Tech Stack OS | The Practice Owners Podcast
The Practice Owners Podcast Tech Series · Episode 2
Tech Series Member Tool

Tech Stack OS

The receipts, the map, and the decision engine. See the real StriveX stack, build your own, and run any new product through a no-nonsense filter before you buy it.

Rachel and James's real stack, mapped left to right through the six-stage client journey. Green connections are automated. Amber are manual. No one's paying us to say any of it.

Automated connection
Manual connection / step
Tool sits at this stage

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Attract
Manage
Serve
Comply
Advise
Succeed
For the client
Instagram / TikTok / YouTubeContent creation & SEO
ManyChatDM automation → leads
StrivelyCentral lead capture
StrivelyLead nurture, proposals, onboarding start
Bright ManagerManual handover from Strively (no Zapier yet)
Xero (primary)Client bookkeeping
QuickBooksSecondary bookkeeping
FreeAgentSome clients
Dext / HubdocReceipt capture (where needed)
TaxCalcCT, SA, accounts, chosen for audit module
Bright PortalClient portal / eSigning
SyftCross-company & group reporting (internal use + select clients)
Excel + WordManagement accounts, R&D claims, KPI reports
Billing via CRMRaised when work completed
XeroInternal bookkeeping
For the firm
Meta SuiteAnalytics & ad management
FathomMeeting recordings & transcripts
Bright ManagerCRM, workflow, fee projection, red flag system
FathomProspect call recordings
Excel capacity plannerYear-end team (5–8 jobs per month per person)
Bright Manager tasksBusiness services team workflow
Internal franchiseProcess WPs, templates, checklists, the "Gordon Ramsay" layer
SyftAutomated manager reports (no finance person needed)
ChatGPT / ClaudeContracts, org design, tax Q&A with clients, managers
Microsoft 365Email, Office apps, SharePoint, most underused per head
IT managed serviceOutsourced after 7 years of James doing it
The average IRIS customer uses less than 20% of what they pay for. Two firms can use the same product and have totally different experiences. The difference isn't the tool. It's the setup, the ownership, and the willingness to be annoying about asking what else it can do.
Rachel & James Harris, Practice Owners Podcast, Tech Series Ep.2
The real numbers (April 2025–March 2026)
Total annual spend
£25k
Per head/month
£80
Team size
5
Biggest cost
Microsoft
+ Bright
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Thinking about a new product? Run it through this before you buy. Honest questions, no fluff, a clear verdict at the end.