TFS Gulf 
- I’m Alibek D., ex-McKinsey turned co-founder of Perceptis AI.
- At Perceptis, we raised $3.6M to bring MBB-grade” technology to boutique firms.
- In the world of AI, I believe thousands of boutique consulting firms will rise.
- Why? Because the consulting pyramid is collapsing, giving boutique firms a similar edge as the MBB giants.
From Big Tech to McKinsey
I started in Big Tech (Amazon + Google), and a few years later, in 2015, I pivoted to consulting with McKinsey.
I brought a tech-first mindset, but I was told more than once, “This is consulting, not Google. Leave your tech tricks behind.”
Fast forward to 2023, and McKinsey had gone all-in on technology, building advanced platforms to support clients and operations.
Rise of boutique firms
Over my 6–7 years in consulting, I noticed a clear hierarchy:
- At the top sit the MBBs: McKinsey, BCG, Bain.
- In the middle: Big 4s and mid-sized advisory arms.
- At the base: Thousands of boutique consulting firms: small, hyper-specialised, nimble players.
Here’s the interesting part: the bottom of that pyramid is growing way faster than the top.
- The big names? They’re crawling along at maybe 3–5% growth.
- Meanwhile, boutiques are charging ahead with close to double-digit growth, some even clocking 100–200% year over year.
Why the rise of boutique firms? Need for specialisation.
We surveyed clients of consulting services, and the pattern was clear:
- If a client wants to sway a political decision or make a big splash, they’ll hire a big-brand consultancy.
- However, if they require sharp, niche expertise, they will opt for a boutique. It’s faster, more focused, and often more cost-effective.
So yes, the consulting pyramid is about to flip!
Also read: McKinsey’s AI Agents replace 5000 consultants: Watch out Indian tax, advisory firms
The problem: MBBs have AI, boutiques don’t
The big firms have their AI arsenals:
- McKinsey → Lilli / Quantum Black
- BCG → Dexter
- Big Four → their own internal platforms
But boutiques lack one thing MBBs have: AI-powered infrastructure!
Later that year, I left McKinsey and co-founded Perceptis AI to become the operating system of modern consulting.
Our starting point was obvious: proposals. Perceptis plugs into a firm’s knowledge base, past proposals, case studies, and CVs and generates customised, client-ready decks in minutes.
But proposals are just the beginning. We’re now expanding into project delivery, faster slide-building, deep research, and knowledge management.
Also read: Big 4 struggle with AI adoption, while midsized & boutique firms win
The next era
Over the next few years, I predict:
- Thousands of niche consulting firms will emerge, focused on sectors, regions, or problems.
- AI-first boutiques will challenge traditional players and often win (A five-person firm can now deliver MBB-grade outputs without the overhead.)
- Clients will have more choice than ever, forcing everyone to raise their game.
That’s why I don’t believe AI will “kill” MBB consultants. Clients don’t hire us for slides; they hire us for judgment, trust, and expertise.
But AI will flatten the pyramid McKinsey and others have dominated for decades. The monopoly of scale is ending.
As for AI obliterating consulting altogether? Personally, I don’t see it.
An interesting POV
Consulting is increasingly becoming a technology industry. And in tech, leadership is never permanent.
IBM gave way to Microsoft. Yahoo was replaced by Google, which in turn is now challenged by TikTok and new platforms. In tech, the leader rarely stays on top for more than a decade.
Professional services, by contrast, have been far more stable: McKinsey has led for a century, Goldman Sachs for nearly 80 years.
But here’s the question: as consulting becomes more like tech, will it also inherit tech’s churn? Will the giants hold their dominance, or will a new wave of AI-powered boutiques reshape the landscape?
