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  • 613. Brian Stollery, AlphaSense's AI Market Intel for Consulting

    613. Brian Stollery, AlphaSense's AI Market Intel for Consulting
    2025/07/07
    Show Notes: Brian Stollery talks about AlphaSense, an information provider that independent consultants and boutique firms are using to gain an edge over those who rely on chat GPT or consumer LLM tools. AlphaSense is built for this kind of work, pulling in verified content such as industry reports, broker research filings, earnings calls, expert calls, news, and internal research and internal content. It layers this with market-leading AI functionality that can read and synthesize all of it to deliver consulting-grade insights at scale. AlphaSense Explained Brian clarifies that AlphaSense is not primarily an expert network like AlphaSights, but rather a market company and enterprise intelligence search engine for the AI generation. It offers the depth and breadth of authoritative data that would be obtained from a legacy research platform with the intuitive user experience of modern AI tools. The value of AlphaSense lies in the deep, authoritative content set that is the foundation of AlphaSense, along with the speed and accuracy of the AI that allows users to quickly surface relevant insights. Brian also talks about the major categories of sources of proprietary information that feed into AlphaSense. The AlphaSense Platform The AlphaSense platform features an index where users can go to different things, such as portfolio monitors, research topics, expert insights, news, risk signals on consumer tech growth investment strategy, events, company documents, and talent job executive movements. The dashboard includes eight or nine widgets that provide a list of seven or eight articles on various topics. These articles are sourced from various sources, such as news articles or interviews with experts. The platform also has over 200,000 pre-recorded, transcribed expert calls, which are added to the library for analysis by the AI. How AlphaSense Gathers Information The interviewers are usually conducted by-side analysts, corporate users, and experts in respective fields. They work with corporate development teams and head of corporate strategy to conduct these interviews. The platform believes that a rising tide lifts all boats, and every expert call that happens throughout the AlphaSense is published back in the platform to further enhance and grow its library of expert calls from subject matter experts who are currently active in their industry. AlphaSense Use Cases In management consulting, AlphaSense may not be suitable for calls that would be better suited to AlphaSights where the information is sensitive or should have restricted access. However, the use case for AlphaSense is to get up to speed on an engagement and quickly search across benchmark expert perspectives. This allows them to bolster their expertise within the management consulting space. AlphaSense is an institutional grade content engine that consolidates information from various sources, including expert calls, news, research reports, broker research, and more. It offers over 6000 vetted business and market news sources and trade journals, most of which require paywalls. AlphaSense allows users to bypass these paywalls and provides real-time insights from over 700 partners. The AlphaSense Dashboard The dashboard includes relevant documents related to executive movements, risk signals, growth, and investment strategies. Users can explore the dashboard by searching for trigger words related to their watchlist of consumer tech companies. The AI can then pull relevant documents, such as expert insights, event transcripts, press releases, and news, to provide valuable insights for business development or due diligence. The Executive Search Function The document search module within AlphaSense allows users to get forensic insights from relevant documents, such as executive search, talent, and hiring practices. The AI can also generate summary responses, which are useful for top-tier consulting use cases. However, the AI may sometimes make a guess or hallucination if an answer is not available. This is why the Big Three and Big Four rely on AlphaSense for their consulting use cases. The AlphaSense Research Tool The AlphaSense generative search tool is a research analyst team in a box. The tool is designed to answer macro business questions, such as market size or pricing trends. Brian checks McKinsey, Bain and BCG's performance in 2025, including their revenue, talent, hiring, and growth areas. The AI agent breaks down these questions into subquestions and finds 3000 documents across the content library. It then extracts documents from expert calls, press releases, investor relations presentations, research reports, and sustainability reports. The AI outputs a summary of the documents. The tool is particularly useful for understanding the performance of consulting firms like McKinsey Bain and BCG. Quality Sources and Quantitative Data AlphaSense provides bullet points on McKinsey, revenue, growth, talent, and hiring, with links ...
