team-star-background
Max

Max Fritz, CPA

TITLE

Chief Operating Officer + Co-Founder

HOMETOWN

Point Loma, CA

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

14

EDUCATION

University of San Diego
Be true to your work, your word, and your friends.

— Henry David Thoreau

Max Fritz is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Dark Horse CPAs. He focuses on building the systems, processes, and infrastructure that keep the firm running smoothly and allow both clients and CPAs to operate at a high level.

Max believes most problems in business aren’t talent problems—they’re systems problems. His role is to eliminate friction, create clarity, and build an environment where great people can do great work. The end result is simple: better service, better communication, and better outcomes for clients.

His path into accounting wasn’t exactly planned. Max started his college career at a military academy, where he also played football, before transferring to the University of San Diego. After realizing he wasn’t headed to the NFL—and that he was far more interested in business than science—he made a late pivot from Biology to Accounting, taking the long way around and figuring it out along the way.

After graduating, Max teamed up with Chase Birky to build Dark Horse CPAs. They shared an early belief that the traditional accounting model made things harder than they needed to be—for both clients and accountants. Instead of accepting that, they built something different: a firm designed around strong systems, modern tools, and a model where taking care of the team leads directly to better client experiences.

Originally from Arizona, Max now lives in Point Loma, San Diego with his wife, Paige, and their dog, Buddy. Outside of work, you’ll find him on the golf course, staying active, or taking full advantage of San Diego’s year-round weather.

About

Max Fritz is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Dark Horse CPAs. He focuses on building the systems, processes, and infrastructure that keep the firm running smoothly and allow both clients and CPAs to operate at a high level.

Max believes most problems in business aren’t talent problems—they’re systems problems. His role is to eliminate friction, create clarity, and build an environment where great people can do great work. The end result is simple: better service, better communication, and better outcomes for clients.

His path into accounting wasn’t exactly planned. Max started his college career at a military academy, where he also played football, before transferring to the University of San Diego. After realizing he wasn’t headed to the NFL—and that he was far more interested in business than science—he made a late pivot from Biology to Accounting, taking the long way around and figuring it out along the way.

After graduating, Max teamed up with Chase Birky to build Dark Horse CPAs. They shared an early belief that the traditional accounting model made things harder than they needed to be—for both clients and accountants. Instead of accepting that, they built something different: a firm designed around strong systems, modern tools, and a model where taking care of the team leads directly to better client experiences.

Originally from Arizona, Max now lives in Point Loma, San Diego with his wife, Paige, and their dog, Buddy. Outside of work, you’ll find him on the golf course, staying active, or taking full advantage of San Diego’s year-round weather.

Nancy R.

I have used James Larsen as my CPA for many years and am confident in his work ethic and tax knowledge.

Get an expert Tax & Accounting CPA who will partner with you to achieve unparalleled results.

Book Your CPA
horse-imagetext-image

Join the Team

Fill out the following form so that we can determine where you might be a fit at Dark Horse. We'll reach out shortly thereafter to get in touch.

soc2
SOC 2® Compliant.

Dark Horse has achieved the AICPA's highest standard for the safeguarding of sensitive data through passing a SOC 2 audit.
Learn more here.