Beyond ARR and NetSuite
Five pieces that show how the next era of finance will be measured, automated, and rebuilt.
I’m trying something new this week. Instead of a single deep dive, here’s a set of four things I found interesting, each shaping the way we think about finance, metrics, and systems.
1. Founders are using creative accounting to boost lofty ‘ARR’ — Fortune
In SaaS, ARR had a clear definition for years. With AI, new pricing models (tokens, credits, usage based tiers) have made it much harder to define. Layer in the pressure to show huge ARR fast and the rewards that follow big numbers and you get founders stretching the definition, knowingly or not.
Quote: “AI’s new usage based pricing models have created gray zones where startups can claim recurring revenue that isn’t truly recurring.”
Takeaway: This is exactly why having a strong finance leader matters. VCs are skeptical, they are digging deeper, and clarity is more valuable than hype. When too much money is flying around with too many expectations, that is when definitions bend and integrity gets tested.
2. AI startup DualEntry raises $90 million to deepen ERP market push — Reuters
Capital is pouring into the financial backbone. DualEntry’s pitch is to migrate off legacy ERP in days instead of months, automate the majority of manual tasks, and rebuild the general ledger for an AI first world.
Quote: “DualEntry says it can migrate a company’s financials in under 24 hours, a process that typically takes months.”
Takeaway: There is clearly a thesis in venture right now that ERP is going to be rebuilt from the ground up. DualEntry is just the latest. Rillet and Quanta are two others in the mix. The open question is whether any of them can really land inside the enterprise and into publicly traded companies. If they can, that is when things get scary for incumbents like NetSuite.
3. The AI Application Spending Report: Where Startup Dollars Really Go — a16z
Follow the money. This report shows where startups are actually spending AI budgets. Not just models, but infrastructure, vertical apps, and workflow automation. For finance leaders, it is a clear signal — the back office is no longer in the shadows. It is where AI spend is concentrating.
Quote: “The majority of startup AI spend is going toward vertical applications that reshape existing workflows.”
Takeaway: Where capital concentrates, ecosystems mature fastest. ERP and finance stacks are now squarely in the flow.
4. Scaling AI with Vision — Glenn Hopper (Substack)
Glenn makes a pragmatic case that AI in finance is not about replacement, it is about scale. Faster closes, cleaner audit trails, and real time reporting are what let a lean team operate like a large one. This is not hype, it is the operator’s version of AI — turning small finance teams into outsized leverage.
Quote: “AI will not replace the finance team — it will scale them.”
Takeaway: AI is the multiplier, not the silver bullet. The lever that lets small teams punch far above their weight.
What ties all four together is the same theme: finance is being re platformed. Metrics are under scrutiny, ERP is up for grabs, and AI is moving into operating reality.