Digital Disruptor Awards, App News, and Scandalous Show Shenanigans!

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_06]: Hello and welcome to the Digital Tools and Accrual World podcast brought to you by the Digital Disruptors

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_06]: who have now launched the Digital Disruptor Awards. This is the place to go for all your app news, app insights,

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_06]: and guess any information that's happening in this Digital Accounts Space in the UK.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_06]: I am your host Ryan Pearcy and I'm joined by once again John Toon and Indi Tatla. John, how is life

[00:00:23] [SPEAKER_06]: up in the frozen waste of the North Mate?

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, it's pretty bleak. It's like a nuclear winter up here. Ryan, as you connect to Matt.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_07]: Although Lee's made it up here, he made it just Manchester and then we had a good little session

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_07]: quickly running around our new Ferro Worlds and just checking out making sure everything's

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_07]: a home decorium in ready for the one we kick off in a couple of weeks so yeah good times and yeah

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_07]: was slightly mumbling and it would be probably a work at night. I understand him and I have

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_06]: just been watching the full out series and that is exactly how I do imagine the North to be so

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_06]: hopefully Lee has been fighting off the demons has been moving north which we just have the one

[00:01:05] [SPEAKER_06]: piece of boiler so that's all. Yet, and Indi, how's your beautiful self?

[00:01:14] [SPEAKER_02]: She's very well. I'm taking good care of her making sure her is getting good sleep according

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_02]: to the work you know put even introduced Ryan, magnesium to my diet but not through the pill

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_02]: actually it turns out that if you rub magnesium into the souls of your feet at night

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_01]: it gives you a best amount. So I'm just gonna put it up there's probably some fire on

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_01]: the ground but it leaves that work um I don't know if you're what the same way if you rub it into

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_01]: your your head as you obviously are in it's what you've found and made it more powerful.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_01]: May help. That's how good I'm taking care of my life. That's how I saw all my nutrients

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_06]: it's true the top of my head and I think that's what all build me though that's why that's why

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_01]: that's what we get the most useful. That's why you all look so sexy with the you know like it's

[00:02:16] [SPEAKER_01]: kind of now like just finding you know just well-awesely looking. Why see I think that if you

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_02]: really take a social experiment on mine I would like it if you were to massage every bit of

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean the thing that Ryan does is you know I've used in the big web house key

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_07]: when they're bowling and they have those like little bags you kind of polish your bowling ball

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_07]: and that's what Ryan does with his head is like that. That's why it's had all shiny and

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_01]: that's not a show. We need to do is just before you do that add a few bits of

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_07]: mindrobes to the top very good book. Can we give in that Ryan and I are in this podcast

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_07]: from a men of science and we just confirm the fact that there's a reason why people don't

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_07]: rub things and let's get an end doesn't get absorbed because your skin's there is a physical

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_07]: barrier to stuff your body of clothing like dangerous thing so ripping like these immense your feet

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_02]: doesn't go anywhere apart when you've bedsheet. I think we're appreciating you gender-shaming

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_02]: being by staying men of time. Well folks men. I think I should also write out that John

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_06]: statement of men of science is without any any education but you know things can back that up.

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_07]: I didn't even say it was any evidence of that whatsoever. And I did either at least one GCSE

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_01]: in science. I just couldn't stop reports you shared them it's a dumb must try harder when he tries

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_06]: to be very good. That was the biggest man's flaming flag I've ever heard we are men of

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_06]: science and we're going to state you why you are wrong. I just need no backing whatsoever.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_07]: You go to the beach and rub some cream into your body you'll have like your fact of 50

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_06]: blowing free of aim. I thought that's what I did have that so it works to protect it the

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_06]: side of me and the outside of me. Anyway I think on that point let's kick off at those.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Taking off this week Intria has reported strong fourth quarter and four years old

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_02]: they grew total revenue to 16.3 billion which is up 13% year or a year and in the quarter itself

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_02]: grew total revenue by 17% and I think going to a lot of detail in terms of what the entities

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_02]: themselves have shown growth but not specifically into the territories or geographies so this

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_02]: quest there's a good strong and several results that are presented for turbo tax online credit

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_02]: in terms of growth numbers the consumer group and how that spreads across their kind of ecosystem

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_02]: of different companies within the Intria group but I don't see anything else beyond that

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_02]: they're a place to the UK and they talk about their growth pressure and I think there's probably

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_02]: more still to come in terms of the full report but my and Johnny will probably know a little bit

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_06]: more about this. Yeah I've not been answer anything you've calculated what I did find in

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_06]: trusting from this release is that their biggest growth came from the small business self employed

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_06]: sector and their online ecosystem revenue so similar to I guess zero getting revenue from its

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_06]: store Intria is doing the same with its online ecosystem because growth of 20% we've got some

[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_07]: new updates from the sage intact as well so first off they have rolled out an AP automation tool

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_07]: which is available worldwide in the product so you know this would be familiar to anyone that's used

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_07]: dexter and in number of those yard products but this is now rolling out and apparently it already

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_07]: has widespread adoption in the US and with a approximate processing time saved of half and then

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_07]: said it saves businesses over a hundred thousand dollars annually by reducing manual data entry

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_07]: and improving accuracy and it's said that in the US businesses are already processing over 10,000

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_07]: bills per month using the seven if it's a tool which is interesting because if you do the

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_07]: mass on that that's 83 cents per invoice and then so it's processing time and how I've so I've

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_07]: told you know who the hell in the US is processing these invoices and stuff but it's saving 83 cents

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_07]: every invoice I can't even figure out what's going on because that must be out of the source

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_07]: to somewhere cheap but anyway it's in the product is there you're a few use intact of course

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_07]: it's worth looking at but there are better options out there in the market which will plug into

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_07]: intact as well and then they've also just changed some of the functionality around

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_07]: global users essentially so this is like user access controls and some additional features

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER_07]: that they've rolled out so we've got the ability to do so some time entry stuff and approvals

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_07]: around that with some AI built into that process some automations around the pre-expenses

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_07]: some additional help around report writing and then the ability to extract taxable payments

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_07]: which is particularly useful if you're doing stuff in Australia. You've got some of the

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_07]: updates for France and Germany which I'm not going to go into in too much detail and then

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_07]: they've also done some additional integrations for things like affordable housing units

[00:07:55] [SPEAKER_07]: for writing checks if you're in the construction industry for example if you still

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_07]: using checks of course and also added some insights into how you do revenue recognition and be

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_07]: able to automate and integrate that into the reporting side of that revenue recognition so

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_07]: taking say like an invoice is putting it over a period that's all there.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_06]: Oh yeah the the AP automation is probably the most interesting one nothing out of all

[00:08:24] [SPEAKER_06]: of that and the one in the biggest global spread so yeah timing wise interesting but

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_02]: good to see the concept developing the talk it. Can I ask is that a new sector or do they

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_02]: often go into new sectors with stage intact was that something very new for them in terms of

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_02]: bringing one of partnership and targeting a particular sector. No they've done the going to multiple

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_06]: sectors before and I think we've talked about two on the part in the past I'm trying to think

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_06]: construction I think was one construction and didn't they do something like

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_06]: religious not religious sets because that's not the right right to a figurative here but

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_07]: for everything. Yeah so yeah sort of like church if Camtilla something yeah

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_07]: and a charity's connected up very niche. Oh right you run the churches yeah. Cool so

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_06]: I've got some information from zero they had zero con Nashville last month and lots of

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_06]: announcements but mostly US focused as well as in Canada. A lot changes around bank feeds

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_06]: about bank reconciliation so that new thing that happened in the UK where you can now put the

