“Accounting is at the core of all that makes business work. If business is the lifeblood, the accountants are the cardiologists that make sure things are pumping and moving,” he explains.

After a long stint with the US branch of AccountingWEB, Seth developed the idea for Accountants Forward. He hopes to marry editorial and marketing content to provide value for accounting tech firms and accountants alike. He finds this kind of content is needed in the wake of AccountingWEB leaving the US.

“AccountingWEB leaving the market left a pretty big hole. Our approach [at AccountingWEB] was different. It really was less of a publication and more of a resource and a platform for thought leadership to happen,” he says.

The changing tides

Stuart and Seth discussed how traditional accounting tech vendors have had to shift to stay relevant.

Seth thinks the ability to respond to changing trends and needs is what keeps tech firms alive. But he’s found that as tech companies get bigger and serve larger client bases, they sometimes lose that agility.

He believes accountants need to feel like they’re still being considered in product changes and service offerings. Otherwise, in a landscape where there are so many choices for tech solutions, they’ll go find someone else.

“I don't care that you're a multibillion dollar company, or a known name, or they've been using you for 10 years, 20 years. [If] you lose that trust, it's gonna take a long time to get it back**—**if ever.”

There’s one wave of change that’s already passed over, and it’s the push to cloud accounting.

“We're pretty much at the crest of this wave of change that's been growing for the past 10 years. If you're not riding it already, you run the risk of getting drawn under,” he shares.

Recommended reading: Are accounting jobs safe in a world of ChatGPT and AI?

The next wave rolling in: more automation

Before panic sets in about another new trend to manage, chances are you’re already ahead of the curve.

“It's just the next level of automation. I think it's a misnomer to call it artificial intelligence. It's just another degree of automation,” Seth says.

Automation through AI saves time on certain tasks in the same way that cloud accounting improved efficiency a decade ago. However, just like with cloud accounting, a human element is still required when working with AI.

“A lot of folks were not taught what to do with the extra time that they technically now have. If  you're strict about it, you now have that extra time in your day. It's a little scary when you're used to working a certain way,” Seth admits. “The good news for you…is that it's still going to require a human being to interpret some of the data.”

A great day for a sail

Over his years of writing for the industry, Seth established trust and rapport with various players in accounting. Because the US has such a fragmented structure of practices and few dominant large firms, it’s a unique market to serve.

As his voyage continues with Accountants Forward, Seth plans to keep the focus on the community. By bridging that gap between what tech companies can solve and what accountants need, he’ll continue serving the field. After all, that’s what sparked his passion.

“I always felt that even though I was a journalist or an editor with some publication title over my head, I grew to really care about the folks in this profession.” And supporting accountants directly is Seth’s next stop on his journey.

• Seth Fineberg founded his consulting firm, Accountants Forward, to bridge the gap between accounting tech companies and accounting firms. He hopes to connect the two communities so that both sides can benefit.

• As a seasoned business journalist, he believes accountants are the cardiologists of an organization—working to maintain and preserve the healthy heartbeat of the business.

• Seth feels the latest trend in accounting is already here: more automation through AI.