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    52 分
  • 612. Wes Wheless, Intellectual Headshots for Solo Consultants

    612. Wes Wheless, Intellectual Headshots for Solo Consultants
    2025/06/30
    Wes Wheless helps solo consultants bottle their secret sauce. To do so, Wes offers two services: The NicheFinder Sprint and The IP Builder Sprint. He believes that consultants need to identify a niche or specialization and a unique approach to serving that niche, typically codified into intellectual property (IP). Each sprint is delivered one-on-one over 1-2 weeks. Niche Finder Explained NicheFinder is designed for early-stage solo consultants who are struggling to narrow down their niche. It involves working one-on-one to identify their zone of genius and then lay out potential ICPs. The client and the consultant come up with three specific ICPs, which are then run through a custom GPT that runs a detailed viability analysis on each lane. The GPT also derives three additional ICPs based on context and evaluates their viability as well. With an identified niche, the consultant can now decisively focus on building a market position around that specific problem and buyer. Examples of Niche Consulting Wes shares an example of a client whose determined niche is fractional CMO for B2C subscription companies that have hit a growth plateau and have not invested in brand marketing. Another example is a client who went solo from a boutique consulting firm that specializes in change management. Her genius zone was being the translation layer between strategic vision and operational teams. She had a keen understanding of internal issues and also helped new executives acclimate to their roles. The GPT analysis suggested that she should focus on innovation teams running pilots but not getting traction due to organizational resistance. Wes explains that the GPT analysis includes 12 viability factors, including access, lifetime value, competitive alternatives, and target revenue numbers. These factors help narrow down options and identify red flags, ultimately leading to a more viable solution. Sourcing Consulting Opportunities Before Niching Down The discussion explores the approach of starting with potential buyers from your existing network, rather than relying on staffing firms or referrals. Will suggests starting with decision makers or influencers. This approach can help you identify your potential universe of buyers and determine what services they are willing to pay for. Wes adds that this approach can help you learn about selling yourself and what people are interested in. However, Wes points out that it can also lead to triangulating into a specialty that might not be interesting or appropriate for you. If you continue to work for anyone who will hire you at the moment, you may end up working in areas where you don't have much business taking on that kind of work. Identifying and Validating a Consulting Niche Wes discusses the process of developing a niche through the NicheFinder sprint. He emphasizes the importance of having a strong understanding of the client's pain points and interests before proceeding with the niche finder. Wes suggests that the process should be followed by market validation conversations, where potential clients can share their ideas and validate their interest in the service. This process should take around three to five conversations. Wes suggests changing the LinkedIn headline and content to be specific to the identified problem. He also suggests codifying relevant IP and developing visual assets that can be shared. The IP Builder Sprint and Intellectual Headshots Wes suggests that consultants should have served at least two or three clients within their niche before starting the IP Builder sprint. Wes suggests that consultants should display their expertise prominently through visual assets, which Wes calls intellectual headshots. These are instantly digestible visual articulations of your expertise that can prompt and streamline conversations. They can be distributed at scale and can look like typical consulting frameworks. Some clients have created headshots that look like comic strips or memes, which can open up dialogue and help clients see their problem or pain point. In conclusion, The IP Builder Sprint is a valuable investment for consultants to showcase their expertise and engage clients. By creating intellectual headshots, consultants can instantly telegraph their unique expertise, ultimately leading to elevated sales conversations and more client conversions. Examples of Client Intellectual Headshots Wes shares examples of client intellectual headshots. The first quickly communicates the five service models and personas in the consulting industry. The framework is designed to help consultants understand their roles and potential career paths. Another example is a line chart showing the client mix over time, with a warm network starting at zero and gradually increasing. Word of mouth referrals also increase over time, but the social plateau indicates that word of mouth referrals will eventually hit an asymptote. Wes then presents a client example,, a ...
