PwC and YC alumni’s plan to disrupt corporate tax

Welcome to Maven Club - Next Big Bets Series.

Maven Club is one of the fastest growing communities for serious startup builders. We talk to founders and GTM/Product leaders and share their real playbooks and key learnings—stuff you won’t find on LinkedIn.

Today, we dive into the story of Miyen and Walter, co-founders of Filepillar, an AI-powered platform automating corporate tax workflows. Miyen, a seasoned tax expert who spent a decade across Deloitte, PwC, EY, and Google, saw firsthand how outdated the tax industry remains. Walter, a mechatronics, aerospace engineer and YC alum, brought deep technical experience from the automation and robotics space.

Together, they’re tackling one of the most overlooked but essential pain points in APAC—corporate tax workflows—and building a solution tailored to simplify the work of tax professionals and help business owners clearly understand their tax obligations. 

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1. Build Where You Know the Pain Is Real

"Taxes are still stuck 10 years behind. It’s crazy when you compare it to the tech progress elsewhere." – Miyen

Most people think of “accounting tech” and rush to bookkeeping. But Miyen recognized where a critical bottleneck was often overlooked : tax preparation. It’s legally complex, reliant on outdated workflows, and underserved by innovation.

Because tax sits at the intersection of law and finance, it's far harder to automate—and that’s exactly why it’s a defensible opportunity.

Founder Takeaways:

• Deep industry experience leads to sharper insight. Miyen knew where others didn’t look.
  

• A niche with fewer competitors and higher complexity can be your MOAT.
  

• Don't be afraid to target the “boring” parts of an industry—they’re often the most broken.

2. Watch the Pain, Don’t Just Listen to It

“We used a recorder and sat beside tax accountants just to see how they work.” – Walter

Instead of guessing what to build, they went directly into the field. They watched how accountants manually filled forms, spotted bottlenecks in onboarding, and saw the friction firsthand.

Their MVP didn’t start with AI bells and whistles—it started with solving the onboarding pain using OCR and auto-fill features to extract information from Malaysia’s compliance forms. 

Founder Takeaways:

• Observation > surveys. Real workflows expose pain points that users won’t articulate.
  

• Build what already happens, but make it faster and smarter.
  

• Automation should follow user behavior—not force new ones.

3. APAC Buyers Want Proof, Not Pitch Decks

“They don’t care how you build it. They want to know it works and keeps their data safe.” – Miyen

Unlike the West, where early adopters embrace MVPs, APAC clients often want mature products. Filepillar faced skepticism from buyers who needed working demos, use cases, and security assurance—before even considering a pilot.

Yet senior leadership was more open-minded. By targeting decision-makers, they found champions willing to listen—so long as they timed the conversation right.

Founder Takeaways:

• APAC founders need to show, not tell. Build confidence, not just excitement.
  

• Talk to leadership early—but don’t overpromise if your product isn’t ready.
  

• Keep your “ace cards” warm and time outreach when you can show results.

4. Start with the Right ICP for Phase One

“One tax firm can serve 50–300 clients. It's a smart distribution.” – Miyen

Filepillar's go-to-market starts with tax accounting firms—not SMEs or enterprises. Why? These firms handle tax returns for dozens or hundreds of clients, giving Filepillar reach through a single relationship.

With integrations like Xero already in place, this segment also provides structured data to power future financial insights—opening doors to serve SMBs directly in phase two.

Founder Takeaways:

• ICP isn’t static. Define it per stage: start with those who give you leverage.
  

• Build for distribution, not just need. One tax firm unlocks many end users.
  

• Use current integrations to compound product value over time.

5. Cold Outreach Works—If You Sound Like a Human

“LinkedIn Navigator actually works—just don’t pitch like a marketer.” – Miyen

In a market where warm intros are rare, Miyen used LinkedIn to connect with target users. But instead of leading with a sales pitch, her outreach focused on learning. The ask? A conversation about pain points—not a demo.

This shifted the dynamic from transactional to collaborative, opening doors even with cold leads.

Founder Takeaways:

• Cold outreach still works—if it feels like a coffee chat, not a funnel.
  

• Ask for help, not a sale. People love sharing problems if you’re genuine.
  

• Use sales conversations to build—don’t push what’s not ready.

6. Bridge the Tech x Biz Gap with Mutual Understanding

“I learned basic coding so I could better work with Walter.” – Miyen
“I join customer calls to hear what matters before I build.” – Walter

Their founder dynamic is strong because they meet each other halfway. Miyen doesn’t just hand over feature requests—she tries to understand technical constraints. Walter doesn’t just build—he listens to customer context to guide dev priorities.

Together, they co-prioritize based on ROI: What’s the fastest build that solves the biggest pain?

Founder Takeaways:

• Business founders should understand basic tech to manage scope and expectations.
  

• Technical founders should join sales calls to hear nuance and urgency firsthand.
  

• Weekly alignment on feature priority ensures both sides are building toward the same goal.

7. Real Advice: Live the Problem Before You Solve It

“If you don’t come from the industry, get an undercover job first.” – Miyen
“Build fast  and don’t fall in love with your prototypes.” – Walter

Asked for one piece of advice to fellow founders, they delivered two golden principles:

1. If you're not already an insider, become one. Learn the hidden layers of the space.
   

2. Don’t cling to your first build. It’s just a stepping stone—expect to evolve constantly.
   

Founder Takeaways:

• Industry insiders build better startups. Hands-on experience is your unfair advantage.
  

• MVPs are disposable. Their job is to help you learn, not last forever.
  

• Fall in love with the problem, not your version of the solution.

Final Thought:
In a world where many founders chase trends, Filepillar is a masterclass in going deep—not wide. They’re not building for hype. They’re building for the people buried in spreadsheets and tax forms, and doing it by combining domain fluency with focused execution.

As a founder, ask yourself: Are you solving a real pain you’ve lived? Are you building with the customer, not just for them? And are you choosing the right ICP for where you are now—not where you want to be?

Until next time,
Maven Club