When Basis co-founder Matt Harpe tells me he wants to build the best home for applied AI talent in New York City at his startup, I’m immediately skeptical. Harpe’s startup, Basis, serves a specialized customer base that I don’t associate with the bleeding edge of technology: accountants. Most applied AI companies started with a chatbot, or a text box for inputting a prompt, Harpe argues. There’s enough accounting work in the U.S. for 30 million specialists, he says; we make do today with just 3 million, and the number is declining. Get Exclusive Access: rippling.com/aiA 3-part pitch to win customersWhen Basis got started, few accounting firms seemed excited about adding AI tools for the sake of it, says Harpe.