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    47 分
  • 611. Ilya Druzhnikov and Alex Lugosch, Using Cold Calls to Find Product-Market Fit

    611. Ilya Druzhnikov and Alex Lugosch, Using Cold Calls to Find Product-Market Fit
    2025/06/02
    Show Notes: Alex Lugosch and Ilya Druzhnikov, founders of True PMF, explain that True PMF is a rapid prototyping and discovery service for startups and established companies who are releasing a new product or testing a new market and don’t have the tools or six to eight months to try new experiments for product market fit. The firm uses cold calling tools to test out different ideas and pitches to potential clients, focusing on understanding the reactions of potential buyers. Ilya explains how their tool saves time and money by improving the cold call process. First Steps in a Cold Call Strategy Alex and Ilya work with a founder to identify their target audience and use tools like ZoomInfo to gather a list of people that fit that profile. They then use cold calling tool to test out different ideas and iterate different pitches to potential clients. They also train the founder to do cold calls, helping them understand the process and find what resonates with potential buyers. The firm often stacks rank lists of 20 audiences to test in the next 20 days, with each experiment taking about two sessions of an hour each. At a certain point, they do turnover, where the founder takes over to learn how to do the process. They use several list building services, data validation services, and dialers to build tight lists, accessing many people at the C-suite that most founders can only dream of contacting. Within one or two calls, they find that those people are picking up on their pitches and talking to them, which is a significant improvement from the traditional six-month process of trying to determine if something is a product market fit. The Cold Call Conversation and Analysis Ilya explains the process, beginning from when they contact the founder, building the initial list, finding direct phone numbers for 80-100 people, and loading them into their enterprise-grade tech stack that few startups can afford. He goes on to explain how they start the conversation. They try to make the pitch relevant to the founder and explain that their solution could save time and money while having a positive impact on the bottom line. After the call, the transcript goes directly into the AI model, which produces an analysis of the conversation and offers recommendations on how to proceed. The next step is to determine the outcome of the call. In a typical calling session, there are sometimes upwards of 14 or 15 connects. As the conversation gets closer to the target, the conversations become more rich, with more follow-up emails, scheduled demos, and referrals. It's an iterative process until discovering the audience is interested in the topic and/or the call can be referred to the right person. Cold Calling Techniques The conversation turns to the importance of effective cold pitching techniques. They mention the importance of recognizing what’s currently relevant to the client. They also discuss the concept of partnering one person to take a pitch and then alternate to the other person without giving feedback. The key to getting better at cold pitching is focusing on the elements that work in the previous pitch. This technique can be applied to other situations as well, such as listening to each other's tone of voice and understanding their preferences. Alex emphasizes that these techniques are not meant to scale sales but to provide relevant information about messaging and product features that can be used in outbound campaigns that are scalable, such as emails, LinkedIn messages, or conferences. Ilya and Alex give an impromptu example of an opening conversation with mid-market private equity owned portfolio companies. Ilya explains that their informs more effective marketing strategies. This approach helps clients narrow down their ideas about the persona, develop stronger content that connects with their target market(s), and ensures that their marketing efforts are highly effective. Cost of SDRs Cold Calling The discussion revolves around the cost of cold calling sales development representatives (SDRs) and their effectiveness in B2B product spaces. Emphasis is placed on understanding the messaging and the potential for managing costs. They mention a company with 400 clients across Europe that raised over $50 million and had six SDRs, but none of them were effective. They also mention that a multinational tech startup with a large B2B sales team cannot afford six CROs to run their sales team. They advise against giving cold calls to unskilled SDRs, as they may not be adaptable enough to handle complex situations. However, cold calling is a good prototyping tool, as it allows companies to reach a wider audience, gain insights and understanding of their market, and potentially increase their revenue. Examples of How TruePMF Serves Clients Alex and Ilya initially focused on high-growth e-commerce brands, but later discovered that they needed to target established e-commerce brands looking for margin expansion. ...
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    43 分
  • 610. Vanessa Liu, Co-founder & CEO of Sugarwork

    610. Vanessa Liu, Co-founder & CEO of Sugarwork
    2025/05/26
    Show Notes: Vanessa Liu, co-founder and CEO of Sugarwork, talks about how this tool helps enterprises capture tacit knowledge by acting as a guide. Sugarwork helps companies capture specific information at scale and enables sharing, and guides companies to ask specific questions to elicit the required insights. How the Sugarwork Platform Works Vanessa explains how the dashboard works and how it helps companies understand, leverage, and easily access their tacit knowledge for better decision-making and growth. She introduces the scheduling section. Vanessa shows how the Knowledge Share section acts as a guide that helps advance the discussion and gathering of key insights. She talks through the shares a few query examples that guide questions that gather insights, including roles and responsibilities, problem-solving, and core technical questions. Sharing Resources and Data from Meetings Vanessa explains how scheduling meetings works and the integrations with several different meeting apps. Vanessa talks about the AI avatar or an employee interview an interviewee, and how the information gathered and stored in the Knowledge Share section. The platform allows companies to schedule video meetings where an AI note taker transcribes the conversation and provides a summary. The raw data from the meeting is also available, allowing participants to share their insights. Shared Resources are uploaded into a repository, allowing the company to access the information on a permissions-based