Field Notes
Practical writing for product leaders and the boutique advisory firms that rely on them – diagnostic patterns, strategy decisions, document intelligence, and how to operate a sharper consulting practice.
The Fractional COO's Role Just Changed. Here's the Gap It Left.
AI drove a 46% fractional COO demand surge by restructuring the role itself. Here's what the unbundling left behind – and why it matters for boutique advisors.
Your Clients Compare Your Deliverables to Their Salesforce
64% of mid-market executives expect real-time consulting visibility, up from 31% in 2023. Here's why the static deliverable is now a structural problem.
Enterprise Document AI Isn't Built for Boutique Advisory Practices
Hebbia runs $3K–$10K per seat per year. Blueflame is now part of Datasite. Neither has a boutique tier — and the gap is structural, not cosmetic.
The $50K Alternative to McKinsey: Managed Intelligence for Advisors
DiligenceSquared delivers M&A research for $50K vs. $500K–$1M from McKinsey. Bridgetown raised $19M on the same thesis. The model this validates matters.
Why Your Meeting Notes Aren't Building Institutional Knowledge
Your AI meeting tools capture what's said. Institutional knowledge requires a synthesis layer above capture — curation, retrieval, and patterns that compound.
What the 20% Capturing AI's Value Are Actually Doing
74% of AI's economic value flows to 20% of companies – and the other 80% are using AI too. Here's what separates the top performers from everyone else.
Why Your CRM's AI Doesn't Know When a Client Is at Risk
Generic CRM AI flags at-risk consulting clients correctly just 41% of the time. Here's why that gap exists and what the firms hitting 79% built instead.
How One-Person Advisory Firms Hit 60% Operating Margins
The best solo advisory practitioners aren't working more than their peers. They've solved a structural problem their peers haven't — and the margin differential shows it.
The 70% That Gets You to Your Best Work
There's a 70/30 split in most advisory engagements. The extraction layer is the 70%, and it doesn't require your 20 years. Here's what changes when it moves.
Your Pipeline Is Healthy. Your Calendar Is Lying to You.
Boutique advisory practices hit a capacity ceiling when the pipeline outgrows the calendar. Here's why it's a role-definition problem, not a scheduling fix.
Welcome to Field Notes
What this blog is for, who it's for, and what to expect — practical writing for product leaders and the boutique advisory firms that rely on them.