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_06]: end of period figuring and reconciled to date the traditional bank reconciliation has been announced

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_06]: in the US as well and they've got some things around localized charts accounts. The main thing

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER_06]: or main two things I thought were interesting was they have a released SMS or soon to release SMS

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_06]: invoicing first in the US but then we'll go to all other regions so it'd be a two to send

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_06]: invoices directly to customers phones through text message and then for them to pay a via

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_06]: whole pay or Google Pay. So I guess making it really easy for the small businesses that send a lot

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_06]: via text. They've done a similar thing to I guess Hubdog over here integrating to bail over there

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER_06]: but the big thing we've all been waiting for in the UK is what they're doing with what they call

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_06]: zero inventory plus over the US which was formerly low-cate inventory that they've been

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_06]: bringing into the the US version of zero and that's now we've fully released in the US with a new

[00:10:31] [SPEAKER_06]: Amazon integration. No announcements about how they're rolling that out in the other jurisdictions

[00:10:36] [SPEAKER_06]: and I actually do make a key statement here that they're excited about the future in the US

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_06]: and Canada for this product so they have not made any sense about moving this into other

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_06]: jurisdictions which is frustrating for us because having a really good imagery based I guess

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_06]: an element inside the likes of sage, a group of some line or zero will be very helpful.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_07]: Do you think this is fair to say that that's kind of trade GACCO-esque in its implementation?

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_06]: It is yes they are stealing features as I guess John Aruto we talked about this in a recent podcast

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_06]: and you're not check that out please do listen to it because we talk all about how into it

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_06]: brought the trade GACCO, brought it into the system and kind of upgraded customers onto that

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_06]: making more money from our over a period I believe zero I've put in the same with okay and

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_06]: making it work in the jurisdiction that low-cate was built to work in at that point they'll look

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_06]: to then transition it into the other jurisdictions but it's just a timing of it I think

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_06]: it's the main area I would want some some movement in the UK so hopefully once it's proven

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_07]: it will quickly translate over into UK market. I think if zero do you want to keep it in the

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_07]: North American market as incredibly short-sighted because there's definitely a gap in the market

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_07]: for some six between the very basic functionality we've got in zero at the moment and then

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_07]: products like on leaf from Sim7 like so we talked about so we can go into that in more detail at

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER_02]: add to me con zero and it is an un-priced increase this time for the US market so they're increasing

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_02]: their prices or as of October 27th 2024 and it looks like the subscriptions will increase from 15

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_02]: dollars per month to $20 per month if you're on the early plan on the growing plan from $42 to

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_02]: $7 and the established plan see the cost rise from $78 to $80 and if there's a discount then that will

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_02]: obviously run to the end of the discount after which period they will move to the new subscription

[00:12:48] [SPEAKER_02]: prices so they've got a template that they're pushing out to all of their US market to say how they

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_02]: work here on the growing increase because that seems like something that if it happened over here

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_02]: we would absolutely use it and Twitter would be a LinkedIn actually LinkedIn would be a nightmare

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_06]: for the day the feed is covered I haven't seen anything about the view brand no I think the main

[00:13:22] [SPEAKER_06]: problem in the UK recently was they changed the entire structure with packaging up the the addons

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_06]: and I believe that actually what they've been doing in the UK matches the current set up in

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_06]: Australia and the US so this is more of a standard price increase the biggest impact I've seen

[00:13:38] [SPEAKER_06]: is yeah that early one the starter package right which is jumping by what a third you know it's

[00:13:45] [SPEAKER_06]: quite a big price increase and I would assume that's because they did penetration pricing early on

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_06]: but I've not heard up raw but midlead the zero market is a much smaller element of the whole

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_06]: US where intriit you know it's 90% of the the cloud based finance market over there

[00:14:04] [SPEAKER_07]: it is but also the American markets have bought more adult market when it comes to pricing

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_07]: you know they might be way behind the technology but they you know they're all about the value

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_07]: and the benefit and they don't complain when the product pricing goes up because that's just a

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_07]: part of life and they can get over it on Microsoft in the UK. Much more of the teachers as well so

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_06]: could be a small thing to do with it. They were just so I was I was just so we'll mowing and we'll

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_06]: get in a queue to mowing but they're also right well I've got one final thing from zero

[00:14:38] [SPEAKER_06]: we always like to look at what come out in the app store what's new what's interesting and last

[00:14:44] [SPEAKER_06]: month there was a lot there was a lot happening there was so many we couldn't actually reference them

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_06]: that hit the UK but in in August there's only been two that come out in the UK app store one is

[00:14:55] [SPEAKER_06]: in some bank pay for safety called attua and the other one is a HR talk called PASOMIA

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_06]: PASONIA probably PASONIA and both of them are I guess things that aren't you know moving the needle

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_06]: so I assume most of the the app developers are just on holiday in August. Amazing well

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_07]: there are clearly app developers not on holiday in August at least for decks because they

[00:15:22] [SPEAKER_07]: just announced a feature a surprising feature to come out finally because I was part of the

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_07]: received my I kind of know it was cool basically where a bunch of us you know customers were all

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_07]: brought together we went down to London at a very nice luncheak sector and asked about features

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_07]: that we would like to see in the product and surprisingly enough this was one of them and this was

[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_07]: what eight years ago maybe nine years ago but we now have supply of statements in decks

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_07]: prepare ready to be utilized there's some nonsense from much widely about why this is really

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_07]: important which is not really relevant in the pressure release but there's some good stuff in here

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_07]: in terms of like how it works so basically you know usual kind of thing you upload in scan

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_07]: your supply of statements or go through the invoices that they've got on the system and create

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_07]: and it all flag up anything that's missing in terms of you're whether that reconciled

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_07]: and also anything that is missing you can then actually have an automatic email that goes after

[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_07]: the buyer to request the missing information and then that will then feed through into

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_07]: into zero as well once you've collected that information. There are some limits in terms of

[00:16:34] [SPEAKER_07]: volume but it is included in the standard subscription and once you go over this limits you have to

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_07]: pay extra for it. But I think in my experience at least you know supply of statement

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_07]: reconciliation is really important in certain industries your construction probably a classic

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_07]: one and probably food and beverage as well but outside of that you've rarely seen supply of

[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_07]: statements anymore and so you know certainly you're even less than you did probably eight

[00:16:58] [SPEAKER_07]: nine years ago when it was requested by all of us like who were down in London so

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_07]: it's good to see it it's good to see it product because it brings up the priority with other

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_07]: players but it feels a little bit late in the day to be honest. But this is another example of

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_06]: the new CTO bringing everything in that was asked for so long ago and moving to product

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_06]: forward so you know like it's once again tip your hat to how Steven has actually made a

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_06]: big impact and driven the product forward really still excited about where it's going.

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah I know I agree with that and I think it's good to see that they're bringing these

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_07]: product parity up you know in terms of what they're doing but also we need to see more

[00:17:38] [SPEAKER_07]: front decks we need to see more innovation more coming out of it yeah it's no good giving us

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_07]: like products you know products that we can get elsewhere products you know like say probably

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_02]: less relevant nowadays than they have used. Something in it will be more like hearted that I

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_02]: sort of feel like is a posh treat and it'll be even though it's not appulated

[00:18:00] [SPEAKER_02]: a business that was selling what it seemed like a hair system has been ordered to pay

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_02]: a VAC bill of more than 100,000 after failing to prove that it's hair loss system should be zero rated.

