Imagine you’ve founded a business and led it to profitability. Your growth plan is working, your company culture is strong, and there’s a clear path to sustained prosperity. But you discover another business owner whose vision complements yours. Then you meet, and slowly the idea of joining forces becomes a real possibility. Do you stay the course, or explore a deal?

That scenario mirrors the one Tom Gabbert, founder and managing director of mAccounting, and Jessica Mah, founder and CEO of inDinero, found themselves in. Each had developed a healthy respect for what the other was building, yet it took time navigate if it made sense to bring their companies. For starters, one was a software company, the other a services company. One was headquartered in the Midwest, the other on the West Coast.

But for Jessica and Tom, the potential synergies (not to mention culture fit) made it worth navigating such obstacles. On today’s episode, they discuss how their visions intersected, and what excited each of them about their companies joining forces.

In this episode with Jessica Mah and Tom Gabbert, you’ll learn:

• How Jessica Mah first pitched inDinero to investors, and how her vision evolved after.
• How technology and outsourcing have rapidly changed the accounting industry.
• What impressed Tom Gabbert so much about Jessica Mah and inDinero.
• Why inDinero, a software company, felt it made sense to acquire a services company.
• Why you should focus on your vision, not what you think investors will like.
• The synergies of mAccounting and inDinero, and how culture fit impacts a merger.
• How outsourced financial services help companies stay exit- and transaction-ready.

Please enjoy this conversation with Jessica Mah and Tom Gabbert!

• Listen to it on iTunes.
• Stream by clicking here.
• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.

Tom Gabbert and Jessica Mah quotes from this episode of Igniting Startups:

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Companies and organizations:

• mAccounting
• inDinero
• Mint
• Intuit
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
• Uber
• Escient

People:

• Tom Gabbert
• Jessica Mah
• Kevin Bailey
• Eric Tobias
• Danielle Stealy McDowell
• Mike Reynolds
• Scott Jones

Venture capital firms:

• Lightspeed Venture Partners

Universities:

• University of Notre Dame

Webinars:

• “How to Be Exit-Ready at Any Time”

Did you enjoy this conversation? Thank Jessica and Tom on Twitter!

If you enjoyed this session and have 3 seconds to spare, let Jessica and Tom know via Twitter by clicking on the link below:

Click here to say hi and thank Jessica and Tom on Twitter!

COMMENTS?

What stood out most to you about what Jessica and Tom shares in this podcast?

For me, it’s the synergies of mAccounting and inDinero, and how culture fit impacts a merger.

You? Leave a comment below.

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