WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.379 If you lead an AI automation business, there's 00:00:03.379 --> 00:00:07.419 a question that might be kind of nagging at you, 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:10.000 maybe quietly. Is the technology you're selling 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.560 actually about to make your own expertise? Well, 00:00:12.660 --> 00:00:14.939 redundant. Yeah, it's a fear you hear a lot, 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:16.719 and it's totally understandable, right? AI is 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:18.980 moving so incredibly fast. It really does feel 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:21.280 like those core technical skills, the building 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.660 skills, are becoming a commodity. Welcome to 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:27.670 the Deep Dive. Today, we're digging into this 00:00:27.670 --> 00:00:30.390 whole evolving world of AI automation agencies. 00:00:30.809 --> 00:00:32.909 And there's this real tension, isn't there? On 00:00:32.909 --> 00:00:35.409 one hand, you've got these super powerful, easy 00:00:35.409 --> 00:00:39.469 to use AI tools just exploding everywhere. But 00:00:39.469 --> 00:00:41.490 on the other hand, there seems to be this persistent, 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:45.859 maybe even growing need for... real human expertise. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.259 Absolutely. So today we're going to face that 00:00:48.259 --> 00:00:50.600 anxiety head on. We'll look at, you know, a surprising 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.340 truth about why so many AI projects are actually 00:00:53.340 --> 00:00:55.600 failing, even with these cool new tools. We'll 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.719 check out what history can teach us, reveal a 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.979 strategy that could really transform how agencies 00:01:00.979 --> 00:01:03.179 operate, explore a huge kind of hidden market 00:01:03.179 --> 00:01:05.659 opportunity, and then wrap up with a practical 00:01:05.659 --> 00:01:07.799 roadmap, you know, how to actually navigate this. 00:01:08.019 --> 00:01:09.879 And for this journey, we're trying on insights 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:13.640 from Max Anson analysis. Is AI replacing AI automation 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:17.299 agencies? how to thrive so yeah let's get into 00:01:17.299 --> 00:01:19.819 it first off let's just state it plainly that 00:01:19.819 --> 00:01:22.980 fear it's valid we are definitely in the age 00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:26.920 of the diy ai revolution the actual um technical 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:29.719 heavy lifting building the automations it is 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:31.980 getting easier and cheaper for clients to potentially 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:34.379 do themselves oh absolutely i mean you can literally 00:01:34.379 --> 00:01:36.719 describe a business process now to an ai model 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:39.180 and boom it spits out code or like a workflow 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:42.200 schema for nan or make .com you know those visual 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:44.459 bills right the lego blocks for data exactly 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:47.379 stuff that used to take a junior dev hours now 00:01:47.379 --> 00:01:49.859 maybe minutes for first draft and think about 00:01:49.859 --> 00:01:52.079 microsoft copilot it has these recorders it just 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:54.560 watches what you do like copying data from excel 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:57.060 to your crm and it builds the automation. Yeah, 00:01:57.180 --> 00:02:00.260 it builds it automatically. It's pretty wild, 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.980 almost kind of spooky sometimes. And that barrier 00:02:02.980 --> 00:02:06.049 of needing to know code. or complex tools it 00:02:06.049 --> 00:02:08.550 feels like it's just dissolving natural language 00:02:08.550 --> 00:02:10.949 is becoming the way you build totally you see 00:02:10.949 --> 00:02:13.289 platforms like zapier now where a business owner 00:02:13.289 --> 00:02:15.870 can just type hey when i get an email with an 00:02:15.870 --> 00:02:19.069 invoice save the pdf to google drive and ping 00:02:19.069 --> 00:02:21.909 me on slack it works and it just builds the workflow 00:02:21.909 --> 00:02:25.830 we're also seeing these browser -based ai agents 00:02:25.830 --> 00:02:28.449 taking off little digital helpers that can actually 00:02:28.449 --> 00:02:31.409 control a virtual computer clicking around websites 00:02:31.409 --> 00:02:34.699 filling forms doing tasks just like a person 00:02:34.699 --> 00:02:36.419 would. There's that quote from an expert in the 00:02:36.419 --> 00:02:38.919 source material, something like, we always thought 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:41.020 our edge was building things they couldn't. But 00:02:41.020 --> 00:02:43.139 the reality is that edge is getting thinner every 00:02:43.139 --> 00:02:45.919 single day. Yeah, and this whole self -serve 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:48.300 trend, it's pushing this message out there loud 00:02:48.300 --> 00:02:50.319 and clear. Hey, you don't need that expensive 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:52.120 agency anymore. You can just do it yourself. 