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_02]: So there's a business that has lost the first year try funeral and it was found to

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_02]: it was not paying you guys will know this best of the night will but right instead I don't know why

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_02]: I think you will I think of the story. I just wanted to check you know a new from moment because

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_02]: in this they say that the reason why they said it was erated was because they considered

[00:18:47] [SPEAKER_02]: how lost to be a disability which is very like oh wow that it's not HMRC said no no if

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_02]: it's some people yes but most people not it is like because I don't think you hairies can

[00:19:05] [SPEAKER_06]: really appreciate it's worth coming to them. That could appreciate the impact of rain

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_06]: like because you've got this you know self defense mechanism from it. Whereas we feel the feel

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_06]: force the full force of it so yeah it's a disability right. I would have thought surely surely

[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_07]: if that's your argument hail is worse than rain I mean I mean because first hair is rain

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_07]: messes up our hair styles you know like just look a little bit bit bit draggle whereas you know

[00:19:33] [SPEAKER_07]: I think hail would be a little bit worse to consider to the sufferer. Yeah I mean I've just

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_06]: after I have to apply guttering system though when it rains. Oh my gosh it's you know just goes

[00:19:46] [SPEAKER_07]: everywhere. I've got a ring system okay I mean you know it's good to know that this business wasn't

[00:19:53] [SPEAKER_07]: selling Merkins because of the lives that have been entirely different sort of like set of arguments

[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_02]: from to. Oh but you know we don't know if they were to be honest all we know is it was a system

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_02]: and it turns out it was more of a service than it was a good anyway so obviously there must be

[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_02]: some instalment of said product which was yeah anyway and the fact is that it's not a disability

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER_02]: even though some people it does impact on their ability it's not the same for everyone but

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER_02]: what ability does it impact? Well it's not a woman it was cited that they can

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_02]: recognize they see it's not considered how else is that self is not considered disability but

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_02]: that it is in some cases like cancer treatment it's actual that there's you know it's something

[00:20:47] [SPEAKER_07]: that can impact on their ability. I can completely understand that as someone as knowing a few

[00:20:54] [SPEAKER_07]: people have been through cancer treatment and also people of suffering from alipitia I can

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_07]: I can fully understand the value probably more to women than maybe to men in terms of the

[00:21:02] [SPEAKER_07]: value of having your hair back and growing etc but I'm not entirely sure it's a hair loss as

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_07]: a disability is a big issue unless you know I mean it might be out of untages for Ryan because

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_07]: you'd be able to you know park and double your lines and get closer to the office and things

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_06]: here exactly and at least you know if it's if it's zero rated it's cheaper for us and we need the

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_02]: support. Anyway we have to end on this one thing whoever wrote this article David tipping

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_02]: absolutely brilliant use of a pun every single every other line is practically a pun in this article

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_02]: tip top conditioner at first brush hair comes trouble brain we time to pay it's up

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Mr. Genius I really appreciate a good time with what's talking about pun of cotton antics

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_06]: we were no school yeah he was just a wooden one

[00:22:01] [SPEAKER_01]: club that's how he gets the girls I whittled it myself

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_07]: from a fallen tray I joined you and I joined a good working

[00:22:14] [SPEAKER_01]: join a club yeah I'll just get

[00:22:20] [SPEAKER_02]: right you just a sack over the head and then you never let them out they have to meet you

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_07]: tea and grow you go for the rest of the life you take and grow

[00:22:30] [SPEAKER_07]: this is this is this is clearly why I needed this you're a unsolicited romance of

[00:22:35] [SPEAKER_02]: arts and Ryan basically why didn't you give me an intensity of romance advice why

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_07]: why don't I you don't need any and you've got it because Ryan's Ryan's unsolicited romance

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_07]: advice consists of real science that's why did you actually did you verify it

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_05]: because I stated that and then did think is it science yeah guys Ryan it's got a PhD

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_02]: there you go Ryan what a mini I'll read it then did you check the source them

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I didn't check the source and I did one of the quizzes that I didn't pay for in

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_02]: $1.99 to pay for the rest of it oh no real science cost you money is what we're saying

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_07]: yeah all right I think I see it real science you don't feel ripped off when you

[00:23:19] [SPEAKER_06]: you know when you did you find out which of the love languages relate to you then

[00:23:26] [SPEAKER_05]: I did yeah yeah are you willing to dispose in a recording

[00:23:33] [SPEAKER_02]: now we'll mix inclusive account news

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_05]: oh George and you're a language in I think this is the only time ever seen John be tentative

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_07]: about say anything I I it was it was all about

[00:23:50] [SPEAKER_07]: can we get and yeah physical touch and then after nation was a second

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_06]: oh my god word to mention John we're the same I know I know in that whole I'm different

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_06]: I am physical touch but it was an acts of service yes yes oh so if we do stuff for Ryan then

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_06]: you'll feel special it's because I'm always doing the stuff you see so if you do some

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_07]: stuff back it makes you feel nice yeah we give you a motion responses to your messages

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_07]: come on what module one and I want to respond to my message with words

[00:24:34] [SPEAKER_07]: that would be nice I mean given it given that we are the same indeed you know

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_07]: time immediately sure there are another hook that's going to be a bit weird isn't it special

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_07]: I wish you rea and go oh that's really good it's all you're so great John you're so lovely

[00:24:47] [SPEAKER_05]: well done I love the way it was the different styles there the northern and the southern approach

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_07]: it the way they say it I mean to be fair if you like acts of service right and you should

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_07]: you should make use of them have been these dungeon get some of my laptop down there

[00:25:07] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't have a dungeon it's a wine cello it's not a wine cello it's a wine cello you've got

[00:25:17] [SPEAKER_06]: people in there that are winding trying to get out you're chlorine at the walls

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean I'm surprised to see Lee in person today given the way that is true

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_02]: it gets one day a month it's completely exceptionally good it's very well behaved

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_07]: you can't even see the marks on his wrist

[00:25:48] [SPEAKER_02]: at least I don't force him to make tea engraving the whole time

[00:25:54] [SPEAKER_06]: what's engraving in their tea

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_02]: John is northern you know in the revolving tea engraving

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_06]: and engraving what no wait no what does that mean you those things that you have tea

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_06]: which is a meal and you're hoping to have gravy at tea you don't put gravy in a cup of tea

[00:26:14] [SPEAKER_06]: so where's the was the tea engraving bit I mean there was a gravy wrestling championship

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_07]: half-mingle here over the weekend this could have been did you attend I did not attend

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_07]: although I have attended in the past I'm even too excited about it

[00:26:31] [SPEAKER_06]: thought about it and then you saw the butchysmugglers you'd have to wear in the side of

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_07]: the bed still is that there you do you think at point for outfits as well as you know

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_06]: winning the house and for style etc so yeah so what is in life your dress is the tea pot

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_07]: and you do it at current chicken or whatever I think there was I think there was someone dressed as a

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_07]: horse is it should there be two people just as a last I yeah yeah on second having thought about

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER_07]: but the outfits strangely work so not really like that kind of satisfies your love language as

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_02]: well if you think about it because you get your physical touch and yeah people cheering you

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_02]: born yeah yeah maybe this is a new hobby see you it's a different kind of gravy at the end thanks

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_01]: So a gravy wrestling thank you yeah I mean this is one stack of

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_06]: some boy or a rock yeah come on I'll chew him on yeah I might have to look the other way

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER_06]: while doing it but I'll chew him I'll do we broke a diddy I think we broke a diddy

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_07]: I would do images flashing behind their eye like you're getting like the machines of

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_02]: jet dresses a giant sausage

[00:27:46] [SPEAKER_07]: gravy sling it chips chips I should be dressed as like chips that's right like our giant chip

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_07]: and then you can like like cheese on me because I don't have to be really milder chips and then

[00:27:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and women will you cheer you off that go on John and call wait we would be at the side

