If I Started My Firm From Scratch Today, I'd Build It Completely Different

If I Started My Firm From Scratch Today, I'd Build It Completely Different

July 9, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

Matt and Mike discuss how they would build their firm differently if starting from scratch today, considering the impact of AI and technology on accounting.

One Step Better now has its own YouTube channel! Subscribe here so you never miss an episode: ‪@OneStepBetterPod‬ Last episode Matt and Mike asked whether the entry-level staff accountant role still makes sense in a world of AI. This one zooms out: if the work is changing, what does the whole firm look like? Matt spent 45 minutes explaining how his team is built today. Pods, a director of accounting, team leads, managers, senior accountants, staff, interns, a production assistant, plus an offshore team for capacity. It works. It's grown the firm 20% a year for nearly a decade. And then Mike asked the question that's been rattling around both their heads: if you were starting from scratch today, would you build it this way? Matt's answer was no. Not even close. This is a real, unresolved conversation about the rub every firm owner is feeling right now. You can automate the back-of-house production layer more every month. But if you don't change what you're asking your team to do, all you've done is add technology cost on top of the same work. You're not more profitable. You're not serving more clients per person. You've just added a layer. The catch? Matt built a homegrown…

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