The Naked Accountant

A series of ramblings on how we built flinder and the lessons along the way | The only newsletter dedicated to growing an outsourced finance function 🚀

Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth

The one workshop you need to deepen your understanding of clients and help grow the firm

A deep understanding of what clients want and need, today and in the future, is crucial for retention. As is having the proposition(s) to match. Enter: the Account Planning Workshop.

Alastair Barlow

Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth

How we built flinder’s advisory-first offer

Advisory was a clear, logical fit for flinder from the start. But building it right took time. We had to learn about clients and earn their trust. So let’s take it back to the beginning: what did we prioritise and why?

Alastair Barlow

Operating modelOperating model

Everyone’s talking about advisory. But is there risk becoming an advisory-only firm?

There’s a strong argument for building an advisory-first firm. It certainly worked for us at flinder. But is advisory the only future-proofed route forward, or will compliance always have some value?

Alastair Barlow

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

12 AI tools and how accountants are using them today (part 2)

Frustrated by the lack of AI in accounting software? Here’s a list of other AI tools to use in your practice instead, and an example use case for each.

Alastair Barlow

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

12 AI tools and how accountants are using them today (part 1)

Frustrated by the lack of AI in accounting software? Here’s a list of other AI tools to use in your practice instead, and an example use case for each.

Alastair Barlow

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

How to become the top 1% of AI users in accounting in 30 minutes

Sebastian Trif, AI engineer and my cofounder at the AI Exchange, says accountants should “Be hyped on what you can do [with AI] in half an hour”. Here’s a list of ways to spend 30 minutes advancing your AI.

Alastair Barlow

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

AI’s not getting any smarter, so how can accountants get more value?

In accounting and finance, making gains with AI will come from breakthroughs in how we use the tech - not what the tech evolves to do.

Alastair Barlow

Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth

The upside to entering awards and losing (from someone who’s won, lost, and judged before)

There’s truth in the saying, “it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part”. Applying for an award - and doing it well - is a valuable process, no matter whose name gets called out on the night.

Alastair Barlow

Operating modelOperating model

Why AI won’t replace offshoring any time soon...or will it?

AI and offshoring have a lot in common, but they’re not interchangeable. Innovative firms explore both - together - to drive efficiency and value.

Alastair Barlow

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

Is AI really any riskier than the platforms (and people) we work with today?

AI is a new frontier in accounting but you don’t need to be ‘brave’ to benefit. With the right guardrails, adopting AI is really no riskier than how you’re already working today.

Alastair Barlow

Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth

30 leaders on what firms must do next

The Finance Takes The Piste 2025 whitepaper is here - download the insights and start applying the actions.

Alastair Barlow

People & TalentPeople & Talent

The skills accountants need, but don’t have today (& why that’s a leadership issue)

A gap is growing between what clients want and what firms can deliver. Can leaders act quickly enough to fill these missing skills?

Alastair Barlow