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_06]: throwing cheese grated cheese at him that's how much we'd be cheering too yeah we're enjoying today

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_02]: by Phil Hobden on the latest episode of DigiTools in our full world myself and John Tune

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Phil has been in the community for doggy's ears and probably deserves an award in his own right

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_02]: because you have at least recently been a great service to probably more than most in the industry

[00:28:34] [SPEAKER_02]: setting up this accounting tech forum as well Phil so before we talk any more just how you so

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_04]: yeah I'm I'm really good I am it's very very happy to be here it's been um I don't that this was

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_04]: like the one of the last things on my industry bucket list right like was to be on this podcast

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_04]: so that's it I'm out tomorrow's one this goes episode goes out I'm done so this is my

[00:28:57] [SPEAKER_04]: official not I'm not really but I'm genuinely happy to be here I am of course a fan of the podcast

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_04]: I I often listen to it in the most random places I would listen to it while I'm running I

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_04]: listen to it I was listening to it because I'm really weird probably shouldn't share this

[00:29:12] [SPEAKER_04]: I wanted to listen to it whilst I was in the bath and then I was like I had to turn it off because

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_04]: I felt weird I think it was like I could just say John's voice so I was in the bath and I felt

[00:29:21] [SPEAKER_02]: really uncomfortable I didn't know it was too much later it's really great to listen to John's voice while

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_02]: you're in the bath it's sent you to sleep Phil I just I just felt really uncomfortable I was like

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_04]: this is just the weird thing like I think it was John talking to Tony and I was just like no I

[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_04]: know them both too well to be tagging a bath listening to the boat you just wish you were both there

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_04]: that's what he was like I thought left out I felt like I felt alone that's the kind of felt alone

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_02]: you were there but you were close so I felt alone I'm gonna jump in just because I asked John

[00:30:01] [SPEAKER_02]: to ask this question but talking about felt alone you used to work a bad quiet coloured check

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_02]: it so patchwork it's kind of cool come on for colourful patchwork crew of the sword it's sorted past

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_02]: not supported past tell us actually so because you started how all of their film and where

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_04]: you what's your kind of line of experience I think it's about like 19 years ago but I started with

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_04]: this been banking and finance way I have my own company erranica while in the film and tv industry

[00:30:35] [SPEAKER_04]: and it got to point where it was getting harder and harder and harder to make money so I decided

[00:30:39] [SPEAKER_04]: to get a real job and ended up in banking I was like this is a job for life and I took a job in

[00:30:46] [SPEAKER_04]: banking just after the financial crash of 2008 with not where Starbees Group which is like cross

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_04]: and double cross and I think it got to point why I've been making my team of

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_04]: been making the dominant sheer of four times like different teams and you go into new

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_04]: team and they'd be made redundant and I was like I can't I don't want to do this anymore it's not fun

[00:31:07] [SPEAKER_04]: so I answered that but in a in a local newspaper for company bright and looking for salespeople

[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_04]: and I was like I don't understand this person I can do that and I went and saw Helen

[00:31:18] [SPEAKER_04]: hugely and after and after I about 20 minute chat Helen said to me you'll never have to

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_04]: wear a suit again and he gets work on a MacBook and I was like I am in where do I sign

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_04]: and I was like and doing it to my shorts in the summer she goes you can wear whatever you want

[00:31:33] [SPEAKER_04]: and I'm like oh my god mate this is this is my dream I went home I ripped up the shirts ripped up the

[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_04]: suits through the morning the bin and I thought usually we've they're through their series

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_04]: and then move to capitalise and reserve for quite a while through the pandemic so

[00:31:53] [SPEAKER_04]: kind of those weird days and like having to to kind of redo everything we did during the pandemic

[00:32:00] [SPEAKER_04]: that because I was I was training an extraton um accounts is about finance right so we were doing it

[00:32:05] [SPEAKER_04]: on site we had a high touch kind of approach was great I was always going around the country

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_04]: we couldn't do that so I literally have to rewrite everything overnight and I'm delivering

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_04]: remotely which was cool like in a way it was a weird challenge like I'm still working

[00:32:19] [SPEAKER_04]: the accountants still working we can still do this how and then I went to work for

[00:32:27] [SPEAKER_04]: 38 and after a short-extinct there I've dealt with the contract job so I went to work six months

[00:32:35] [SPEAKER_04]: of knowing and now I'm a self-in and you know obviously I know you guys know that the sort of

[00:32:40] [SPEAKER_04]: been team well and actually if I'm being honest I think I can share this story with Jonny or

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_04]: probably part of the reason why I'm here because I ran into you and I'll see how LMAG act the

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_04]: father been earlier this year and that sparked a pretty interesting conversation and a pretty quick

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_04]: turn around and soon I was heart and self-in team and really enjoying it here and doing a slightly

[00:33:02] [SPEAKER_04]: different role to normal here bringing my commercial approach to the product site that's kind of my

[00:33:07] [SPEAKER_07]: career but you know so short much. I think the one thing that's true about me

[00:33:13] [SPEAKER_07]: feel is that I'm very good at recognizing desperation when I say it so absolutely you saw

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_04]: that envy you saw that look of Jon help me um don't you want my own home your your my princess

[00:33:25] [SPEAKER_04]: layer.

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_02]: It's a frightful thing for her all.

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[00:33:35] [SPEAKER_04]: I had to share like I had to share a skeet cabin with him earlier on the year and like like

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_04]: where favorite Jon to in story is like um and it's just that I think this is actually a nice story

[00:33:43] [SPEAKER_04]: like like I had an interesting week skiing on the Flender trip I'd never ski before I managed

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_04]: to make my knee go in a direction that clearly knees should not go in but I powered through because

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm a moron and on the last day um which is me and Jon and obviously Jon is probably one of the

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_04]: bestest skiers there by far and I'm probably not um I said and Jon's like well do you want to

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_04]: like you know Jon I have a ski down from the top to the bottom when I was like okay um this

[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_04]: is being interesting but you know it was really fun it was like a really cool skiing down the hill

[00:34:17] [SPEAKER_04]: because Jon pushed me just enough to for me to keep going and kind of want to kind of keep up

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_04]: but he didn't kind of boony down and make me look ridiculous and maybe kill myself so I always have

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_04]: that like as always that and always good um and then you know so at this point basically Jon what

[00:34:34] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm saying is like probably all you're a bit let's see it's only nice things I'm saying about

[00:34:38] [SPEAKER_02]: you know we're done you know you just a similar thing for us on the podcast let's give me a little

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_02]: bit of credit on that because he doesn't good on him to be a great one I've had many of them in the

[00:34:48] [SPEAKER_07]: bar off clearly yeah yeah so I mean obviously feel you've you've helped you know a couple of

[00:34:59] [SPEAKER_07]: you're moved from I guess two sort of relatively embryonic businesses to to much more established

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_07]: businesses one certainly much more than the other in terms of your CCH and Walter's Clare I guess

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_07]: what was your reflection on those different experiences because you know I see other people in

[00:35:16] [SPEAKER_07]: the industry who do maybe make that move from from a small growing you know you're fin tech or

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_07]: counting tech business and move to something much bigger and then almost hate it overnight because

[00:35:26] [SPEAKER_07]: too slow to set in their ways not dynamic enough maybe not innovative enough and um um so

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_07]: how do you feel about you're having words it's sort of four different places with you know very

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_04]: different experiences like that yeah I do exactly that right like like I went from a small business

[00:35:44] [SPEAKER_04]: to a small business with future capitalised like to just touching series I around series A and you

[00:35:51] [SPEAKER_04]: know that dynamicness of the business is great and I went to a bigger business and I struggled

