The accounting industry is at a turning point. Technology is moving faster than ever, yet most firms are limited by outdated systems and conflicting incentives.
Clients now expect real-time visibility, and the software partners that once supported accountants are competing with them. It’s a short-term play that erodes confidence in what should be a partnership.
Many firms are now asking the same question: who is truly building for us?
At SNH25, I sat down with Matt Tait from Decimal to talk about what that future looks like. Decimal was one of the first firms to take the leap with us, moving more than 200 clients from KPMG Spark onto Puzzle’s AI-native ledger. That migration proved that modern firms can move fast, scale efficiently, and deliver accuracy without sacrificing trust.
Our mission at Puzzle hasn’t changed since day one. We build technology that strengthens accounting firms and helps them work more efficiently. That boundary defines who we are and how we build.
Every improvement to Puzzle comes directly from firms. The roadmap isn’t written by investors or product managers in isolation. It’s shaped by accountants who live the work every day.
The future of this industry depends on rebuilding the partnership between firms and technology. That means open stacks, real interoperability, and software that doesn’t ask for an engineering degree to use. Firms should be able to choose the best payroll system, spend platform, and payables tool without friction or lock-in.
When software and services collaborate as partners, not competitors, everyone wins.
Matt and the Decimal team proved that modern firms can move faster, deliver better results, and still keep people at the center of the work.
The firms leading the next decade will combine the precision of technology companies with the judgment of seasoned accountants. To get there, the foundation has to be strong. The ledger has to be accurate, fast, and open to the best tools in the ecosystem, including payroll, payments, and expense platforms that firms already trust.
That’s what we’re building. A system where accountants choose the tools they want, automate the work they shouldn’t be doing, and focus their time where it matters most: helping clients grow.
We are investing deeply in AI to make that work faster and more reliable. Bank reconciliation, transaction validation, and accuracy checks now happen automatically, with complete transparency. Accountants stay in control, reviewing and approving every step, but without spending hours on routine tasks.
This technology doesn’t replace accountants; it elevates them.
This principle defines how Puzzle operates and guides every decision we make.
The firms that move early will define the standards for the next generation of accounting. They will set the expectations for speed, accuracy, and insight.
And we will be right there with them—listening, building, and earning trust through every release.
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