Why Not Us? How Practitioners Can Beat the Big Four at Their Own AI Game

The Disruption Is Real—But It’s Also Replicable

The Big Four are losing ground. And not to each other.

They're being flanked by AI-native, PE-backed boutique firms like Unity Advisory—leaner, faster, and engineered to deliver outcomes instead of slide decks. According to Financial News, artificial intelligence and private equity are reshaping the industry. Entry-level work is disappearing. Margins are tightening. And new players are rushing in.

Here’s the twist: These disruptors aren’t doing anything you can’t do—today.

They’re just doing it first.

If Unity can build an AI-first consulting model with private equity backing, the question practitioners should be asking isn’t, “What happens to us?”

It’s: Why not us?

What the Disruptors Are Doing

1. Using AI to Replace Junior Talent: AI now handles synthesis, first drafts, outlines, stakeholder maps, meeting prep, and more. PE firms aren’t scared of that—they’re investing in it. The firms they back don’t need pyramids of analysts. They need systems and speed.

2. Shifting from Deliverables to Outcomes: No more paying for decks. These firms charge for results, speed, or transformation milestones. Unity Advisory and similar players sell progress—not polish.

3. Running Lean Teams with High Velocity: Instead of 20-person project teams, they run five-person pods with AI augmenting every role. That creates speed and margin traditional firms can’t touch.

4. Selling Tooling + Templates at Scale: Some are turning proprietary playbooks into products—offering them alongside advisory services. This gives them scale without headcount

What This Means for Practitioners

You don’t need a private equity check to do this.
You don’t need 100 employees, a sales team, or a platform.

You need a shift in mindset—and a willingness to productize your value.

This is the evolution from expert to operator.
From advisor to enabler.

You already have the experience. Now it's about building the engine.

Playbook: How to Beat the Big Four at Their Own Game

1. Start Building a Lean, AI-Augmented Offer

• Map where your value comes from (research, analysis, execution?)
• Identify what parts can be supported or accelerated by AI
• Build an AI-augmented workflow (e.g., prep client briefs, summarize interviews, test frameworks)

2. Turn IP into Product

• Create prompt packs, toolkits, or simple GPTs based on your methods
• Offer them as upsells or entry points
• Use them yourself to cut delivery time by 30–50%

3. Ditch the Deck. Sell the Progress.

• Anchor your offer around clear milestones: outcomes, capability, or transformation
• Price based on value delivered—not hours logged
• Report progress in live dashboards, not slide PDFs

4. Build a Pod Model

• Partner with 1–2 other specialists who can form a lightweight delivery pod
• Everyone uses AI to stretch capacity, so the pod feels like a team of 8

5. Use the Boutique Advantage

• Market yourself as embedded and outcome-obsessed, not polished and distant
• Clients crave clarity and speed. That’s your edge.

Disruption-Proofing Your Practice

Want to future-proof your consulting model? Try these moves:

• Run an “AI Audit” of your own delivery model – what do clients really need you for?
• Write your new positioning statement – how do you enable speed, clarity, and action using AI?
• Start tracking your AI leverage ratio – how much faster/more accurate/more effective are you with AI in the loop?

Remember: the Big Four are trying to retrofit. You’re building fresh.

Final Thought

The narrative that consultants are being replaced by AI is true: for the ones selling decks, not outcomes.

But there’s another story: one where practitioners lead the transformation. We’re not just adapting. We’re outperforming.

So next time you read about a new AI-first boutique backed by millions in private equity, don’t get discouraged.

Get moving.

Because if they can do it, we can do it better.

Why not us?

ChangeGuild: Power to the Practitioner™

Suggested Tools + Next Moves

• Start with ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to automate your first drafts and research prep
• Build a prompt pack using your most-used frameworks (e.g., stakeholder mapping, resistance diagnosis)
• Explore lean client onboarding flows using AI-generated proposal templates

Sources

• Financial News: AI and Private Equity reshaping consulting
• The Times: Meet the nimble disruptors racing to challenge the Big Four

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AI really replacing consulting firms?

AI is replacing parts of consulting work—particularly research, analysis, and templated deliverables. What it doesn’t replace is trust, execution, or embedded problem-solving.

What are AI-first boutique consulting firms doing differently?

They’re using AI to replace junior labor, sell outcomes instead of slide decks, run smaller teams, and productize their intellectual property for scale and speed.

Can solo consultants and small firms do the same thing?

Yes. Independent practitioners can use the same tools to accelerate their delivery, reduce costs, and scale their expertise—without needing private equity funding.

What does it mean to 'productize your value'?

It means turning your methods, frameworks, or insights into reusable tools—such as prompt packs, templates, or mini GPTs—that support both client work and passive income.

How can I start making my consulting practice AI-augmented?

Begin by auditing your delivery process. Look for repetitive tasks, knowledge assets, or decision logic that can be supported by generative AI. Then test tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to build new workflows.