Strategy comes before AI: How to future-proof your business model
This episode was recorded in German.
Strategy comes before AI: An honest transformation story
Many consultancies and agencies are facing the same question right now: classic consulting is hitting its limits, AI is reshaping business models fast, but where do you actually start? In our latest solo episode, Christian Underwood shares his own journey openly: from classic strategy consultant to AI-powered software company. A story that shows transformation isn't a sprint, but a strategic process that grows over years.
Focus as a strategic decision
Long before software or AI were even on the table, a very different decision had to be made: deliberately committing to a single topic. As a consultant, you can offer all kinds of things, but that was never the plan. More than five years ago, strategy was still done mostly in Excel and PowerPoint, without a well-thought-out process or a digital tool. An underserved, high-value topic that clients were willing to pay more, not less, for. "Strategy starts with knowing what you shouldn't do," says Christian Underwood.
From project work to predictable revenue
A key piece of the transformation was leaving behind the volatility of classic project work. Instead of a handful of large clients with an uncertain pipeline, the goal was a broader base, focused on mid-sized companies in the German-speaking market, where most of the client experience sat. At the same time, the payment model changed fundamentally: away from invoicing after the work was done, toward software revenue paid up front. "We had to build a broader client base, not depend on just a few large clients," Christian Underwood explains.
Trust as the foundation
The first concrete step of the transformation wasn't a product, it was a podcast. At a time when there wasn't a single strategy podcast in the German-speaking market, the point was to build visibility and trust first, with real guests who stand for the topic and lend their credibility. Only on that foundation of trust was it possible to sell digitally later. "You can carry that trust digitally today, it works. But it takes trustworthy content," says Christian Underwood.
Scalability instead of headcount
When AI came up, it was quickly clear to Christian Underwood: this isn't about replacing employees, it's about building a business model that works independently of headcount and genuinely scales. Building up staff instead means carrying risk and running into growth limits fast. "The goal was never to replace employees, but to build a scalable business model that really works, independent of headcount," says Christian Underwood.
Strategy comes before AI
Today the platform runs at more than 200 clients, and despite all the development, one lesson stays central: start with the technology too quickly instead of answering the real strategic question first, and you'll head in the wrong direction. Strategy first, then the tool. "Strategy comes before AI," as Christian Underwood puts it.
An invitation to act
If you run a consultancy or agency yourself and wonder how to integrate AI into your business model strategically rather than just for efficiency gains, this episode gives you an honest look behind the scenes, including every detour, every learning and the most important insight at the end. Get inspired and find out how to make your own consultancy or agency fit for the future.
🚀 Listen to the episode now and build your own strategy for the AI era!
SHOW NOTES
Christian Underwood https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianunderwood/
Strategic Decision Intelligence: https://strategicdecisionintelligence.ai
"Hope Is Not a Strategy" magazine https://shop.strategyframe.ai/products/hoffnung-ist-keine-strategie-ii-1-strategic-decision-intelligence
All links https://linktr.ee/strategyframe