Adfin | Still early. Still learning.

Still Early. Still Learning

It’s been just over a year since I joined a magnificent team to bring Invoxx to life (Adfin’s original name, thank goodness we changed it!).

I’ve been here since day one. Not writing code, but trying to figure out the product we needed to build to get our first customers on board. That meant demos, feedback calls, follow-ups, chasing leads, and doing whatever it took to move things forward. My role has always focused on go-to-market (GTM) and on helping build the commercial side of the business. In the past year, I’ve done over 500 demos plus plenty more feedback calls.

So yeah, I’ve explained what Adfin is more times than I can count. But I’ve also listened. A lot. To the reality of how accountants and bookkeepers actually deal with getting paid.

This post isn’t about how we cracked it. It’s just a few honest reflections on what I’ve learned so far, what’s resonated, what I’ve seen firsthand, and why I’ve come to really enjoy working with this industry.

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Why the simple stuff matters most

One thing that really surprised me early on was that we all thought our initial proposition might be too simple to win: one platform to consolidate all payment methods (direct debits, cards, open banking) and automate credit control. There were already companies doing bits of this so we assumed most firms had this sorted.

We were wrong.

Every time we spoke to an accountant or bookkeeper, we kept hearing the same story: they were using multiple providers to get paid. GoCardless for direct debits. Stripe for cards. Something else for open banking. And none of them talked to each other. Multiple reports. Clunky workflows. Payment reminders that didn’t adapt to client behaviour. It wasn’t efficient and it definitely wasn’t simple.

What did we learn?? Simplicity wins.

That’s what we’ve tried to build with Adfin: an all-in-one payment platform designed to simplify collections. One place to send and track invoices. One place to collect payments via card, direct debit, or open banking. One view of everything. No need to glue together tools or deal with inconsistent workflows.

Funny thing is, we really thought this idea might be too basic. But when you see the pain clients go through to get things together, you realise how much value there is in just making things work properly. So even if your idea feels simple, if you’re confident there’s a real pain and you think you can fix it, build something quick and put it in front of people. You’ll learn fast either way.

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Why I enjoy working with accountants and bookkeepers

Something I’ve come to really appreciate over the past year is just how nice accountants and bookkeepers are as people, although they’re straight-talkers. If it’s cr*p, they’ll tell you. But if it works and they can see the value, they’ll back you, and they’ll tell others.

They genuinely care about their clients. They’re not just ticking boxes or moving numbers around. Most of the people I’ve spoken to want their clients to succeed, and they know that getting paid properly is a big part of that.

They also value the basics: trust, support, reliability. It’s not about nice product features or complex setups. If something works, is simple, and you’re there when they need help, that’s what earns their trust.

And the impact of that trust is real. Word of mouth actually works in this space. When someone loves what you’ve built, they’ll tell others. And if they don’t… well, you’ll hear about that too 🙂

We’re already seeing this in the number of firms switching over from other direct debit providers. Not because those products don’t work, but because they feel forgotten by them. Cheeky pricing, slow or non-existent support, worse payout terms, and a general sense that no one’s listening. I know it sounds cliché, but we’re really trying to do the opposite: put our customers first, offer great customer support (I recommend reading Chris’s post on how we run support), and stay honest from day one.

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Still early, still learning

We’re still early. The product’s better than it was, the team is stronger, and our customer base is growing, but there’s a lot more to build. More conversations to have. More trust to earn.

Looking back, the biggest shift for me this year wasn’t in how I pitched Adfin, but in how I understood the people we’re building for. What they deal with every day. What frustrates them. What matters to them when they choose a product and a company.

If you’re in the space and want to share your experience, I’d love to hear it. And if you’ve ever jumped on a call, given feedback, or told someone else about Adfin, thank you deeply.

We’ll keep showing up, listening, and improving. That’s the plan.

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Still early. Still learning.

Read more

Taking a leap: Jim’s journey to building a client-first firm

Life as a Founder Associate at a startup: my first 4 weeks at Adfin

7 ways to streamline accounts receivable for accountants and bookkeepers