How Founders Can Use AI in Financial Decision Making with Igor Tutelman

Written By xavi umeh

Your business is making money. But do you actually know where it's going?

Most founders check their bank balance, see the number went up, and call it a win. But profitable-looking and actually profitable are two very different things — and that gap is exactly where businesses quietly stall.

In this episode of Ace Founder, Igor Tutelman — CPA, founder of IOTA Finance, and self-described "Not Your Father's Accountant" — breaks down how small business owners can stop flying blind with their finances, and why AI might be the most underused tool in a founder's financial toolkit right now.

If you're building a business and the money side still feels like a mystery, this one's for you.

📚 What We Talk About:

  • 00:26 Igor's background and what IOTA Finance actually does for founders

  • 01:38 What it means when the business model works but the financials don't

  • 02:26 The "Bank Balance Barry" problem — and why it's more dangerous than you think

  • 03:37 The gas station attendant analogy — what AI job displacement really looks like historically

  • 07:55 Why founders need to be paying attention to AI when making financial decisions

  • 09:14 Why your first hires matter more than almost any other decision you'll make

  • 10:28 How to grow your client base without automatically adding headcount

  • 12:52 The three AI tools Igor's team uses daily — and what each one is best for

  • 17:00 The Fable situation, AGI warnings, and what it means that AI is now self-improving

  • 20:22 Should founders be using AI to make financial decisions? Igor's honest take

  • 22:42 Why a bad prompt is more dangerous than no prompt at all

  • 24:13 The one thing every founder should start doing with AI this week

💭 Key Quotes:

  • "No, AI is not going to take your job. But somebody who works with and appreciates AI might."

  • "It's like getting access to Bill Gates' executive assistant — and it's foolish not to use it."

  • "We're not worse at thinking. We're just better at deciding and worse at gathering — and that's actually a good trade."

  • "ChatGPT for communication. Perplexity for research. Claude for execution."

  • "Become a little kid with AI. Go play around with it. There's no good way to do it other than by doing it."

🔗 Connect With Our Guest:

xavi umeh
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