[00:35:56] [SPEAKER_04]: a little bit in terms of kind of bringing my approach to that business and part of you know you

[00:36:02] [SPEAKER_04]: look at you you reflect back if you're being honest you go part of that is me I didn't maybe

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_04]: bend quite as much as I needed to but equally the business probably didn't bend enough

[00:36:13] [SPEAKER_04]: and kind of encouraged that so I walked out of that and that's why I took a sick month contract with

[00:36:19] [SPEAKER_04]: it because I was like I need to kind of find what I want to do and clearly that was not it

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_04]: it didn't it wasn't the right fit for me so well I started to have a conversation with

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_04]: you've been actually for me it's that perfect middle ground where it is a big company and we

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_04]: were acquired by Visma for a substantial some money but actually we're still still with them

[00:36:40] [SPEAKER_04]: we're still 100 and two more people and then if you look at the UK side it's an even smaller part

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_04]: and the UK side definitely feels like that that hugely capitalised but with just that wider

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_04]: infrastructure that you can call on to get help and support so so I kind of think at the moment

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_04]: I've probably got the best of both worlds where I've got the everything that larger company gives

[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_04]: you but with that flexibility and kind of ability to have some freedom and some creativity within

[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_07]: it so it's probably a good land for me yeah and is that maybe a yeah I don't want to be over

[00:37:15] [SPEAKER_07]: a critical of any business but is that maybe a criticism of Walter's clear in terms of

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_07]: their a big business just like Visma but they haven't got that same kind of your approach to

[00:37:25] [SPEAKER_07]: running a team in the UK compared to running a team in another part of the world yeah I mean

[00:37:29] [SPEAKER_04]: maybe I think like you right like I reflect back on my time now and I just really come

[00:37:34] [SPEAKER_04]: up and it's like it's helped my career a lot to get that badge on the CV I think I definitely

[00:37:44] [SPEAKER_04]: think that you have to be a certain type of person to to gel with that kind of culture right

[00:37:50] [SPEAKER_04]: and certainly one thing that I will say is I found I've been and that it probably comes

[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_04]: from the US major being quite delicate and careful around how they go to market and their

[00:38:04] [SPEAKER_04]: approach and what you can and can't say and maybe Visma and something up over European approach

[00:38:11] [SPEAKER_04]: that I think is probably a bit more open and you see some of the stuff that like I spent some

[00:38:17] [SPEAKER_04]: time getting to know some of the people at Visma and there's a lot of businesses over there

[00:38:21] [SPEAKER_04]: but then all do things in a way and they will quite unique and they're not creating as

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_04]: a business they just have to be part of this wider group so I think you'll probably right I

[00:38:29] [SPEAKER_04]: think there's probably a wider cultural thing from from being a US business to European business

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_04]: and I think within that then there's my culture and how I'm a little bit of free

[00:38:44] [SPEAKER_04]: a bit of freedom a bit of creativity and I think I work best when that's encouraged

[00:38:50] [SPEAKER_07]: yeah I'm excited and talking about creativity and freedom I mean you set up the sort of

[00:38:56] [SPEAKER_07]: the accounting tech forum which I know I think in these part of and I know as a accountant

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_07]: so excluded from it so we don't get to play play on your your your some work

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_07]: but what was the reason for creating that because I guess was it a frustration about a lack

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER_04]: of communication between perhaps inventors? Yeah partly it's too full right I was part of another

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_04]: networking group a paid networking group and when I went to Walter's clue I was excluded

[00:39:23] [SPEAKER_04]: from that group because of one of their meeting players was from Iris so I couldn't at that time

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_04]: go back into that group and one of the things that really gave me was the ability exactly right

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_04]: well one of that things that really gave me was the ability to pull tax senior people in other

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_04]: businesses just on Slack right so I could I could message someone to work to zero I can message

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_04]: some of the work to Iris or whoever it was just on Slack and in very be they would get back

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_04]: to me because they knew we had that relationship and that's a really valuable thing when you're

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_04]: trying to unblock stuff so I was like okay I can't be kind of that so can I build something

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER_04]: that has a similar ability to connect people but actually I don't I started a side hustle

[00:40:10] [SPEAKER_04]: me I don't know my money out of it I can't I don't have the time to run something that

[00:40:14] [SPEAKER_04]: you're all I'm money out of something or you want to charge for something it has to have a

[00:40:17] [SPEAKER_04]: level as you guys know you have to have a level of engagement and involvement and I don't have

[00:40:22] [SPEAKER_04]: the time to run but what I can do is connect people together and clearly I found very quickly

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_04]: there is a need in this industry for people to connect together and share ideas and and the

[00:40:34] [SPEAKER_04]: count of things we it's got a bit weird over the last six months where we've got people

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_04]: that attack a count and you're like okay we're kind of stepping the line at me and we

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_04]: maybe need to like look at it a bit wider but in terms of like it's absolutely not a place

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_04]: where vendors going and complain and bitch and mode about a count of play it's probably going

[00:40:54] [SPEAKER_04]: to shoot yeah but it's a place where we generally don't in and try and solve problems like

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm seeing this or I need help with this or actually who can support me on this and

[00:41:04] [SPEAKER_04]: everyone gives their time and gives their input really really well and I think it's

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_04]: create the community of people that are happy to give time to others and two

[00:41:14] [SPEAKER_04]: instances like if someone's a people job they're posted in a hiring channel and people will go

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_04]: actually I know where hiring or I know someone's hiring and I know probably seven or eight people

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_04]: have got jobs directly from just having that back or channels or jobs maybe even got more

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_04]: public and that's kind of cool so you can help each other and for me it just work because

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_04]: it's just helping build an incredible network of people I can call on if I need it yeah and

[00:41:40] [SPEAKER_07]: what challenges have you faced with that as well because I say it's not a full-time job it's

[00:41:45] [SPEAKER_07]: sort of ever side side shows it were but you know I mean you're we we have select channels

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_07]: connected with what we do and you know encouraging people to engage can be challenging sometimes

[00:41:55] [SPEAKER_07]: making sure that you know there's a level of consistency etc you know you've got to set the

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_04]: ground rules I guess yeah early early days right like we I always I always go by the the

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_04]: nature of trust right and I go this is I mean this is a kind of chat and house will be a

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_04]: environment right like we can we can talk openly fairly but openly there was one incident

[00:42:19] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm like sharing it right like I always do this full detail but something got back

[00:42:23] [SPEAKER_04]: out of that channel it paused someone and that someone was me quite a bit of a few issues

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_04]: and it took me on a weird York position I learned for that and I went and maybe we need to

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_04]: just think about who we're inviting in and how we're doing it and kind of bad night it's like

[00:42:43] [SPEAKER_04]: engagement and stuff like that right like people will engage when I've got something to

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_04]: engage with or engage for and that becomes quite tough because then it becomes quite one side

[00:42:52] [SPEAKER_04]: it's it's trying to make sure it's a two sided thing you're not only take but you're to give

[00:42:57] [SPEAKER_07]: yeah is that one of the things where you you do sort of like fairly regular like zoom catchups

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_07]: and stuff was that something you always did from the start or was that something you've done

[00:43:05] [SPEAKER_07]: more recently to kind of encourage that engagement that was the same one of the things right so so I've

[00:43:09] [SPEAKER_04]: kind of set this up with Sam and and Billy from 2020's coming as well to help us because certainly

[00:43:17] [SPEAKER_04]: you know if you've got to mid-stage white guys running something it probably doesn't

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_04]: lead to brilliantly from a perspective and it's like you need you need more diversity

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_04]: thought more diversity of a pro for diversity opinion right so good to know that Billy's

