Accounting Is Changing Fast. Here’s How to Use AI Before It Replaces Your Workflows (Or You).
This week, I’m trying something a little different.
I've been talking with my friends Harton Wong and Nina Zhao, CPA over at TABot for a bit now, and recently had them on my podcast Ambition Aligned. What they are doing may have a significantly disruptive effect on the industry, I thought I had to tell you all. It’s a glimpse into the future of accounting. And it’s moving fast.
Let me know if you find this valuable, or if you’d prefer I stick to more general finance-focused content. If it’s helpful, I’ll continue to share more insights from the founder and innovation side of finance and accounting.
At the same time, most people also aren’t taking full advantage of the upside. Are you seeing a 90% reduction in consulting fees yet? Because that’s what firms like TA Bot are offering, and it could push CFOs to rethink how they buy accounting services, moving from hourly billing to fixed-price projects, or working with newer, tech-enabled firms.
Curious to hear your thoughts, and whether this kind of founder-focused insight is valuable for you.
More discussion in the full interview here.
The Reality Most Firms Aren’t Ready For
I sat down with Nina and Harton, the co-founders of TA Bot, who left Big Tech to solve one of the most frustrating problems in accounting, wasted time on research and memo writing. What they built is more than software. It’s a signal of where the profession is heading.
“If the guidance is wrong, your entire memo falls apart.” — Nina “We cite ASC directly. No guessing. No hallucinations.” — Harton
Here’s what I took away, and how you can use it immediately.
If you work in rev rec, audit prep, or technical accounting, you should try this. TA Bot is offering 25% off for the first 10 users with code DEVON25. It’s the most accurate tool I’ve seen for real ASC-based output.
1. Don’t Speed Up a Broken Process. Replace It.
“We didn’t improve the process. We broke it. Then rebuilt it with AI.” — Nina
They’re not streamlining legacy workflows. They’re eliminating the grind.
You upload a contract. TA Bot identifies key terms, applies guidance, drafts a Big Four–style memo, and even suggests entries. The accountant reviews and moves on.
Tasks that used to take a day now take 30 minutes.
Start here: Pick one rev rec or lease memo this week. Run it through a tool like TA Bot. Compare time saved and audit readiness. That’s your baseline for internal ROI.
2. If You Trust Hallucinated Guidance, You’re Creating Risk
“I looked it up. The ASC number was real. The content was fake.” — Nina
Generic AI tools pull from the open internet. They’re not trained for compliance work. TA Bot is trained directly on ASC codification. Its answers cite real paragraphs, not plausible-sounding nonsense.
If you wouldn’t copy from Wikipedia into your SEC filing, don’t rely on general LLMs for accounting.
Do this now: Audit how your team uses AI. If it includes ChatGPT for technical research, build in a review process, or better, migrate to domain-specific tools. Hiring consultants specializing in AI review, using fine-tuned models like TABot, or leveraging technical firms who can provide reviews is key in this space going forward.
3. You Don’t Need to Replace Your Team. You Need to Equip Them.
“We’re not a replacement. We’re the co-pilot.” — Harton
TA Bot is positioning itself as a co-pilot, not a staff substitute. The goal is to handle the 70% of accounting work that’s repeatable, codifiable, and slow.
They’re building toward:
Suggested entries
Journal logic
ERP integrations
CPA-reviewed memos for audit prep
Try this: Start with a live deal or memo, especially something tied to a contract. Let AI draft. Let your team validate. Track how much time it saves, not just in prep, but in audit review.
4. Your Business Model Is the Bottleneck
“Controllers tell me they don’t have budget for software. They have budget for hours.” — Me
Now, I know this isn’t true for every company, but in my experience, most orgs scrutinize software budgets for accounting far more than consulting budgets. Buying software feels like a marriage. Hiring a contractor? More like a fling. You get the idea.
But here’s the problem: if your org is still pricing around time instead of value, you’re already behind.
TA Bot is exploring a hybrid model: software paired with CPA-backed assurance. The result? Faster, cheaper, more reliable output. And it’s working, they’re growing entirely through referrals.
"Controllers see it saves 4 hours. They tell their CFO. That’s how we grow.” — Nina
What to do: Propose fixed-fee services for repeatable work. Measure how AI-backed delivery shortens turnaround. Package it. Bill it for outcomes. Or leverage consulting firms or products that have a service-level review for these outputs.
5. You Don’t Have to Be First. But You Can’t Be Late.
“This has been my dream. But AI is moving fast. I might only get one shot.” — Harton
This isn’t about hype. The founders aren’t selling you vision. They’ve already built a working solution. Beta users are using it. Auditors are reviewing memos generated by it.
You don’t need to take a leap of faith. You just need to try it.
“We’re the aspirin. If you’re going through a first-year audit, you need this.” — Nina
What to do today:
Test TA Bot with a live contract or memo
Use code DEVON25 to get 25% off your first use
See how it compares to your current process
One More Thing
If you’re a CFO, CAO, controller, or audit lead, and you’re feeling the pressure to explore AI but don’t know where to start, reach out.
You can message me directly or drop a comment. I’m happy to talk about where I’ve seen AI succeed, where it fails, and how to start implementing it without wasting time.
You don’t need to build the future of accounting. You just need to stop getting buried by the past.
TA Bot is offering 25% off for the first 10 users who use the code DEVON25
#AI #Accounting #RevRec #Audit #Leadership #AmbitionAligned
