In episode 192 of The Woodard Report Podcast, Heather Day is joined by Seth Fineberg, owner of Accountants Forward, for a conversation about trust between accounting professionals and technology providers, how AI is changing that relationship, and why understanding the problem should come before selling the solution.
Seth shared how his background in journalism and decades covering the accounting profession shaped the work he now does through Accountants Forward. A large part of that work involves helping technology companies better understand accounting professionals and communicate with them in ways that build trust rather than create more skepticism.
Heather and Seth discussed how practitioners often want to hear from other accounting professionals who have actually used a product, not just from the company selling it. Seth explained that real stories about implementation, training, challenges and results can help people better understand whether a technology could fit their practice.
Heather brought up a common challenge for practices that adopt technology hoping it will solve deeper operational problems. When that technology fails to deliver what was expected, the disappointment can then turn into distrust of the provider.
Seth said technology companies have to begin by understanding what practitioners are trying to solve rather than leading immediately with the product. “You have to come from a place of understanding first rather than a solution mindset,” he said.
Seth described AI as another major inflection point for the profession, following shifts such as cloud accounting. One important difference, he said, is that AI gives accounting professionals greater ability to create their own tools and solutions without traditional coding or development experience.
“You can actually create solutions for what you want in the way you want it to,” Seth said.
Heather and Seth also discussed what technology companies can do when trust with the accounting profession has already been damaged.
Seth said listening is one of the most important places to start. Advisory groups and practitioner feedback only matter if companies genuinely act on what they hear. He also encouraged technology providers to approach the profession as a relationship and be clear about where accounting professionals fit within the company’s broader strategy.
Heather and Seth agreed that negative marketing can quickly undermine trust. Instead of criticizing competitors, Seth said companies are better served by being clear about what they stand for and letting customers who genuinely use and value the product share their experiences.
“You have to know what you stand for first and stand by it with everything that you do,” Seth said.
🎧 Listen to the full episode at woodard.com/podcast.
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This article was written with the assistance of AI and edited by a human.