Research — March 2026 Waterfall Update

Last updated: March 6, 2026

This folder contains the March 2026 research waterfall update, refreshing competitive intelligence, keyword trends, and ecosystem analysis since the February baseline.

Research Reports

• Competitive Landscape — New entrants (Nume, Vibe CFO), Xero Syft integration impact, JAX reception, updated competitor matrix
• Xero Developer Ecosystem — New API pricing (March 2, 2026), XASS retirement, AI training ban, MCP toolkit
• Keyword & Search Trends — Rising keywords, new clusters (AI CFO, MTD, JAX alternatives), content priority matrix

GUI Deep Research Prompts

Ready-to-paste prompts for browser-based deep research tools (Gemini Deep Research, ChatGPT Deep Research, Perplexity Pro):

1. Xero AI Landscape Post-Syft — Full AI capability audit: native vs third-party vs gaps
2. Accountant Channel GTM — MTD impact, accountant buying behavior, channel economics, 90-day playbook
3. Pricing & Packaging — Competitive pricing analysis, value-based pricing, tier design, firm models
4. App Store Optimization — Ranking factors, listing optimization, review velocity, 120-day launch plan

Key Findings (TL;DR)

1. Thesis update: "No AI in Xero" is no longer accurate. Reframe to: "No proactive AI analyst for operator workflow." Xero has embedded AI dashboards; nobody does automated weekly reports with named actions.
2. Nume is the first direct competitor — $50/mo "AI CFO for Xero". Only 1 review. Window to build review velocity is open.
3. Xero API pricing change (March 2, 2026) is better for OYN — 29x cheaper than old revenue share model.
4. AI training ban in Xero Developer Terms is a moat for OYN's inference-only architecture.
5. MTD ITSA (April 2026) creates a demand wave — accountants need advisory tools on top of compliance.
6. Human virtual CFOs cost £450-8,750/month — OYN at £29-39/month is 11-225x cheaper.

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Research waterfall prepared by Friday — March 6, 2026