It Exposes Weak Thinking.

There’s a pattern happening right now.

Someone tries AI.

They get something average.

And they say:

“See? It’s not that good.”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

AI usually reflects the quality of the thinking behind the question.

Not the quality of the tool.

The Mirror Effect

Ask AI:

“What should we charge for advisory services?”

You’ll get safe ranges. General guidance. Market averages.

Now try:

“What should a 3-part advisory package look like for $5M–$15M service businesses in {{city}} with 15–40 employees, where the owner takes $600k+ in distributions and wants to exit in 7 years?”

Now you’re modeling value.

Same AI.

Different clarity.

AI didn’t get smarter.

The question did.

Weak Thinking Gets Automated

Let’s say a prospect tells your firm:

“Your $2,500/month fee is too expensive. We’re paying $900 now.”

If you ask AI:

“How should I respond to a pricing objection?”

You’ll get a generic objection-handling script.

But if you ask:

“Draft a response to a multi-location dental practice owner in {{city}} who believes $2,500/month is too high compared to $900 bookkeeping, emphasizing EBITDA growth, acquisition readiness, and long-term exit value.”

Now you get strategy.

Not defense.

Weak thinking automates defense. Structured thinking builds leverage.

Also read: Most Firms Are Using AI Wrong

This Is Where Firms Get Uncomfortable

For years, firms survived on:

• Responsiveness
• Relationships
• Geography
• Longevity

Now AI levels information access.

It drafts proposals.
It summarizes regulations.
It outlines tax strategies.

If your differentiation is:

“We care.”
“We’re thorough.”
“We’ve been around 30 years.”

AI makes that harder to defend.

Because it can mimic all of it.

What it can’t mimic?

Structured advisory reasoning.

Bring This Into a Real Client Scenario

A business owner says:

“I think I’m paying too much in taxes.”

Compliance response:
Review the return.
Look for missed deductions.
Adjust estimates.

Advisory response:
Is the entity optimized?
Is reasonable compensation calibrated?
Are distributions structured intentionally?
Is there multi-state exposure?
Is there a 5–10 year liquidity plan?
Is QSBS available?
Is real estate carved out?
Is a management company viable?

Each question eliminates half the strategy universe.

That’s constraint layering. That’s structured narrowing.

AI accelerates that process — if you operate that way.

If you don’t, it just makes checklists faster.

The Real Risk Isn’t AI

The real risk is indistinguishability.

Generic prompts produce generic output. Generic positioning produces price pressure.

And AI will flood the market with generics.

That’s not a prediction – that’s already happening.

The firms that struggle won’t be the ones who ignored AI. They’ll be the ones who never clarified what makes them specific.

AI exposes that instantly.

Related: I Used AI to Identify a TV Actor at Erewhon.

Here’s the Shift

AI compresses mediocrity. It replicates average. It scales vague. But it amplifies clarity.

If your firm thinks broadly —
“Small businesses.”
“High-income individuals.”
“Business owners.”

AI will reflect that breadth back to you.

If your firm thinks narrowly —
“Acquisition-focused dental groups in {{city}} targeting 10-year EBITDA multiples.”

AI sharpens around it. And sharpening creates authority.

Authority creates margin.

Margin creates freedom.

The Firms That Win

It won’t be the firms that:

• Use AI the most.
• Publish the most.
• Automate the fastest.

It will be the firms that:

• Think precisely.
• Narrow deliberately.
• Build repeatable advisory systems.
• Use AI as an amplifier of structured reasoning.

AI doesn’t eliminate accountants. It eliminates camouflage.

And the firms that know who they are — and who they serve — will see more leverage than ever before.

Same tools.

Different outcomes.

The difference is thinking.

‍