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:55.360 You can do it yourself, or so it seems. So, okay, 00:02:55.460 --> 00:02:59.240 burling it down. What's the biggest immediate 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:03.080 threat? these diy tools really pose to agencies 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:06.180 right now they commoditize core technical building 00:03:06.180 --> 00:03:08.620 skills plain and simple okay but here's where 00:03:08.620 --> 00:03:10.819 it gets really interesting this is what max ad 00:03:10.819 --> 00:03:14.219 calls the great diy illusion because even though 00:03:14.219 --> 00:03:18.539 these tools are amazing the data it tells a different 00:03:18.539 --> 00:03:21.520 story it shows they aren't solving the core business 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:24.439 problems right and sometimes they actually make 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:26.400 things worse it sounds crazy but look at the 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:30.409 number something like 80 80 of corporate AI projects 00:03:30.409 --> 00:03:32.909 fail to deliver what they promised initially. 00:03:33.110 --> 00:03:36.250 Wow, 80 %? Yeah, that failure rate is double, 00:03:36.289 --> 00:03:38.849 double traditional IP projects. And get this, 00:03:38.990 --> 00:03:42.550 in 2024, 42 % of businesses said they scrapped 00:03:42.550 --> 00:03:44.830 AI initiatives after starting them. That was 00:03:44.830 --> 00:03:47.310 way up from just 17 % the year before. So they're 00:03:47.310 --> 00:03:49.189 starting, but then hitting a wall. And when you 00:03:49.189 --> 00:03:51.969 ask them why, why are these failing? over half 00:03:51.969 --> 00:03:53.849 point to the same thing they just don't have 00:03:53.849 --> 00:03:55.849 the internal skills and expertise they lack the 00:03:55.849 --> 00:03:58.189 know -how mckinsey research backs this up they 00:03:58.189 --> 00:04:01.110 found only like one percent of companies are 00:04:01.110 --> 00:04:05.110 actually mature in deploying ai effectively just 00:04:05.110 --> 00:04:07.710 one percent it's like that analyst said without 00:04:07.710 --> 00:04:11.710 expert guidance AI becomes a costly science experiment. 00:04:12.030 --> 00:04:13.990 Rather than a business transformation. Yeah, 00:04:14.030 --> 00:04:15.449 I remember that quote. It's like giving someone 00:04:15.449 --> 00:04:18.430 the keys to a Formula One car. Exactly. Handing 00:04:18.430 --> 00:04:20.430 them the keys, but nobody teaches them how to 00:04:20.430 --> 00:04:22.649 drive it. So they crash and burn, not because 00:04:22.649 --> 00:04:24.850 the car isn't powerful, but because they don't 00:04:24.850 --> 00:04:28.209 have the strategy, the skill, the pit crew, you 00:04:28.209 --> 00:04:31.889 know. So digging into that then. If the tools 00:04:31.889 --> 00:04:34.509 are so easy to use, why are so many projects 00:04:34.509 --> 00:04:37.180 crashing and burning? Because businesses lack 00:04:37.180 --> 00:04:39.439 the internal strategy and skills to use them 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:41.540 right. Okay, let's step back and look at history 00:04:41.540 --> 00:04:43.579 for a second. Because this pattern isn't entirely 00:04:43.579 --> 00:04:47.019 new. History shows that these kinds of DIY revolutions 00:04:47.019 --> 00:04:49.819 often don't kill the expert market. Sometimes 00:04:49.819 --> 00:04:51.879 they actually expand it. Oh, totally. Remember 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:53.860 when Wix and Squarespace came out, everyone was 00:04:53.860 --> 00:04:56.779 shouting, Death of the web developer! Why pay 00:04:56.779 --> 00:05:00.360 thousands when you can DIY for like 20 bucks 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:02.899 a month? Right. But what actually happened? the 00:05:02.899 --> 00:05:05.600 web dev industry exploded those tools didn't 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.300 kill the market they educated it they created 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:10.800 awareness suddenly everyone saw the value of 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:12.949 having a website And then they hit the limits 00:05:12.949 --> 00:05:15.209 of the DIY tool. Exactly. They'd say, OK, this 00:05:15.209 --> 00:05:17.810 is cool, but I need this custom feature or my 00:05:17.810 --> 00:05:20.170 site's too slow or how do I connect this to my 00:05:20.170 --> 00:05:23.250 inventory? The DIY tool showed them the potential. 