Who Needs a $500K Strategy Report Now?

Strategy consulting isn't only about providing answers.

It's about owning the questions.

The current power dynamic:

→ MBB controls proprietary data from countless clients

→ Their benchmarking databases are sought after

→ Their frameworks shape executive strategic thinking

→ Industry insights locked behind costly engagements

This information asymmetry created massive leverage:

→ Strategy projects cost $500K+ for weeks of work

→ Consultants dictated which problems mattered

→ Boards required consultant approval before acting

→ Credential-based authority trumped actual value

AI is rapidly democratizing this relationship:

→ Tools create frameworks with increasing sophistication

→ Consultants compete with empowered internal teams

→ Executives fact-check consultants in real-time

→ Clients compare multiple approaches simultaneously

The client relationship is transforming:

→ "Show me the data" replaces "trust our experience"

→ Value-proving replaces credential authority

→ Collaboration replaces the oracle model

→ Co-creation replaces passive consumption

Expert consultants continue to remain valuable:

→ Tailoring frameworks to unique contexts

→ Securing stakeholder buy-in across organizations

→ Navigating political & cultural implementation barriers

→ Leveraging cross industry patterns & experiences

The industry is trying to adapt:

→ Knowledge products replacing bespoke analysis

→ Outcome-based pricing instead of time-based billing

→ Continuous guidance instead of project-based work

→ Firms repositioning as enablers, not oracles

This shift isn't just changing how consulting services are delivered. It's transforming who has the authority to define what "good strategy" means.

For decades, elite firms dictated how businesses approached critical challenges. Their monopoly created a strategic monoculture that reinforced their own importance.

As this information asymmetry dissolves, a more diverse ecosystem of perspectives can finally emerge.

Next week in this series: How AI is reshaping the organizational structures of consulting firms themselves.