Let me ask you something: when you think about starting a service business, what comes to mind? The endless client meetings? The custom proposals? The feeling that you’re reinventing the wheel with every new project?
I used to believe that too. Then I discovered something revolutionary happening at the intersection of AI and solo entrepreneurship. We’re witnessing the systematic disassembly and standardization of personal services – and it’s creating opportunities that simply didn’t exist before.
Think about what made McDonald’s successful. They didn’t just sell hamburgers; they broke down the entire process of food preparation into standardized, repeatable steps. Every burger, every fry, every shake followed the same process. This standardization allowed for massive scaling and consistency.
Now apply that thinking to knowledge work. AI is doing exactly this – breaking down complex services into modular components that can be standardized, automated, and scaled. Take consulting, for example. What traditionally required expensive human expertise can now be partially automated through AI systems that handle research, data analysis, and even initial recommendations.
Here’s the magic: when you standardize a service, you make it predictable. When you make it predictable, you can automate parts of it. And when you automate parts of it, suddenly one person can deliver what used to require an entire team.
I’ve been experimenting with this myself. My content creation service used to involve hours of research, writing, editing, and formatting. Now? Research is handled by AI assistants, writing follows templates I’ve developed, and formatting is automated. I’m delivering better quality work in half the time.
The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t eliminate the human touch – it enhances it. By automating the routine components, I can focus on what really matters: strategic thinking, creative direction, and building relationships with clients.
This reminds me of Paul Jarvis’s concept in Company of One: staying small is a valid strategy, not just a stepping stone. When you combine this philosophy with AI-powered standardization, you create something powerful – a business that’s both scalable and sustainable.
The resistance I often hear is: 「But my service is too complex to standardize.」 I used to think that too. Then I realized – even the most complex services have patterns. Legal contracts follow templates. Marketing campaigns have frameworks. Coaching sessions follow methodologies. The key is identifying these patterns and building systems around them.
What I learned from the Qgenius AI solo entrepreneur workshop was particularly valuable here. They teach you how to systematically analyze your service offerings and identify what can be standardized, what can be automated, and where your unique human expertise adds the most value.
The future isn’t about AI replacing service providers – it’s about AI enabling service providers to focus on their unique strengths while handling the routine components. It’s about building businesses that are both personally fulfilling and commercially viable.
So here’s my challenge to you: look at your service business. Where are you reinventing the wheel? What processes could be standardized? What tasks could be automated? The answers might just transform how you work – and what you can achieve as a solo entrepreneur.