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:25.610 Which then made them ready to invest in something 00:05:25.610 --> 00:05:28.290 more robust built by an expert. Precisely. They 00:05:28.290 --> 00:05:30.889 went from being maybe unaware or unsure to being 00:05:30.889 --> 00:05:33.949 qualified buyers. They saw the basic ROI and 00:05:33.949 --> 00:05:37.279 wanted more. And you see this everywhere. QuickBooks 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:39.000 didn't kill accountants, right? No, it became 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.339 a tool for them. Yeah. It lets them offer better, 00:05:41.420 --> 00:05:45.199 faster advisory services. Or Home Depot, did 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.220 it put contractors out of business? Nope. Half 00:05:47.220 --> 00:05:49.980 their revenue is from pros buying supplies. Right. 00:05:50.019 --> 00:05:53.139 The DIRs create the demand, but the pros handle 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:56.339 the bigger, more complex jobs. And LegalZoom 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:58.180 is another example, handles the simple stuff. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:00.560 Which just highlights why you need a real lawyer 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:03.829 for the tricky, complex situations. The pattern 00:06:03.829 --> 00:06:06.970 is pretty clear. DIY tools tend to expand the 00:06:06.970 --> 00:06:09.529 market and create more demand for real expertise. 00:06:10.069 --> 00:06:13.730 So, thinking about AI now, what's the core lesson 00:06:13.730 --> 00:06:16.750 from these historical shifts? DIY tools expand 00:06:16.750 --> 00:06:19.490 markets, creating demand for advanced expertise. 00:06:20.129 --> 00:06:22.430 Okay, this leads us right into the core transformation 00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:25.910 that Max Anne talks about. Agencies need to shift 00:06:25.910 --> 00:06:29.620 focus. Move from just being the builder to becoming 00:06:29.620 --> 00:06:32.019 a strategic AI partner. And that means flipping 00:06:32.019 --> 00:06:34.779 the whole value stack upside down. Exactly. In 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:36.699 the old way, the technical build was kind of 00:06:36.699 --> 00:06:39.199 the main event, the most valuable part. But in 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.620 this new model, development is actually the foundation, 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:43.939 maybe the least valuable piece from a strategic 00:06:43.939 --> 00:06:47.620 view. The real value moves way upstream. So what 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:49.199 does this new value stack look like? What's at 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:51.899 the top? Top of the stack, most valuable. Strategy 00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:54.600 and use case identification. This is where you 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:56.800 stop talking about tools first. and start diving 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:58.899 deep into the client's actual business problems. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:01.579 You're doing like AI audits, strategic planning. 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:02.959 So we're really understanding their operations, 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:05.060 their data, their goals, their tech. Yeah, a 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:07.339 proper deep dive, especially critical in finance, 00:07:07.500 --> 00:07:10.860 you know, crypto, stocks, forex, where tiny inefficiencies 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:14.480 mean big money. Then from that audit, you pinpoint 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.420 maybe just two or three specific places where 00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:20.300 AI will make the biggest, fastest impact. Like 00:07:20.300 --> 00:07:22.740 finding that one bottleneck. Right. For a trading 00:07:22.740 --> 00:07:24.939 firm, maybe it's just standardizing how they 00:07:24.939 --> 00:07:28.160 pull pre... market data. Simple, but saves every 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:32.139 analyst an hour a day. Huge ROI. Then you build 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:35.319 an AI roadmap, a clear step -by -step plan showing 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:38.639 the expected return. The deliverable isn't code, 00:07:38.819 --> 00:07:41.199 it's clarity. It's telling the execs, okay, do 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:43.699 these two things first. Here's exactly why. That 00:07:43.699 --> 00:07:46.240 clarity alone sounds incredibly valuable. What's 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:48.500 next down the stack? Next is education and change 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:50.600 management, because you can build the most amazing 00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:52.699 AI system, but if the team doesn't use it or 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:54.819 they're scared of it, it's worthless. Good point. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:57.660 So you run workshops tailored to their teams, 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:00.480 marketers, financial analysts, whoever, teach 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:02.839 them how to use the new tools safely, effectively. 