basis. She demonstrates how AI takes notes and issues a summary and overview. Asking Questions and Accessing Knowledge Share Vanessa explains that the platform is typically used for short, compressed periods, such as a transformation or launch of something new. This allows HR teams to access knowledge shares and ask questions as if they were talking to the interviewees. The platform also allows for queries based on ChatGPT, or other tools to understand why a client or customer works with a particular vendor. The platform is designed to be accessible to the entire company. Interview Use Cases and Documenting Processes The conversation turns to the use of interviewers in companies, with two common models: one involves a trained interviewer interviewing everyone in the company, and another involves multiple interviewers for onboarding junior employees. Vanessa suggests two use cases for this approach: documenting processes and understanding succession planning work. A project manager can document the process and create a process map to optimize it. Another use case involves understanding people's knowledge shares for succession planning or transformations. Saving Time and Improving Efficiency Vanessa also mentions the activity value added analysis (AVA) project, where companies can identify activities that are taking up significant time and eliminate them. This tool can be used for cost-cutting projects, such as the AVA project, where companies can identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency. The second use case is business optimization, where companies can map processes to identify areas for optimization and understand where people are spending time. For example, a new product development process can be analyzed to identify pain points and identify solutions for bottlenecks. This can include changing the configuration of people involved or adjusting handoffs. Budget Processes and Interviews Sugarwork is designed to help companies understand their processes and identify key themes in customer segments. The platform is not intended for detailed process mapping, but rather for understanding the different customer segments and their roles in the process. Sugarwork provides a consolidated view of everyone involved in the budgeting process. The platform also helps identify key themes across various customer segments. Its focus on detail, data analysis, and automation makes it an attractive option for companies looking to streamline their processes and improve their efficiency. Insights and Pricing The platform has been used by mid-sized companies going through digital transformation, large companies hiring consulting firms, and small consultancies seeking to understand best practices, talent, and processes. Vanessa explains that customized templates are created for companies based on desired outputs and participants' roles and functions. She goes on to talk about the pricing structure of Sugarwork and use cases on customers looking for insights into best practices, talent, and automation. Sugarwork has also been used by small consulting firms to run analysis with their clients, as they can scale their work and use the tool faster. Vanessa shares an example of a consulting firm using Sugarwork when working with a government agency. They had to conduct numerous interviews and needed to scale their team. By using Sugarwork, they were able to easily store, access, and analyze the data and make ...
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    23 分
  • 609. Ami Parekh, Chief Health Officer at Included Health

    609. Ami Parekh, Chief Health Officer at Included Health
    2025/05/19
    Show Notes: Ami Parekh discusses the business model and services of Included Health, a company that provides personalized healthcare. Included Health partners with self-insured employers and health plans to improve the way working Americans and their families receive healthcare. Included Health Services About a third of Fortune, 100 companies, and 10 million Americans have access to Included Health’s services. The company focuses on providing access answers and advocacy as people engage in the healthcare system. The company has nearly 3000 people, including 1000 clinicians across the country, including primary care doctors, specialists, nurse practitioners, and therapists. Additionally, hundreds of care advocates help patients understand the ins and outs of the healthcare system. Many patients come to Included Health because they can't get access to primary care and behavioral health, which can take one to two months across most of the country. The company aims to address this supply problem. Navigating the Healthcare System Ami talks about the role of Included Health in helping patients navigate the healthcare system, focusing on personalized and best-for-the-patient approach. She explains how it can help patients navigate their insurance and coverage options. She also covers the use of data and data science to match patients with the highest quality healthcare professionals for specific requirements, such as orthopedic surgeons or specialists. Ami emphasizes that Included Health are not plans or payers, but providers who work with a wide field of providers, and their job is to help patients achieve the best outcomes within the current healthcare system. Accessing Quality Data in Healthcare The conversation turns to the concept of quality data in healthcare, how it is crucial to consider the quality of care and the likelihood of repeat surgeries, and the issue of inappropriate prescribing behavior, such as the use of opiates and benzodiazepines, which can be addictive. Ami explains how Included Health accesses and uses data, and how collected sanctioned data can help determine if a provider is safe for family members to see. Ami emphasizes that data is never perfect, and in the worst case scenario, patients can consult with clinicians to find the right doctor. The data can help inform conversations about who to see, and Included Health offers support in finding publicly available data sources and the right practitioner. She highlights the need for better data and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients to improve patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality. Improving Healthcare Pricing and Cost Employers typically pay for Included Health as a layer on top of their health plan, as they want their employees to be healthy, productive, and engaged members of their workforce. They also want healthcare costs to remain low so that they can pay their employees a living wage and invest in other benefits. Healthcare is often the number two cost after supplies in America, and employers want their employees to be healthy, productive, and engaged. Included Health offers a way to give healthy days back to employees by reducing the number of days they are unable to be