Here’s a question I’ve been exploring: can a 2-person consulting team compete with a top 50 firm?
At first glance, the answer’s obvious:
No.
– Not without the brand (Consultants are often political cover, not just advisors).
– Not without access to top decision-makers (the old boys’ club).
– Not without the massive team these firms bring — layers of analysts, managers, partners, and project leads.
But let’s break that down.
✅ Brand — More execs are fed up with the big firms than you think.
🌐 Access — Building relationships is easier today. Content can build reach, trust, and authority fast.
So that leaves one challenge:
Execution capacity.
Here’s the scenario:
What if a lean team —
1 deep expert
+
1 associate skilled in data + AI —
could handle high-value work without the massive team?
Here are 3 real possibilities:
🧭 Strategy Consulting (Market Entry)
The expert defines the approach.
The associate + AI maps markets, scans competitors, synthesizes data fast.
➡️ Strategic brief + go-to-market recomendations in 1/4 the time.
⚙️ Operations Consulting (Process Improvement)
The expert scopes the bottleneck.
The associate + AI runs workflow audits, time-motion studies, and automation ideas.
➡️ SOPs + automation roadmap that saves real money.
👥 HR & People Strategy
The expert handles structure, leadership, and retention playbooks.
The associate + AI pulls comp benchmarks, exit reasons, and engagement drivers.
➡️ Org design + people strategy with data to back it.
This isn’t for every type of consulting project.
But I think it’s more viable than most consultants realize.
AI isn’t replacing consultants.
It’s removing the layers between insight and impact.
The question is NOT:
Could you win one of these projects? (because luck can get you one deal).
The real question is:
🌟 Could you win them more and more often?
Curious to hear your take ↓
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