"Tech Finance" with Sasha Orloff: B2B Fintech | AI | Finance Tech

Sasha Orloff and Jeff Grimes, Perplexity’s Product Lead for Finance, explore the evolution of search from a simple "answer engine" to a high-stakes "action engine." They discuss the disruption of legacy platforms like the Bloomberg Terminal and how Perplexity is building an AI-native operating system designed specifically for the rigors of financial analysis. The conversation tackles the industry's skepticism toward AI accuracy, detailing the "auditability-first" approach that allows finance teams to verify every data point back to its original SEC filing, effectively turning complex technical workflows into plain-English commands.

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SPONSORS:

Notion

Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Puzzle

📈  No more waiting for month's end. No more manual reconciliations, just financials that keep up with you. Puzzle is leading a new movement with an AI first ledger, built for speed, automation, and real time decision making. Join today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://puzzle.io/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgrimes9/

https://www.perplexity.ai/finance

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X/SOCIAL:

@jeffgrimes9 (Jeff)

@sashaorloff (Sasha)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview

(00:50) Intro

(02:28) Why it went viral

(06:50) Comet and agentic browsing

(08:57) WSJ controversy breakdown

(10:40) What versus How

(12:52) Google innovators dilemma

(14:33) Sponsors: Notion | Puzzle

(16:13) Perplexity finance users

(18:24) Off the shelf data deals

(22:37) Future of finance workflows

(26:19) Workflows and automation

(27:05) Proactive assistants

(28:28) Trust in finance

(31:31) Audit trails by design

(34:20) Getting started with computer

(36:16) Multi model orchestration

(37:47) Wild user stories

(39:48) Domain specific finance

(41:40) Where to learn more

(42:28) Wrap

In this episode, Sasha Orloff sits down with Luke Frye, founder of LukeFrye.co, to trace his decade-long journey through foundational fintech pioneers like Bench and Pilot and explore how AI is shifting the accountant's role from manual data entry to "architecting" financial systems and human-centric advisory.

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SPONSORS:

Notion

Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Puzzle

📈  No more waiting for month's end. No more manual reconciliations, just financials that keep up with you. Puzzle is leading a new movement with an AI first ledger, built for speed, automation, and real time decision making. Join today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://puzzle.io/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukefrye/

https://lukefrye.co/

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X/SOCIAL:

@LukeFrye (Luke)

@sashaorloff (Sasha)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview

(00:37) Intro

(02:14) From Wyoming To Techstars

(05:49) Bench origin story

(07:11) Automating accounting tension

(09:20) Bench growth playbook

(11:06) Early sales and scale

(14:28) Sponsors: Notion | Puzzle

(15:53) Bench cracks and incentives

(18:59) Tax experiment trainwreck

(21:38) Solo practice to Pilot

(23:51) Pilot tech stack shift

(24:48) Sales ops balance

(26:36) From Pilot to Rivet

(27:18) Why Puzzle mattered

(29:17) Modern tax software gap

(31:12) Automation limits today

(34:33) AI makes us human

(37:06) Where firms should start

(39:19) Vision values planning

(42:43) Future firm architect

(44:57) Wrap

In this episode, Sasha Orloff speaks with Greg Capitolo, Co-founder and Partner at Attivo Partner, to discuss how fractional finance teams are transitioning from manual bookkeeping to AI-driven advisory roles, emphasizing the shift toward "real-time data-driven decision making" over traditional month-end closes.

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SPONSORS:

Notion

Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Puzzle

📈  No more waiting for month's end. No more manual reconciliations, just financials that keep up with you. Puzzle is leading a new movement with an AI first ledger, built for speed, automation, and real time decision making. Join today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://puzzle.io/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregcapitolo/

http://www.attivopartners.com

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X/SOCIAL:

@sashaorloff (Sasha)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview

(00:39) Intro

(02:07) Meet Greg Capitolo of Attivo Partner

(03:26) Who Attivo serves

(04:07) Why VCs recommend

(06:40) Founder trigger points

(08:50) AI outlook

(10:59) AI boosts advisory

(15:19) Creating 10x accountants

(19:51) Sponsors: Notion | Puzzle

(21:14) Pricing and billing shift

(23:41) Choosing AI tools

(27:06) Human in the loop

(30:22) Accounting needs accountants

(32:09) Real time data

(35:14) Tool evaluation framework

(38:54) Growth mindset future

(40:56) Wrap

In this episode, Sasha Orloff speaks with Tarek Alaruri, CEO and Co-founder of Stuut, about raising a Series A from Andreessen Horowitz to build an AI-powered accounts receivable platform that automates the entire AR function—from credit and collections to cash application and disputes—delivering a 40% reduction in DSO in the first six months compared to the 3% improvement from legacy software, while implementing in just 3.6 days for mid-market and Fortune 100 companies.

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SPONSORS:

Notion

Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Puzzle

📈  No more waiting for month's end. No more manual reconciliations, just financials that keep up with you. Puzzle is leading a new movement with an AI first ledger, built for speed, automation, and real time decision making. Join today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://puzzle.io/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarekalaruri/

https://www.stuut.ai/

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X/SOCIAL:

@TAlaruri (Tarek)

@sashaorloff (Sasha)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview

(00:42) Intro

(01:25) Interview with Tarek Alaruri, CEO of Stuut

(01:50) Problem with traditional accounts receivable

(03:31) How AI is transforming accounts receivable

(05:39) Stuut's mission and impact

(08:17) Future of AI in finance

(09:55) Customer experience and AI solutions

(11:35) Evolution of AI and business processes

(14:04) Sponsors: Notion | Puzzle

(15:31) Eliminating clicks with Stuut

(17:07) AI in B2B transactions

(21:56) Role of AR teams today and tomorrow

(23:38) Fundraising insights and strategies

(30:46) Building enterprise AI and future outlook

(35:12) Wrap

In this episode, Sasha Orloff sits down with Sam Ross, co-founder and CEO of Numeral and former product leader at Teespring and Airbnb, about raising Series B funding from Mayfield (following Benchmark's Series A and Uncork's seed) to build what he calls "the most boring AI company"—an end-to-end sales tax automation platform that uses AI to eliminate the manual burden of multi-state and international tax compliance for e-commerce and SaaS businesses, transforming a traditionally services-heavy industry into a fully automated solution that handles everything from nexus analysis and registration to filings and government correspondence.

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SPONSORS:

Notion

Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Puzzle

📈  No more waiting for month's end. No more manual reconciliations, just financials that keep up with you. Puzzle is leading a new movement with an AI first ledger, built for speed, automation, and real time decision making. Join today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://puzzle.io/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sambross/

https://www.numeral.com

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X/SOCIAL:

@SpamRoss (Sam)

@sashaorloff (Sasha)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview

(00:49) Intro

(01:22) Guest Introduction: Sam Ross

(01:44) Most boring AI company

(03:54) AI and sales tax

(06:08) Origin story and early challenges

(10:56) Building the business and first customers

(13:14) Sponsors: Notion | Puzzle

(14:36) Sales tax compliance and solutions

(17:12) Automating mail and customer engagement

(18:24) E-commerce and tax compliance challenges

(19:40) Marketplace tax exposure issues

(22:15) Government complexities and physical mail

(23:54) Founding story and funding journey

(30:55) AI innovations in tax compliance

(33:11) Future of AI and browser automation

(34:33) Wrap