The Future of Finance is AI-Native: Jonathan Sanders, CEO of Light, on Organic Software, AI Agents, and Rebuilding Business Finance

What happens when software adapts to humans, rather than humans adapting to software?In this episode of Riding Unicorns, James and Hector sit down with Jonathan Sanders, Founder & CEO of Light, the AI-native finance platform redefining how businesses manage money.Jonathan's journey spans investment banking, consulting, Pleo, founding Juni, and now building Light. Along the way, he has developed a unique perspective on technology, AI, and what the next generation of business software will look like.The conversation explores Jonathan's concept of "organic software" where AI agents learn, adapt, and operate alongside teams, reducing complexity and transforming finance from a reporting function into a strategic intelligence layer.Jonathan shares real-world examples of AI agents managing company spend, monitoring compliance, automating finance workflows, and generating insights that would have been impossible just a few years ago.The discussion also covers founder psychology, building through uncertainty, AI-first organisations, and how leadership teams must evolve in a world where software development, product design, and operations are increasingly powered by AI.Topics Covered:• Jonathan's journey from finance and consulting into startups• Why founding a company is one of the hardest ways to create change• The concept of "organic software" and AI-native business tools• How AI agents learn from company behaviour and improve over time• Building finance software that tells stories instead of generating reports• Real-world examples of autonomous finance workflows• Why AI is changing the role of CFOs and finance teams• How Light uses AI internally across product, engineering, and operations• The rise of AI-first organisations and new ways of working• Founder resilience, stress, and the realities of building companies• Why software development is changing faster than most people realise• The future of business operations in an AI-native worldThis is a conversation about the next generation of software, the future of work, and what happens when AI becomes a true operating system for businesses.