The AI Accountant: How Sai Dhanak Is Replacing the Billable Hour
Sai Dhanak is the CEO and co-founder of Deduction, a two-time startup exit veteran with four patents spanning cybersecurity, IoT, and service design. In this episode, Sai explains how a structural crisis in the US accounting industry — with 55% of CPAs approaching retirement — became the foundation for a new kind of AI-powered tax service that partners human CPAs with AI agents to file IRS-ready returns at a flat annual price.
Topics covered in this episode:
- Why selling AI tools to accountants is the wrong answer to the CPA shortage
- How Deduction’s email-based, human-in-the-loop model earns client trust
- The pivot from direct-to-consumer to acquiring the retiring CPAs’ book of business
- Why every service industry built on billable hours is facing disruption
- The “inaction trap” — and how contrarian action opens unexpected doors
- How Deduction onboarded over 1,200 clients in its first six weeks
Sai’s journey from London startup founder to two-exit US company builder is a masterclass in asking the right question before building the solution. Visit deduction.com to learn more or email taylor@deduction.com to get started.
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