00:08:03.339 --> 00:08:06.199 But it's also about helping leadership build 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:09.480 an AI -ready culture, managing that human element, 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.060 the fear, the resistance to change. Makes sense. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:15.600 And after strategy and education. Third is placements 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:17.699 and team building. This is more of a long term 00:08:17.699 --> 00:08:21.399 play, but high value. Lots of companies eventually 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:24.819 want to build their own internal AI muscle. You, 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:27.019 as the trusted partner, help them figure out 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:29.259 what roles they need. Maybe an AI automation 00:08:29.259 --> 00:08:32.919 specialist or for finance, a quantitative analyst, 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:35.100 you know, someone who applies AI to the markets. 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.320 You help them define the roles and even find 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:39.519 the talent. Yeah, help define roles, find talent, 00:08:39.620 --> 00:08:41.919 vet candidates, maybe even help set up their 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:44.049 internal innovation processes. You're helping 00:08:44.049 --> 00:08:46.370 them become self -sufficient smartly. And then 00:08:46.370 --> 00:08:48.490 finally, at the bottom of this new stack, there's 00:08:48.490 --> 00:08:50.269 the part that used to be at the top. Exactly. 00:08:50.370 --> 00:08:52.350 Development, the actual building. Still crucial, 00:08:52.570 --> 00:08:55.429 obviously. But now it flows naturally from all 00:08:55.429 --> 00:08:57.149 the strategic work you did up front. And the 00:08:57.149 --> 00:08:59.649 beauty is you don't really have to sell the development 00:08:59.649 --> 00:09:01.549 project anymore. Because they're already bought 00:09:01.549 --> 00:09:03.809 in from the strategy phase. Right. You've shown 00:09:03.809 --> 00:09:06.450 them the clear business case, the ROI on that 00:09:06.450 --> 00:09:08.789 roadmap. They're not asking if they should build 00:09:08.789 --> 00:09:11.070 it. They're asking you to build the solution 00:09:11.070 --> 00:09:13.450 you already proved they need. It just flows. 00:09:13.850 --> 00:09:16.250 You know, even doing this kind of strategic work, 00:09:16.330 --> 00:09:18.570 I still sometimes wrestle with prompt drift myself. 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:21.019 you know, where the AI's answers kind of get 00:09:21.019 --> 00:09:22.879 less accurate because my instructions weren't 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:25.080 quite tight enough. It really makes you appreciate 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:28.539 how vital good strategy and clear use cases are. 00:09:28.659 --> 00:09:31.980 Yeah, absolutely. So for an agency wanting to 00:09:31.980 --> 00:09:34.500 start this shift, where do they practically begin 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:37.519 moving towards offering more strategy? By identifying 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.460 core business problems, not just building tools. 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:42.220 Okay, let's talk about the market opportunity 00:09:42.220 --> 00:09:45.000 here because the numbers are kind of staggering. 00:09:45.100 --> 00:09:48.149 There's this... Well, $73 billion gold rush happening 00:09:48.149 --> 00:09:50.610 that maybe isn't getting enough attention. The 00:09:50.610 --> 00:09:54.309 AI consulting market's just exploding. It really 00:09:54.309 --> 00:09:56.509 is. It's forecast to go from around, what, $8 00:09:56.509 --> 00:10:02.009 .8 billion up to over $73 billion by 2033. That's 00:10:02.009 --> 00:10:05.629 nearly a 30 % compound annual growth rate. The 00:10:05.629 --> 00:10:08.610 demand is absolutely massive. But here's the 00:10:08.610 --> 00:10:10.629 kicker, right? The supply side. Yeah, that's 00:10:10.629 --> 00:10:13.190 the astonishing part. There's almost no supply 00:10:13.190 --> 00:10:16.230 of the specific kind of help businesses desperately 00:10:16.230 --> 00:10:19.029 need right now. The market's kind of dominated 00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.210 by two groups, and frankly, both are often missing 00:10:21.210 --> 00:10:23.659 the mark. Okay, who are they? Well, on one side, 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:25.639 you've got your big traditional consulting firms. 00:10:25.740 --> 00:10:28.200 You know the ones. They're brilliant at PowerPoints, 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:30.940 great with executives. But maybe lack the deep 00:10:30.940 --> 00:10:33.759 hands -on tech experience. Exactly. Their advice 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:36.279 can be a bit generic. The price tags are often 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:38.759 astronomical. We're talking $500 plus engagement 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:41.720 sometimes, and they can be slow, kind of bureaucratic, 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:44.460 not great for agile businesses. Okay, so that's 00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:46.289 one side. What's the other? The other side is 00:10:46.289 --> 00:10:48.610 the pure builders, the traditional tech agencies. 