#1360 Cyrus Shirazi | Early Bitcoin Investor Building MASSIVE Company

— Haven is a full-stack accounting firm targeting startup founders and small business owners, founded by Cyrus Shirazi in August 2023 and already serving 117 clients without raising capital until recently.

— The firm differentiates itself through obsessive customer service (15-minute response targets), dedicated Slack channels per client, and proactive tax optimization including R&D credits worth up to $500,000 annually.

— Haven's long-term vision includes global accounting services (handling subsidiaries in Australia, UK, etc.), consolidation of international financials, and eventual roll-ups of traditional CPA firms to modernize an aging industry.

— Cyrus emphasizes hiring for hunger and trust above all else, looking for people who will "put all their chips on the table" and demonstrating through anecdotes and cold calls whether candidates have genuine obsession.

— The company is profitable from day one, hit over $1M in revenue before any fundraise, and raised a pre-seed of ~$800K from strategic angels (including the host, Charlie Fang, Eric Baum, and A16Z connections) rather than traditional VC.

— Beyond accounting, Haven offers vendor optimization, idle cash deployment into T-bills, payroll tax registration guidance, and employee tax services—positioning itself as a trusted business partner rather than transactional service provider.

— If you run an early-stage startup, evaluate whether your current accounting firm answers questions within 15 minutes and proactively offers tax strategies like R&D credits; if not, seek alternatives.

— When hiring, prioritize hunger and trust over specific skill sets—test for hunger by calling candidates at odd times, fact-checking their background, and observing willingness to do whatever it takes (Cyrus gave the example of a candidate who flew to New York and waited outside an office).

— Profitable businesses that raise capital strategically (angels with founder networks rather than large VC rounds) may move faster and maintain better unit economics; Haven's model shows ~$1M revenue with $200K in cash reserve before a modest $800K raise.