healthy due to mental or physical health reasons. This results in increased productivity, better work performance, and overall cost savings. There are two dimensions to using included health services: first-time care and saving time. First, employees get the right care the first time, which can lead to cost savings. Second, health plans are incentivized to offer support to their patient population, as they are paying for it. Third, Included Health helps find providers quickly, saving employees time and freeing them up to focus on the healing process and family. Furthermore, Included Health provides access to primary care doctors, which is crucial for long-term cost savings and better health. How Included Health Works Included Health has about 1500 clinicians available for virtual appointments, including behavioral health providers. The app allows users to schedule appointments within a week, ensuring choice and quick access to healthcare services. Technology has brought about broader trends in the industry, such as value-based care and making things easier to access. The cost of healthcare is increasing by seven to 10% year over year, making it unsustainable for the American population. Employers, who are often the purchasers of healthcare, are seeking better solutions to control healthcare costs. They are trying to do this through products and services, creating new networks, and focusing on wellness. The trend is driven by employers and the government, as well as insurance companies. Included Health fits into this trend by reducing total care costs and prioritizing the member experience. By being a one-stop shop for patients and members, employers can experiment with different services without disrupting the member ...
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    36 分
  • 608. Sarah Dobson, Design of Brand for Entrepreneurs

    608. Sarah Dobson, Design of Brand for Entrepreneurs
    2025/05/12
    Show Notes: Sarah Dobson, founder and creative director at Design of Brand, discusses their niche in helping founders of companies establish their brand identity. They offer a process that includes brand strategy, naming, and creating a visual identity system for launch or relaunch. She explains what a brand identity entails and provides examples of successful case studies. Discovering and Designing a Brand Identity Sarah explains what the core of a brand identity is, how it is more than just a palette or a logo, and how she helps founders articulate that identity from developing the symbolic mark, word mark, and often, the name of the company through to the visual design elements of fonts and colours etc. She discusses her practice of collecting examples for design inspiration. She shares that he takes photos of various elements, such as typography, street signs, shapes, and color palettes, and banks them to find the right place in someone's identity. She also mentions that she started using Pinterest early on and quickly gained 800,000 followers. Sarah believes that understanding trends is crucial for creating unique designs and not looking like another brand. She uses Pinterest to research interiors and symbols for clients where she populates secret boards with images and ideas. She researches broadly online to find inspiration from a variety of sources and uses it to create visually appealing designs. Sarah mentions that she is considering launching a course to help people name their companies. She believes that sharing her capabilities with others would be meaningful to help more people develop their brand identity. A Case Study on Naming a Brand Sarah shares a case study of working with a founder who didn't have a name for their company. She shares the story of Othership, a social sauna and cold plunge business in New York. The founder had stopped drinking and was looking for alternative alternatives to bars. Sarah explains that she had two clients who were also interested in Sonic culture and the Soho House of Wellness. The clients joined forces to establish their company and Sarah explains how she worked closely with them to develop a deep understanding of who they were and of the company they were developing. Sarah observed the founders as they were prototyping and building out the space. They developed breath work, audio and physical space to help them synthesize their vision for a more social, healthy way of having fun. Sarah explains how she encouraged them to change their name from Inward to Othership because it reflected the founder's focus on connections and creating a healthy space with and for others rather than internal issues. She also explains how playing with suffixes and compound words is a part of the naming process. Case Study on Creating a Visual Identity Sarah discusses the process of creating a visual identity for the brand Othership, including the logo mark, buttons, and photography. She talks about where she found inspiration for the symbol mark, which included drawing inspiration from the spinning top toy and The Sims. The logo has had an incredible effect on people's lives, with at least five people now having tattoos of it. The color scheme was inspired by Disney’s Fantasia, and the founders' energy was a key factor in the design, and the color palette was atypical and flexible, not just two colors. Sarah explains that this approach was similar to a design she developed for a super food snack cafe's color palette. In terms of process and iterations, Sarah mentions that, sometimes, two to three different concepts are explored, with one being the most likely one based on the client's preferences and the other exploring more strategic ideas. The process is seen as due diligence, with the goal of finding the one that resonates with the client. Case Study on the Brand Identity of a Cannabis Retailer and an Organic Food Snack Sarah discusses his experiences in creating a cannabis retailer in Canada, which was a unique and exciting venture. She created a brand called Superette, which aimed to make people feel comfortable buying cannabis legally. The brand was inspired by Peter Pan in Brooklyn, an old Polish bakery because the store felt like a community, with lineups and regulars for breakfast. Another case example is a nut milk bar cafe and a nut milk. The cafe was developed by a friend after completing a nutrition education course and wanted to provide a healthier cafe alternative to muffins and unhealthy drinks. The founder went on to develop and sell the nut milk, which t is made from scratch and is nutritionally dense, making it a potential competitor to Starbucks. The brand was rebranded and reworked, with the word mark and visual identity system updated. The goal was to strengthen and optimize the brand for future success. A Design Perspective on Fonts Sarah talks about her knowledge with fonts. She shares a quote, “words have meaning but typography has a ...