[00:43:31] [SPEAKER_07]: ticking the indie box there that's what I saw we have a big version

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_02]: I thought to myself I know exactly where John is about to go with this but you just remember in

[00:43:40] [SPEAKER_02]: years the reason we established is not the other way around I knew Tid my two mid-stage white

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_04]: eyes okay I recruited them actually being super fair like like actually that's a lot of the

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_04]: reason Billy's in there but he's in there because she came just I want to be more involved in this

[00:43:56] [SPEAKER_04]: and we were like actually I want people to be more involved and we want someone that could

[00:44:01] [SPEAKER_04]: come in and have a really good impact bring something to it that's also kind of like brings a

[00:44:08] [SPEAKER_04]: different perspective bring some energy as well right yeah and bring some it yeah absolutely right so

[00:44:12] [SPEAKER_04]: so it was it was right that it came from just me to to me and Sam and then to me and Billy

[00:44:19] [SPEAKER_04]: and like the Sam come up with the idea of doing the the kind of quarterly catjarts or monthly

[00:44:25] [SPEAKER_04]: catjarts and it's just nice it's just like we get on and we just talk about a topic and that

[00:44:29] [SPEAKER_04]: topic can be like events have been a huge topic this year right like a venue fatigue and

[00:44:34] [SPEAKER_04]: and then you know feast and famine so we spent a lot of time discussing that and how we can

[00:44:39] [SPEAKER_04]: get the most out of that after events and in that more fellow pigments yeah yeah so what

[00:44:45] [SPEAKER_07]: are the sort of the top three sort of being issues that the group of machinating about and aren't

[00:44:51] [SPEAKER_04]: yeah look I mean it's always the same thing like how we can be better at delivering to accountants

[00:44:57] [SPEAKER_04]: you know I think that's our all of our core mission so one of the things that we're doing is

[00:45:01] [SPEAKER_04]: trying to work out like you know the proper production so because selling to accountants has never been

[00:45:09] [SPEAKER_04]: really if you've got a product that kind of does what it says on the team someone out there will buy

[00:45:13] [SPEAKER_04]: there's enough accountants that aren't out there right you got to put up and sometimes even you know

[00:45:17] [SPEAKER_04]: maybe people don't know they don't people have bought it in the park right like but adoption is a

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_04]: huge issue so that's one thing and probably the second one I think this is another is quite recently

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_04]: is issues vendors are facing around events and not events well actually behaviour events

[00:45:37] [SPEAKER_04]: and that's a much more conversation like because maybe because I'm of certain communities

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_04]: it doesn't ever impact me right like but certainly it is to come very clear for one person

[00:45:49] [SPEAKER_04]: mentioning it that there's some inappropriate behaviour that happens at some of these events right

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_04]: like like people overstepping the mark and you know the majority of vendor teams are quite young

[00:46:00] [SPEAKER_04]: as well so putting people in whether overal you're in a burden into uncomfortable positions

[00:46:05] [SPEAKER_04]: and not making it feel comfortable then you add alcohol and everything else to the mix and

[00:46:10] [SPEAKER_04]: you're a part you know so it's coming clear that's something that there's an industry we need to be

[00:46:15] [SPEAKER_04]: much more aware of and the good thing is like the vendor group probably represents 70 plus

[00:46:21] [SPEAKER_04]: companies maybe 80 so there's now 80 vendors out there that are going to be far more aware

[00:46:28] [SPEAKER_04]: of what's happening on other stands with other people and to look out for it and actually

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_04]: make sure that we can call out and where it's not being called out by other people we can actually

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_04]: say that that behaviour is not appropriate in need to stop I don't have seen it like I've been

[00:46:42] [SPEAKER_04]: abused at an event right like it happened to me once I just brush it off because I'm old enough

[00:46:49] [SPEAKER_04]: where you know I've been calling enough names under the sun that you don't really just go through

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_04]: well that's new but if you're 25, 26 in the industry and you've got people in a

[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_04]: completely approach to your whatever it's you know that's not fair it's not always clear what

[00:47:08] [SPEAKER_02]: the boundaries around inappropriate could be because it really is down to the individual to

[00:47:14] [SPEAKER_02]: set ways of inappropriate and I think that it's really good that you have at least

[00:47:23] [SPEAKER_02]: flagged or brought the awareness to in the community it was really interesting being you know

[00:47:29] [SPEAKER_02]: in the forum and reading it that day because I mean I've had a couple of very

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_02]: questioner or incident as a result of some of the events that we've gone to

[00:47:41] [SPEAKER_02]: one in the Scotland Highlands that disappeared after a couple of years

[00:47:47] [SPEAKER_04]: honestly we could do we could have podcast on that event alone and some of the stories I've got

[00:47:52] [SPEAKER_02]: I just I'm really yeah and I think that one of them was you know is very fortunate to work with

[00:47:58] [SPEAKER_02]: witnessed and were very vocal to step in and we enjoyed the fact that for all of you know

[00:48:05] [SPEAKER_02]: the next year we had a business card on the dark ward that you would get a hundred point

[00:48:09] [SPEAKER_02]: sex look you landed that's the dot on the business card for that particular gentleman

[00:48:14] [SPEAKER_02]: and then you know there's been other incidents as well where I haven't known people

[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_02]: and I've met them all new in the industry and and actually I've had something to occur

[00:48:25] [SPEAKER_02]: and what's been really great is again because of the nature of the vendor community

[00:48:31] [SPEAKER_02]: that people have once I've at least articulated it have stepped in to have the candle and call it out

[00:48:39] [SPEAKER_02]: and I love them and I think the fact that you've put it in this forum and someone has come up

[00:48:45] [SPEAKER_02]: and said something about it it will just hold us all equally accountable and visibility is

[00:48:52] [SPEAKER_02]: everything in this you know in terms of being at the right tone yeah it is it's it's easy when

[00:48:59] [SPEAKER_04]: you mix alcohol and music and fun and you know boundaries get blurred and you know we've seen

[00:49:06] [SPEAKER_04]: we should zero contact that you know I'm sure many new relationships have started at zero

[00:49:12] [SPEAKER_04]: column and I'm sure some of them did and I'm sure there might even be a couple of zero babies out

[00:49:16] [SPEAKER_04]: from zero cops right like you know let's be honest you know they're probably all right like

[00:49:24] [SPEAKER_04]: but they're on also they're on yes zero yeah zero it's right like many zeros but at the same point

[00:49:31] [SPEAKER_04]: these events sometimes you know it can lines can be blurred and it's a terrorist vulnerability

[00:49:38] [SPEAKER_04]: beer like popcasters account whoever it is right and by the way I'm not just saying that this

[00:49:44] [SPEAKER_04]: accountants defenders it's vendors defenders took it goes three ways I have a story which I absolutely

[00:49:50] [SPEAKER_04]: won't share for legal reasons but I was part of the business where one of these staff massively

[00:49:56] [SPEAKER_04]: out the step the mind with I'm accounting event with with um customer and you know they we we

[00:50:04] [SPEAKER_04]: fired them that morning the next morning right they literally were gone when we come to me they

[00:50:08] [SPEAKER_04]: also hysterically had to make their way home from the business because I meant to be getting them

[00:50:12] [SPEAKER_04]: the event I meant to be getting a lift so they were like bye and you can make your own

[00:50:18] [SPEAKER_04]: out so you know it's it's all all sides so it's all everyone to call it out but people just

[00:50:23] [SPEAKER_04]: think to be aware that this happens and you know like lines lines of their to be drawn

[00:50:28] [SPEAKER_07]: and I guess that's one of those things you know as you say it's been taught about obviously in the

[00:50:34] [SPEAKER_07]: vendor community as you said that the problem needs to be spoken about more and more in our community

