unbillable hours - a podcast about better professional services marketing C2E22 - Consultancy positioning in the AI era
Dec 5, 2025
Consulting is evolving, and AI isn't killing it—it's reshaping perceptions! Discover how firms can adapt to clients' declining payment willingness by embracing AI, but beware of the risk of 'good enough' outputs. Ash and Flo highlight the necessity for mid-level 'AI wranglers' and argue that boutiques can thrive by leveraging deep expertise alongside AI. As the industry shifts, specialization is key, and training domain experts is essential for success. Stay ahead by refining propositions and focusing on quality in deliverables!
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AI Replaces Prep Work, Not Judgment
- AI will automate much of the entry-level, preparatory work in consulting, like data crunching and model building.
- That shifts value toward interpretation, judgment, and senior synthesis over raw capacity.
Good-Enough AI Lowers Quality Perception
- 'Good enough' AI outputs create homogenous, lower-quality content that clients notice and distrust.
- Firms that can enrich AI outputs with real expertise will capture more value than generalist, capacity-based players.
Boutiques Gain From Expert-Plus-AI Model
- Boutiques with deep domain experts can extract more value from AI because they add expertise to machine outputs.
- Large firms that sold capacity face a pincer: AI reduces demand for volume while boutiques gain leverage.