekend: → The advisory paradox: Why clients pay us for compliance but desperately need us for clarity—and most of us are afraid to bridge that gap → The 55+ SME reality: Half our client base is sitting on businesses they can’t exit profitably. Their succession planning isn’t an accounting problem, it’s a thinking problem → The micro-transformation principle: Excellence in advisory isn’t built in boardroom moments, but in the discipline of daily client conversations when nobody’s watching → The narrative we choose: How reframing our role from “number crunchers” to “decision enablers” changes everything—for us and our clients → The AI revelation: Technology isn’t replacing our technical skills, it’s exposing how few of us have developed our interpretive and strategic thinking muscles → The gross profit insight: When one practice helped a client shift from revenue obsession to profit-per-unit thinking, it didn’t just change their numbers, it changed their entire business philosophy But here’s what hit hardest: The realisation that our clients’ biggest challenges aren’t technical. They’re emotional. They’re stuck in stories about what’s possible, and we’re uniquely positioned to help them rewrite those stories, if we have the courage. One accountant put it perfectly: “I thought my job was to report the past. I’m leaving knowing my real job is to illuminate the future.” The question that closed us out: What if the difference between a compliance practice and a transformational practice isn’t technical skill, but the willingness to have uncomfortable conversations about what the numbers really mean? December’s Inner Circle is filling fast with forward-thinking accounting professionals. Early bird pricing ends October 31st. Some conversations can only happen when you’re surrounded by peers who get it. What story are your numbers trying to tell you about your practice’s potential? - profit? - turnover? - growth? - hours per week? - team accountability & productivity? Best Practice Group