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    31 分
  • 607. Chad Oakley, Current State of the Job Market for Consultants

    607. Chad Oakley, Current State of the Job Market for Consultants
    2025/05/05
    Chad Oakley, CEO of Charles Aris, a second-generation executive search firm, discusses their 55-year history and their focus on four areas. Charles Aris specializes in strategy and go-to-market practice, which places individuals into corporations, private equity firms, and portfolio companies. Chad explains their areas of expertise and mentions that the firm has a team of over 100 and has completed over 1,450 positions in this area in the last 21 years. They also have a finance and corporate development practice, which handles CFOs, FPAs, and candidates for merger and acquisition roles. Additionally, they have an engineering and operations practice that handles supply chain, CFO, and plant managers. The Changing Market for Consultants Chad, a former consultant, discusses the changing market for consulting in the age of uncertainty, and what the market is looking for. He traces back to April 2024, when consulting in the United States was down, particularly for top firms like Bain, BCG, McKinsey Strategy, and L.E.K EY Parthenon. The downturn was driven by higher interest rates and inflation. Chad talks about the factors leading to high interest rates and how it impacted consulting firms, private equity firms and M&A activity. He touches on how consulting firms reacted to this downturn and how it affected consultants. Chad shares a 2025 Compensation study conducted by Charles Aris showing a range of data that covers undergrads and MBAs, major consulting firms and competitors. He then shares three primary factors that caused a rise in the market in January 2025. The market is now looking for new opportunities and challenges. Key Factors Leading to Market Change for Consultants Chad explains the factors that led to the changes in the market over the past year. The newly elected President, Trump, was bullish on business, promising to rally markets better than Biden and eliminate red tape and regulations. This positive outlook led to a more optimistic outlook for the market. Business is recovering, creating solid momentum in the economy. In Q1 2024, companies started investing and private equity firms resumed deals, resulting in stronger demand for consulting services. However, the implementation of tariffs by the President has arrested this momentum, creating uncertainty for business leaders. The current tariffs have no playbook for them, and the possibility of changes in the future makes it difficult for current CEOs or business leadership teams to commit to action. Chad shares a conversation he had with the CEO of a publicly traded manufacturing company CEO, who has manufacturing facilities in the US, China, and South America. He cannot justify the massive investment in onshore manufacturing due to the potential decrease in tariffs. This has halted deal momentum, particularly in consulting services. Despite this, consulting firms are still working on projects they sold in the first few months of the year. They are now trying to be strategic about their consulting services, focusing on key areas to win and play in the market. The Number One Area of Focus for Consulting Firms. Chad explains that consulting firms are trying to be strategic in their direction, which has led to a focus on supply chain consulting. Companies are trying to navigate the impact of tariffs on their supply chains, and consulting firms are helping them do so by reshuffling their manufacturing base from high tariff countries to low tariff countries. They are also helping clients re-negotiate procurement contracts with global suppliers and consider acquiring competitors with a more favorable supply chain structure. Consulting firms are gearing up for a bulk of demand for supply chain services, and focusing on blue and white collar services. They are also doubling down on consulting playbooks for their services, including blue and white collar services, which is also a major area of focus for private equity firms. Consulting firms are also looking at government advocacy, such as lobbying and creating influence with lawmakers. The Impact of AI on Consulting Firms Chad discusses the significant impact of AI on consulting services. He mentions that many successful big brand companies are utilizing AI in their operations. A private equity firm's head of AI stated that the impact of AI is expected to be minimal in the next 18 months, as companies are still trying to find ways to add value with the technology. Chad acknowledges that AI is an incredible tool, and that it will be interesting to see how much it will truly change the way businesses operate in the next 12-18 months. A Growing Trend of Interim Consulting Roles Chad talks about the growth in what they call interim executive hiring in the marketplace, specifically around private equity and mostly for a limited period of time. The primary areas hiring for these roles are finance and strategy. He explains that specificity is highly sought after, and he encourages generalists ...