[00:50:39] [SPEAKER_07]: and you know and I guess you know if you kind of look at things like the list that Dermat does you

[00:50:46] [SPEAKER_07]: know like the you know the the the list of influences if you like in our space you know the

[00:50:50] [SPEAKER_07]: vast majority them a very high profile women predominantly yeah certainly more than more than that

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_07]: and you know to agree you know I guess you know they need to be you know looked out for as

[00:51:03] [SPEAKER_04]: as anyone else and do like like we need to normalize we're going to share it stories as well

[00:51:09] [SPEAKER_04]: and like allow people to have that space because at the moment I think it's it's that thing that

[00:51:15] [SPEAKER_04]: that's there's an under the current of it and I was surprised when we we started talking about it in

[00:51:19] [SPEAKER_04]: that group how many people because it would actually I know someone I know someone I know someone

[00:51:22] [SPEAKER_04]: I've seen this I've helped this and you kind of go man like like like I knew it was it was

[00:51:27] [SPEAKER_04]: obviously gonna happen it was starts you but you know that's really that it's the back prevalent

[00:51:33] [SPEAKER_04]: and and it's still happening that recently that everything's been going on I mean you know

[00:51:37] [SPEAKER_04]: it's just a good thing to be aware of right like like we've everything we have to be aware of so many things these

[00:51:41] [SPEAKER_04]: days and the world's a much more complicated place than than it's ever been yeah yeah agree yeah

[00:51:48] [SPEAKER_07]: I've had issues I've had issues as well so yeah sorry John I apologize in the hot tub

[00:51:53] [SPEAKER_04]: um definitely an appropriate that was bubbles were an expert

[00:52:00] [SPEAKER_07]: oh do you know so I think I think there was two I think I was two issues is there a third

[00:52:05] [SPEAKER_04]: there's a third one we can squeeze oh that's a good point what was the third one I mean obviously

[00:52:11] [SPEAKER_04]: we've covered off those two I think that really general that's being evades like like that's been

[00:52:16] [SPEAKER_04]: the huge conversation and like controversially I want to use an expression vendor gouging

[00:52:25] [SPEAKER_04]: as if there's something like where it's like you know you know like the surge pricing for

[00:52:30] [SPEAKER_04]: our ages is definitely been a top of the conversation right like like I think I think whilst

[00:52:35] [SPEAKER_04]: we're not seeing the same thing if you prepare events in this industry to events outside of this

[00:52:40] [SPEAKER_04]: industry sometimes you will be surprised at the difference in in pricing and and and everything

[00:52:46] [SPEAKER_04]: else way and I think we are not I wouldn't say we're in a bubble probably all right but certainly

[00:52:52] [SPEAKER_04]: if you look five years ago or six years ago the amount of money that was flowing into

[00:52:57] [SPEAKER_04]: this industry from BC and equity was huge and now it's slowing down a bit but you know we've

[00:53:05] [SPEAKER_04]: set quite a high bar and you know accountants are coming to events and now expecting to walk away

[00:53:10] [SPEAKER_04]: with 500 quid worth of credence right like like and actually now now we're saying there's a

[00:53:16] [SPEAKER_04]: community well you know do we get any do we genuinely get any balance from giving away

[00:53:21] [SPEAKER_04]: 500 pounds worth of stuff does it make us any more profitable or do we close more sales

[00:53:26] [SPEAKER_04]: as anyone ever ever actually bought a product for a water bottle or is it like what happened

[00:53:32] [SPEAKER_04]: at one of the events this year where I genuinely saw someone walking around with a portable

[00:53:35] [SPEAKER_04]: trolley with five five vendor bags thought full of stuff and the only kind of going I think

[00:53:43] [SPEAKER_04]: there was a sustainability perspective that has to stop but from a different perspective we have to

[00:53:49] [SPEAKER_04]: we have to make the events have an hour away and they have to be sustainable from a

[00:53:57] [SPEAKER_04]: finance perspective and the eco perspective right and I think we're almost at that cost where

[00:54:02] [SPEAKER_04]: we're maybe they're not there's too many there too close now people are going well do we go

[00:54:06] [SPEAKER_04]: to this one and this one will do it all of them or do you do one you know where we put in our money

[00:54:10] [SPEAKER_04]: and some key vendors that I've known for years are now not going to certain events and

[00:54:15] [SPEAKER_04]: missing out certain things and really targeting or small or shortening their their presence and

[00:54:22] [SPEAKER_04]: at the same time you know they kind of like go well we we're not going to take as much swag

[00:54:27] [SPEAKER_04]: and we're going to really kind of just give it to our customers because we want people to

[00:54:31] [SPEAKER_04]: engage with us for the right reason we don't want to get a bag scan spend give you loan to money

[00:54:36] [SPEAKER_04]: in terms of freebies and then spend six months chasing new future tournaments they know before

[00:54:40] [SPEAKER_04]: they've given the shot like so I think that's a sustainability thing both in terms of financial

[00:54:47] [SPEAKER_04]: and environmental if something that's becoming much more of a concern. I agree I mean I agree

[00:54:52] [SPEAKER_07]: as an attendee you know as you know I guess in the early days of going to conferences yeah it was

[00:54:58] [SPEAKER_07]: great going up to the stands and going on there's a water bottle there's a pen god knows what

[00:55:02] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm sox t-shirts, puddies hats, footballs all sorts of things and I kind of kind of got over that

[00:55:09] [SPEAKER_07]: you know like I mean my intention with events now is really just a network more than anything else

[00:55:14] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm I'm if I get looking up to back to speak to speak as well but it does feel like there are

[00:55:21] [SPEAKER_07]: too many to attend as well in terms of like the numbers and we're making the same decisions

[00:55:25] [SPEAKER_07]: as a business as well in terms of like how many should we send to event x versus event y which

[00:55:31] [SPEAKER_07]: is the following month do we get a return an investment for the train travel the hotel everything else

[00:55:38] [SPEAKER_07]: it goes with it and I'm where are we best placed in terms of sending sending teams and everything else

[00:55:44] [SPEAKER_07]: and and you know I was very lucky this year in terms of you know I went to pretty much every event

[00:55:49] [SPEAKER_04]: going but I've heard like yeah like like you know the international man of mystery

[00:55:56] [SPEAKER_07]: or not this you know like exactly man of not me it's not missing a phomo so it is but I mean

[00:56:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I guess part of the reason for me going to the event was really because I was then taking teams

[00:56:08] [SPEAKER_07]: to those events and showing them around showing them the road and stuff but we'll

[00:56:11] [SPEAKER_07]: I do that again next year probably not as the reality particularly if we're gonna have the same

[00:56:16] [SPEAKER_07]: stack of events over the top and I know guys going back to your point about you know swag

[00:56:20] [SPEAKER_07]: and sustainability and everything else is like the stuff that I really like now is just stuff that

[00:56:24] [SPEAKER_07]: you know people like circuiting you know I think sage and a few other been doing where you get like

[00:56:28] [SPEAKER_07]: you know these these little you know flower bombs or whatever you can check in the garden you

[00:56:32] [SPEAKER_07]: I've got water bottles and coffee cups and things coming out my ears like

[00:56:37] [SPEAKER_07]: don't give you a like a good t-shirt I like a very soft thing that because you're the

[00:56:41] [SPEAKER_07]: consumer bull and the k-t-shirts right but all the other give me you know the pens and the pads

[00:56:45] [SPEAKER_07]: like I'm out I don't need those all the other random stuff like you just you're

[00:56:50] [SPEAKER_07]: unless it's unusual I'm just not interested at all like how many how many wireless