00:10:48.629 --> 00:10:51.269 They're fantastic at execution, technically very 00:10:51.269 --> 00:10:54.190 skilled, but they often lack that higher level 00:10:54.190 --> 00:10:56.509 business strategy piece. They tend to wait for 00:10:56.509 --> 00:10:58.289 the client to tell them exactly what to build. 00:10:58.389 --> 00:11:00.889 Without necessarily asking why or if it's the 00:11:00.889 --> 00:11:03.490 right thing to build. Precisely. So you've got 00:11:03.490 --> 00:11:06.460 this huge gap in the middle. Businesses need 00:11:06.460 --> 00:11:09.480 someone with the strategic brain of a consultant, 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:12.879 but the street cred and know -how of a builder 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.080 who's actually implemented this stuff. And that's 00:11:15.080 --> 00:11:16.960 where agencies with a development background 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:19.779 have a unique advantage. Totally. It's like Sam 00:11:19.779 --> 00:11:22.779 Altman said, managing AI is kind of like managing 00:11:22.779 --> 00:11:26.509 junior employees. It needs both deep tech understanding 00:11:26.509 --> 00:11:29.210 and strategic direction to really work well. 00:11:29.370 --> 00:11:31.330 And this isn't just for giant corporations, right? 00:11:31.450 --> 00:11:33.570 Not at all. Think about the SMB market, small 00:11:33.570 --> 00:11:35.730 and medium businesses. They're like half the 00:11:35.730 --> 00:11:38.889 U .S. economy, half the jobs includes tons of 00:11:38.889 --> 00:11:41.070 finance folks, stock traders, Forex brokerages, 00:11:41.169 --> 00:11:44.450 crypto startups. So many are looking at AI, but 00:11:44.450 --> 00:11:46.690 very few are getting the expert guidance they 00:11:46.690 --> 00:11:49.450 need. It's a massive underserved market just 00:11:49.450 --> 00:11:51.649 waiting for the right kind of strategic partner. 00:11:51.830 --> 00:11:55.370 Whoa. Just imagine scaling that kind of focus, 00:11:55.549 --> 00:11:58.789 strategic help, transforming hundreds, maybe 00:11:58.789 --> 00:12:00.850 thousands of those businesses from just tinkering 00:12:00.850 --> 00:12:03.450 with AI to really using it effectively. That's 00:12:03.450 --> 00:12:06.470 powerful. It's a huge opportunity. So in this 00:12:06.470 --> 00:12:09.669 crowded space with big consultants and pure builders, 00:12:09.909 --> 00:12:13.470 what's the absolute key differentiator for an 00:12:13.470 --> 00:12:16.649 agency wanting to capture this market? Deep technical 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:19.309 background combined with strategic business acumen. 00:12:19.370 --> 00:12:21.980 That's the magic combo. All right, let's get 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:23.879 practical. How does an agency actually make this 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.100 transition? Let's map it out. Phase one. Phase 00:12:26.100 --> 00:12:28.879 one. Stop thinking like just a builder. Seriously, 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:31.539 your deep technical experience. That's not a 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:34.500 liability. It's your superpower. It's your unfair 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:36.200 advantage. You've been in the trenches. You've 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:38.259 seen what breaks. You know it actually works. 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:41.039 Pure consultants. They can't fake that kind of 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:43.799 hands -on credibility. Okay, so embrace the tech 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:46.529 background as a strength. What's phase two? Phase 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:49.490 two, add assessment and education to your offerings. 00:12:49.669 --> 00:12:51.590 You don't have to flip your whole business model 00:12:51.590 --> 00:12:54.190 overnight. Start small, maybe with your existing 00:12:54.190 --> 00:12:56.669 clients who already trust you. Offer them a free 00:12:56.669 --> 00:12:58.809 AI readiness assessment. Like a quick checkup. 00:12:58.850 --> 00:13:01.789 Exactly. Or put together a simple training workshop 00:13:01.789 --> 00:13:04.830 for their team. And crucially, start documenting 00:13:04.830 --> 00:13:07.730 everything. What use cases have you already solved? 