Technology and AI judgment for firm leaders

Whether it's a $300 travel bag or a $300K AI platform, I can tell you what's worth it, what to skip, and what's not worth it yet.

Nearly 30 years of answering one question for leaders: is this actually worth it?

Marc T. Staut

Where I stand on AI use cases right now

Three calls, made plainly. No vendor is paying me to say any of this.

Worth It

with a human in the loop

  • Tax research and synthesis
  • Document analysis and extraction
  • Drafting client communications

Not Yet

the capability is close, accountability is not

  • Fully autonomous client deliverables
  • Anything with no human approval step

The work

Most firms don't have a technology problem. They have a clarity problem.

Too many tools, too much AI noise, and no clean line between what's hype and what actually moves the firm forward. And the technology is rarely the hard part. The leadership around it is.

I've sat on the other side of the table myself, as a Partner and CIO, so these are calls I've made with my own money on the line, not just advised on. That's the difference between a recommendation and a decision, and it's why I push firms to get more out of what they already own before anyone goes shopping.

Here's the part most bios leave out: I'm an unapologetic tech-geek. I test the gear, run the tools, and live with the gadgets before I ever tell anyone whether they're worth it. The advice is hands-on because I am.

My goal isn't helping firms buy better technology. It's helping them build stronger, more future-ready firms.

Writing

Articles, columns, and the occasional argument worth having in public.

Published work for the profession, plus longer pieces where a verdict needs more than a paragraph.

May 2026 Your Tech Stack Isn't the Problem, Your Architecture Is CPA Practice Advisor Apr 2026 Leading Adaptive Transformation in the Face of AI Accounting Today Oct 2025 Is Your Firm "Digitally Fluent?" Accounting Today Jun 2025 What to Do When the Future Looks Scary (Again) CPA Practice Advisor Apr 2025 The ROI of Automation: Quantify Your Time to Measure Value Accounting Today

What's in My Bag

15+ years of telling firm leaders whether the gear is worth carrying.

I test it, travel with it, and live with it before I tell anyone it earned a place. I pay for it myself, which is how I can confidently tell you it's worth it to buy or to wait on something that's already in my bag.

Bags, batteries, laptops, smart glasses, the whole travel kit. Every piece gets the same call I would make on a $300K platform, because the question is identical: is this actually worth it to you?

People stop me in airports to ask what's in the bag. That's the whole review process, and it's why the verdicts are worth it to you.

Speaking

I speak to rooms that would rather hear a verdict than a survey of the options.

Keynotes, breakout sessions, and panels on AI adoption, technology decisions, and the leadership work that has to happen around both.

On the AICPA ENGAGE program and its predecessor, the Practitioners Symposium and TECH+ Conference, since 2010.

Recent stages

  • AICPA ENGAGE Agentic AI: Real-World Applications and Implications, 2026
  • Aiwyn Unlock Keynote The ROI of Innovation, 2025
  • Thomson Reuters SYNERGY Three sessions on AI readiness, implications, and talent, 2025. Returning 2026
  • CCH Connections Creating Technological Fluency Through Your Firm, delivered three times, plus the main-stage AI panel, 2025. Returning 2026
  • Boomer Circle Summit Three sessions plus the main-stage briefing, 2026
  • BDO Central Super Regional The ROI of Innovation: Turning Ideas Into Impact, 2026
  • CPAmerica Regional Meeting The AI-Powered Firm, and Tech Strategy for Partners, 2026
  • Iowa Society of CPAs Tax Committee, 2026

More than 20 sessions a year, from 30 people to the main stage.

Contact

If you're wrestling with where AI fits, or which technologies are worth the investment, let's talk it through.

Email
marc@marcstaut.com

Book time
Book 30 minutes