I feel completely lost with AI as a CPA — where do I even start?

Start simply: open Claude (even the free version) and literally tell it "I feel like a deer in the headlights. I'm a CPA, I know I'm supposed to be using you but I don't even know how — can you ask me questions to help figure out how I should be using you?" That alone is enough to begin. Using the microphone/voice input button lets you talk conversationally, almost like talking to a therapist, describing your situation and pressing send. Another practical habit: keep a running list (a physical notebook works) of three to five things each day that feel frustrating or repetitive in your work — things you find yourself doing "again and again" — and feed those into Claude to find automation opportunities. A common early roadblock is simply not being able to think of use cases; keeping this ongoing list solves that by capturing real pain points as they occur, including noticing repetitive tasks done by staff (e.g., a bookkeeper manually entering invoices for a client every month). During busy season, just jot the frustration down and revisit it once things slow down to figure out what can be automated.