Definition
Perceived Complexity Arbitrage
The gap between how complex consumers believe their tax (or legal, medical, financial) situation to be and how complex it actually is. CPAs have historically exploited this gap to justify high fees, slow service, and captive client relationships — not maliciously, but structurally. AI that collapses perceived complexity by showing people what their situation actually requires can disrupt incumbents without needing to outcompete them technically.
From the episode “I Already Know You Hate Taxes”Hear it on the podcast1 episode
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