As generic AI tools make our entry-level advisory services incredibly cheap, our market share is shrinking. How do we reposition our core deliverables to become an indispensable complement to these commoditized tools instead of racing them to the bottom?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When technology becomes cheap and abundant, the value of whatever that technology replaces drops to zero. Conversely, the value of whatever complements that technology rises. If machines can now draft basic strategic plans for free, your job is to find the high-value work that surrounds that draft. To protect your business from commoditization, you must reposition your services on the V/TO®. Stop selling the raw deliverables that AI can generate in seconds. Instead, seek to be an indispensable complement to these automated tools. Your focus must shift to implementation, deep customization, relationship management, and accountability. As Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson have observed, as digital tools proliferate, the human skills of persuasion, leadership, and physical-world orchestration become more critical than ever. Your clients do not just need a plan; they need a partner to help them execute it, navigate internal politics, and manage the change. Review your core processes and marketing messaging. Position your team as the high-tier experts who take the raw, automated inputs and turn them into trusted, real-world results. This pivot allows you to maintain premium pricing and build a highly defensible business model that stands out to future acquirers.