In the #AccountingLifePodcast series, Jotham Ty, CEO of Gappify and Proud Accountant, sits down with accounting leaders to discuss anything and everything accounting and the people that grind through month-end close.
In this episode, Jotham sits down with Bijan Moallemi, Co-Founder and CEO of Mosaic, to learn what the founder’s journey is really like. Keep reading for a bite-sized recap of Bijan’s best tips from this episode, plus a link to the full interview below.
Tip #1: Sustaining momentum requires passion.
When Bijan first set out to create Mosaic’s strategic finance platform, it was out of empathy for the struggles of his coworkers. They were buried under piles of literal paperwork, making it a monumental task to gather necessary data to make strategic business decisions.
Bijan and his co-founders recognized they could ease this pain point for their colleagues. That flash of empathy became a passion to solve the problem.
Bijan: “That passion and deep need to solve these problems for our peers, at least for us, is really important. Without that passion, it’d be really easy to throw in the towel at times. If we didn’t truly want to solve this problem for our peers, it would be really tough to get up at 4:00 a.m. like we do every single day, putting in the hard work, seven days a week, that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.”
Tip #2: A consistent routine sets you up for success.
Passion for problem-solving isn’t the only thing that gets a founder and CEO out of bed every morning. But it is what makes setting that early morning routine easier—and coffee, of course. For Bijan, it’s the routine itself that’s key.
Bijan: “I am very into my routines and I feel like that repeatability is quite important. So, I’m an early riser. I feel like I get my work done best in the morning, before the team’s online. So typically 4:30, 4:45, I’ll be up.”
His daily routine shifts around meetings and what’s on each day, but it always includes taking the dogs out, a cup of coffee from Phil’s, and a workout. That’s how he performs each day at the level he needs.
Tip #3: Success means leveraging AI — not ignoring it.
One question on everyone’s mind these days, regardless of industry, is AI. Bijan spies a big opportunity here. The way he sees it, you can either be part of the trend (and trend-setting) or be left behind. At Mosaic, his team is exploring how to leverage AI strategically inside of their platform. It’s a promising way to boost productivity and make financiers’ lives easier.
Bijan: “I don’t think AI necessarily is going to replace accountants or replace strategic finance professionals. But I do think that the ones that are able to leverage AI will find a way to actually be much more proficient at their job, rise through the ranks, and make a bigger impact inside of their organizations.”
Check out more #AccountingLifePodcast episodes on our Gappify Youtube Channel.
Interested in learning more?
Listen to the entire podcast here (E38: A Founder’s Journey).
About Gappify
Gappify, founded in 2016, is a cloud-based provider of accrual automation solutions for mid-market and enterprise accounting teams. The company is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Berkeley, California, Washington DC, and Manila, Philippines.
Its team consists of accountants and CPA’s from Big Four accounting firms and software innovators. Gappify is also supported by strategic advisors from some of the world’s most recognized technology companies and is affiliated with the top companies & accounting organizations.