[00:56:55] [SPEAKER_04]: how many like I think there was this year where everyone did power banks so I think I've

[00:56:59] [SPEAKER_04]: worked like my 8 power banks on my head I get I'm like I've got 14 year daughter she used to

[00:57:05] [SPEAKER_04]: like really benefit the banks but yeah it gets on point well I'm just like I just I just can't

[00:57:11] [SPEAKER_04]: like it becomes it becomes silly and you're right like how many walk-ups do you need like I

[00:57:16] [SPEAKER_04]: remember one year go carvested a great thing where like every rather than take merch you scan

[00:57:23] [SPEAKER_04]: the QR code and like if you scan the QR code you got a tree donated or something you know it

[00:57:29] [SPEAKER_04]: you know so there was a wheel of sustainability approach and like look I'm not like Mr. Eco

[00:57:35] [SPEAKER_04]: can't agree right like but I'm just conscious that like I could sometimes go to some

[00:57:41] [SPEAKER_04]: of the bigger events like I could think how much of this stuff those in the business like

[00:57:46] [SPEAKER_04]: the stands and stuff right so yeah for me to count on see if I'm perspective also like like

[00:57:52] [SPEAKER_04]: where is the vendor we I'd rather you spend different people like to every event because that

[00:57:58] [SPEAKER_04]: we can then be sure over like four or five events we get a mixture of senior people from

[00:58:04] [SPEAKER_04]: and more junior people your worst case for any vendor is when you go to an event and you go

[00:58:08] [SPEAKER_04]: oh look it's the exact same people that were there they even squedly even in Scotland like

[00:58:13] [SPEAKER_04]: the five people that actually turned up to the event for people I would even knew there's like

[00:58:18] [SPEAKER_04]: if you travel up to Scotland to the worst accountancy bed in the world and you can and you're a

[00:58:24] [SPEAKER_04]: toxic last week what like at least don't don't a Scotland you know it's huge like you know

[00:58:34] [SPEAKER_04]: some folks think there's like 10 20 people to the bed like billing time travel time experiences

[00:58:39] [SPEAKER_02]: everything else is scary okay those absolutely yeah I think it's the great thing about

[00:58:48] [SPEAKER_02]: what your point you're pointing out and touching on is there is a shed philosophy amongst the

[00:58:55] [SPEAKER_02]: vendors and I think it's great that at least there's a forum for it now that didn't exist before

[00:59:03] [SPEAKER_02]: and you've managed to at least encourage more collaboration and connection from other people

[00:59:09] [SPEAKER_02]: in different even competitive companies there's still a sentiment that says well we're all in this

[00:59:17] [SPEAKER_02]: together so let's at least make sure that we're not doing anything that really doesn't work in

[00:59:24] [SPEAKER_02]: the best interests of the accountants because a one thing that I'd say that this industry has seen

[00:59:30] [SPEAKER_02]: is that accountants have been more willing to share their knowledge with other accountants and learn

[00:59:35] [SPEAKER_02]: about digital transformation and collaborate and I love the way that the accounting tech forum is also

[00:59:41] [SPEAKER_02]: doing the same is allowing for collaboration in the same way that the accountants have done

[00:59:47] [SPEAKER_02]: for the last few years so hats off to your map. Oh thanks and I think it's important my like I

[00:59:52] [SPEAKER_04]: think you're right and the other thing that you become a community aware of is accounts

[00:59:56] [SPEAKER_04]: that's due to all right like we've seen that over the last couple of years like when certain

[01:00:01] [SPEAKER_04]: that it became clear that their pricing strategy was was fluid, should we say um like you know

[01:00:08] [SPEAKER_04]: you know it was talked about and it became a big thing and you know if we can avoid stuff like that

[01:00:15] [SPEAKER_04]: by talking together and I'm not saying like I can influence zero anything like that clearly you

[01:00:20] [SPEAKER_04]: can't but what we can do though is we can kind of learn from from the states and get access to some

[01:00:25] [SPEAKER_04]: of the people that help with stuff like that and how do you deal with it and we can maybe make it less

[01:00:32] [SPEAKER_04]: of a mistake you're put about accounts by the way like one of the things I'd love about silver

[01:00:37] [SPEAKER_04]: is I don't know if it's worth the business it's so close to its clients and customers and

[01:00:43] [SPEAKER_04]: like the feedback we get on the product and the conversations we have, just phenomenal and

[01:00:47] [SPEAKER_04]: the giving of time to make the product better so a product that they love that we can make that

[01:00:54] [SPEAKER_04]: even better I think that's that's awesome and you know I sort of want to be the one I've always

[01:00:58] [SPEAKER_04]: love working in this space you know working with accounts is like it's really good like you get

[01:01:04] [SPEAKER_04]: really interesting feedback you get really interesting conversations you get really interesting

[01:01:07] [SPEAKER_04]: challenges and occasionally when you've only been in the industry for three months and you found

[01:01:14] [SPEAKER_04]: some really January you get a really interesting life lesson as well I want to tell you the words

[01:01:20] [SPEAKER_04]: the certain account and news but certainly he told me to go somewhere because it was January and

[01:01:25] [SPEAKER_04]: I wasn't aware of that so you know every day is a everyday was a school day in the early days

[01:01:31] [SPEAKER_04]: that's why January is for skiing film so I've learned this right this and I'm doing it all

[01:01:36] [SPEAKER_04]: right this time now I think there are accounts on the trip for a little bit some of them actually

[01:01:41] [SPEAKER_04]: my clients even better I can get to go skiing with them brilliant and I don't have to make sales

[01:01:46] [SPEAKER_04]: cause those couple of things I mean it's an absolute win for me right yeah yeah well there we go

[01:01:51] [SPEAKER_07]: there we have it Phil Hopkins the man the legends I thought it was Jenna who played but clearly not

[01:01:57] [SPEAKER_04]: it's just a horrible myth that we're the same person but but it's very rare to see

[01:02:03] [SPEAKER_04]: the same place at the same time and AI photographs are amazing at making a little bit different

[01:02:07] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean we are different clearly yeah okay you keep saying that thank you very much Phil thank

[01:02:13] [SPEAKER_07]: you for joining us it's been great to hear a little bit about what you're experienced and what

[01:02:16] [SPEAKER_07]: you're doing at the moment and also there the network is that you've created and things and

[01:02:20] [SPEAKER_07]: long way that continue and of course we will see you at more events and more things going on

[01:02:25] [SPEAKER_07]: and keep in touch and everything else but there you go what a fath interview and thank you both very

[01:02:32] [SPEAKER_00]: much I believe I believe it God thanks Phil stop being such a pleasure we've been asking you on for

[01:02:39] [SPEAKER_04]: so long yeah I'm literally there's literally a chain of messages between me and your minting

[01:02:47] [SPEAKER_04]: can I come on yeah can I can I can I'm not begging anything but you know please please I'm feeling

[01:02:52] [SPEAKER_04]: less now you've literally interviewed everyone in the industry and I'm the last person you haven't spoken

[01:02:57] [SPEAKER_00]: to I'm going to want to want to miss you so I'm sure that is no we've got a lot more to say

[01:03:06] [SPEAKER_06]: thank you guys I was fun thank you for listening to another digitals and a cruel world podcast

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[01:03:22] [SPEAKER_06]: yet to see the live streamed show of our digital disruptor awards if you want to be

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[01:03:33] [SPEAKER_06]: it potentially get you top participate in the events that go on throughout the night and if

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[01:03:43] [SPEAKER_06]: and there are still opportunities to get involved once again thanks for listening we'll catch you

[01:03:47] [SPEAKER_06]: next time all right let's stop that shizzle