I’m John Adams. I build bulletproof financials for Bay Area businesses.

CPA firm background

Before this, I spent three years as a tax associate and bookkeeper at a Palo Alto CPA firm, where my job was the hard-to-categorize work: multi-year cleanup engagements, forensic reconstruction from bank statements when the QuickBooks file wasn’t trustworthy, and multi-state sales-tax and nexus projects. I’ve rebuilt files for tech hardware resellers, professional services firms, hospice operators, and real estate LLCs. Before accounting, I earned an MBA from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2015) and spent about a decade in business operations, which turns out to be unusually useful when the client on the other end of the email is also a founder or owner-operator trying to keep a business running.

If your books are months behind, your integrations are broken, or your CPA is threatening to drop you, don’t panic. I’ve seen worse, and I know exactly how to fix it.

Small by design

I keep this practice small on purpose. I want every client to know they’re dealing with me directly, not a rotating bench of junior staff. I work with a limited number of ongoing clients and take on cleanup engagements selectively.

Because I keep my roster small, I have the time to build and operate proper, automated financial architecture for your business. I don’t just blindly accept bank feed suggestions; I set up strict data validation so your revenue and expenses are mapped perfectly every single time.

What I don’t do

I don’t prepare tax returns, give tax advice, or act as your Fractional CFO. While I do provide the advanced ClearFin reports a CFO would rely on, my role is strictly to build your financial infrastructure. I hand your CPA books that are completely clean and defensible, while giving you the exact reporting you need to make strategic decisions.

Why Palo Alto?

Because I live here, and my practice is built specifically for the Peninsula. I understand the pace, expectations, and complexities of Silicon Valley businesses, from VC-backed tech startups to multi-channel ecommerce operators. When you work with me, you aren’t outsourcing your financial infrastructure to a rotating team in another time zone. You are partnering with a local expert who understands your landscape and is accountable to the community.

If any of this sounds like what you need, let’s get in touch.

Book a Free 20 Minute Call now