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    56 分
  • 606. Joe O’Mahoney, Helping Boutique Consulting Firms Scale Up

    606. Joe O’Mahoney, Helping Boutique Consulting Firms Scale Up
    2025/04/28
    Show Notes: Joe O’Mahoney is a part-time professor of consulting at Cardiff University and a leading authority on the growth and sale of boutiques and small consultancies. He has spent 20 years researching consultancies and interviewing hundreds of owners and senior leaders. He has developed a growth drivers model, which includes factors like leadership quality, client relationships, and market positioning. He conducts benchmark surveys and interviews with leadership teams and clients. Joe then conducts a SWOT analysis, and estimates the valuation of the firm. He helps the owner satisfy their equity goals, and pull the levers. Joe typically focuses on two to three priorities each year to drive up the firm's growth. He shares three key factors in leadership and team management that are crucial to a successful scale up. Building a Sales Team for a Boutique Consultancy Joe explains that, in the long term, building a competent sales team is crucial for a firm's valuation. This involves promoting, training, mentoring, rewarding, and recruiting sales capabilities. A culture that puts sales first should be complemented by a competent system that listens to sales calls and introduces new hires. This will help build a pipeline of capable sales people in the future. In the short term, implementing these strategies can improve marketing efforts. It is important to consider how your value proposition is translated into marketing themes and content, as well as the frequency and visibility of these posts. It is crucial to ensure that marketing efforts are effective and aligned with the company's goals. Challenges of Scaling a Business Joe discusses the challenges of scaling a business, particularly for those with a two to 3 million revenue mark. He suggests that firms need to focus on their signature service, which is high value, high growth, and can cross-sell. Marketing algorithms reward clarity in these areas, leading to better value propositions, marketing, and themes. This clarity allows firms to build intellectual property (IP) and increase margins. Once sales, project margin, or EBITDA are reached, firms can decide on additional products to sell alongside their existing offerings, such as parallel products, cross-selling services, or follow-on services. By building a logical sequence of events, firms can achieve high-quality revenue. The Importance of IP in Scaling Consulting Firms Joe shares an example of a firm that focused on a manual approach to cloud consultancy. However, when breaking down their service lines by revenue, the company realized that they should change their focus. In terms of branding and content, Joe explains that buyers are interested in the past growth, future growth, and margin of the firm, but they also want a marketing machine that generates clients, and an architecture of sales that generates high-quality leads. Joe explains that IP is a top priority for buyers, including the quality of the leadership team. This includes delivery IP, marketing IP, thought leadership, website design, and content. LinkedIn is an interesting example, as due diligence is starting to reveal its influence on a firm's success. Valuation and Growth Trajectory Valuation is a crucial factor for buyers and private equity, as they are interested in the future value of the firm. A healthy growth trajectory is essential, and a machine that can push up the multiple is preferred. Joe explains that it is often better to focus on building the architecture that will allow you to improve your multiple, rather than focusing on increasing your profit margin. This can be achieved by implementing a PSA system, CRM system, training people, and building out IP. However, it is difficult to drive up the multiple quickly, as everyone is talking about margin all the time. It is important for buyers to consider the firm's potential for growth and profitability before making a decision. Joe talks about the EBITDA and how it should be approached. The conversation turns to the treatment of owners' compensation and how it is recalculated during the sale process. He explains that if a board member is preparing a company for sale, Joe’s fee is taken out, and if a founder is paying themselves in dividends to improve profits, the EBITDA is adjusted accordingly. Employees and Recruiting Talent for Boutique Consulting Firms Joe discusses the importance of recruiting and training employees to provide better value to clients and charge more. He suggests that consultancies operate in two markets: the market for clients and the market for employees. Boutique consultancies often struggle to recruit decent consultants due to the lack of brand recognition and value proposition. To attract the right people, consultancies need to have a clear value proposition for both clients and employees. This includes a clear cultural side of the company, clear values, and clear due diligence rules. The architecture behind this includes ...
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    42 分