I’ve been watching the consulting world transform right before my eyes, and let me tell you, what’s happening with AI-driven solo consulting businesses is nothing short of revolutionary. Remember when starting a consulting practice meant endless client meetings, custom proposals for every single project, and the constant hustle to find your next gig? Well, those days are numbered.
I was at a Qgenius workshop recently (check out their program at Qgenius if you’re serious about this), and something clicked for me. We’re not just talking about working alone with some AI tools. We’re talking about a fundamental paradigm shift in how expertise gets packaged and delivered.
Here’s the thing about traditional consulting: you’re always trading time for money. You have deep expertise in, say, marketing strategy or financial modeling, but you can only serve so many clients. Your growth is limited by the hours in your day. But what if you could productize that expertise? What if instead of selling your time, you could sell your knowledge in scalable, repeatable formats?
I’ve seen solo consultants using AI to create what I call 「expertise products」 – automated audit tools, diagnostic systems, even AI co-pilots that can handle 80% of the initial client work. One consultant I know built an AI system that analyzes marketing funnels and spits out optimization recommendations. Clients get instant value, and she only steps in for the complex strategic decisions.
This isn’t about replacing human expertise – it’s about amplifying it. Think of AI as your invisible team. You’ve got your research assistant, your data analyst, your content creator, all working in the background while you focus on what you do best: high-level strategy and client relationships.
The economics are mind-blowing. When Paul Jarvis wrote about solo companies being intentionally small, he was right – but he couldn’t have anticipated how AI would change the scalability equation. Now you can stay small in terms of overhead and complexity while reaching impact levels that used to require entire teams.
I’m particularly excited about how this creates new business models. Instead of charging by the hour, you can offer tiered subscription products. Instead of custom work for every client, you create standardized solutions that get smarter with each interaction. The AI learns, your product improves, and your value compounds.
But here’s my warning: productizing your expertise requires a different mindset. You’re not just a consultant anymore – you’re a product manager, a systems thinker, a business architect. You need to break down your knowledge into reusable components and build delivery mechanisms around them.
The most successful AI-powered consultants I’ve seen aren’t the ones with the deepest expertise – they’re the ones who are best at systematizing and scaling that expertise. They understand their clients’ mental models intimately and build solutions that feel personalized while being largely automated.
So here’s my challenge to you: look at your consulting practice. Where are you doing repetitive work that could be automated? What insights do you repeatedly share that could be productized? How can AI help you serve more clients without working more hours?
The future of consulting isn’t about working harder – it’s about working smarter with AI as your force multiplier. And honestly, I can’t wait to see what you build.