00:13:08.009 --> 00:13:10.909 What was the ROI? Build those compelling case 00:13:10.909 --> 00:13:14.009 studies. Show, don't just tell. Got it. Document 00:13:14.009 --> 00:13:17.090 the value. Phase three. Phase three. Target the 00:13:17.090 --> 00:13:20.309 early majority. Your ideal client for this strategic 00:13:20.309 --> 00:13:22.809 partnership model isn't necessarily the super 00:13:22.809 --> 00:13:25.250 bleeding edge startup always chasing the newest 00:13:25.250 --> 00:13:28.009 thing. It's more likely the established successful 00:13:28.009 --> 00:13:30.610 business. They're maybe a bit cautious, but they're 00:13:30.610 --> 00:13:32.870 definitely curious about AI. They've heard the 00:13:32.870 --> 00:13:35.509 hype, maybe seen some failures, and now they 00:13:35.509 --> 00:13:38.029 want a trusted guide. Precisely. They want someone 00:13:38.029 --> 00:13:40.450 to help them navigate it smartly. Think established 00:13:40.450 --> 00:13:43.289 financial firms, Forex brokerages, well -funded 00:13:43.289 --> 00:13:45.429 crypto projects needing operational efficiency 00:13:45.429 --> 00:13:47.830 businesses looking for real results, not just 00:13:47.830 --> 00:13:50.169 experiments. Okay, and the final step, phase 00:13:50.169 --> 00:13:52.750 four. Phase four, build your transformation partner 00:13:52.750 --> 00:13:55.620 offering. This is where you gradually formalize 00:13:55.620 --> 00:13:58.460 everything, develop a structured audit process, 00:13:58.820 --> 00:14:01.320 create professional -looking training materials, 00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:03.980 maybe build partnerships with other specialists 00:14:03.980 --> 00:14:06.480 if there are areas you don't cover, like specific 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:09.919 legal or compliance aspects. You're solidifying 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.879 your shift from builder to guide to full strategic 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:15.679 partner. And the irony here, as the source mentions, 00:14:15.899 --> 00:14:18.960 is that the very AI tools that seemed like the 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:21.879 threat. They become your superpower. It's beautiful, 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:24.779 really. These tools let you build prototypes 00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:28.039 faster, test ideas cheaper, dramatically cut 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:30.059 down development time. Which means better margins 00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:32.259 on projects. Better margins, lower risk for the 00:14:32.259 --> 00:14:34.299 client because they can see things working quickly, 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:37.019 and critically, it increases your capacity. You 00:14:37.019 --> 00:14:39.440 can handle more strategic work, serve more clients 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.500 because the build phase is so much faster and 00:14:41.500 --> 00:14:43.559 more efficient. So if an agency leader listening 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:45.720 right now wants to take the very first concrete 00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:48.259 step towards this pivot, what should they do 00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:50.899 today or tomorrow? Offer an AI readiness assessment 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:53.340 to their existing clients. Start that conversation. 00:14:53.700 --> 00:14:56.419 So wrapping this all up, the big idea we've explored 00:14:56.419 --> 00:14:59.100 today is that the real value in the AI space 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:02.980 is shifting. It's moving upstream, away from 00:15:02.980 --> 00:15:06.320 just the technical build, and towards strategy, 00:15:06.539 --> 00:15:09.720 guidance, education, true partnership. Yeah, 00:15:09.740 --> 00:15:12.509 exactly. But... And this is key, that technical 00:15:12.509 --> 00:15:14.950 foundation you've built, all that hands -on experience. 00:15:15.509 --> 00:15:18.070 It's absolutely essential for credibility in 00:15:18.070 --> 00:15:20.490 this new strategic role. You know how these systems 00:15:20.490 --> 00:15:23.009 actually work. You know the pitfalls. That's 00:15:23.009 --> 00:15:25.190 gold to businesses looking for someone they can 00:15:25.190 --> 00:15:27.629 trust. There's that great quote from the expert 00:15:27.629 --> 00:15:29.649 in the source. Oh, yeah. People are going to 00:15:29.649 --> 00:15:32.230 try to come in at the consultant level, but they're 00:15:32.230 --> 00:15:33.809 going to have none of the base you guys have 00:15:33.809 --> 00:15:36.730 been building. That really nails it. So this 00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:38.570 really feels like a unique moment, a chance for 00:15:38.570 --> 00:15:41.309 agencies with that tech foundation to bridge 00:15:41.309 --> 00:15:44.490 this growing gap between what AI can do and what 00:15:44.490 --> 00:15:46.409 businesses are actually achieving with it. It 00:15:46.409 --> 00:15:48.350 absolutely is. The big question for listeners 00:15:48.350 --> 00:15:51.889 is, are you ready to step up and be that bridge? 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:54.830 Are you ready to lead? A powerful thought to 00:15:54.830 --> 00:15:57.509 end on. Thank you for joining us for this deep 00:15:57.509 --> 00:16:00.059 dive. We really hope these insights give you 00:16:00.059 --> 00:16:02.600 a new lens, a new perspective to apply to your 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:05.200 own situation. And you can find more deep dives 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.399 like this from The Deep Dive wherever you get 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:09.679 your podcasts. Thanks for listening.