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Aloha,

This week I'm exploring how AI is reshaping the consulting landscape in two sessions:

👉️ Ask-Me-Anything with Change Enthusiasm Global community (open)

👉️ Session for Project Management Institute on AI Maturity (members-only)

Perfect timing, because I just experienced this transformation firsthand.

2AM on Sunday, and I did something I never thought possible: I built an entire data platform from scratch. No traditional coding background. Just me and my AI crew.

Let me show you how...

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Is This The End of the Big Idea? Why Small is the New Scale…

2AM on Sunday, and I just did something I never thought possible:

I built an entire data platform from scratch, with no traditional coding background.

In two days, AI & I composed an working demo of the AI Maturity Index Intelligence Hub. LLM - Claude 3.7 Sonnet + coding tool - Cursor + framework - my messy brain…

The result? A full data intelligence platform featuring:

• Industry maturity explorer

• Tool adoption patterns

• ROI calculator

• Real-time benchmarking

• Custom filtering across sectors

• Automated report generation

What would typically require a team of engineers and weeks (or months) of development, I built in... 2 days (!!!). How crazy is that? This isn't just another productivity breakthrough. It's evidence of a fundamental shift that Greg Isenberg predicted: "The future of building startups is not by building a startup—it's by building a microstartup."

We're entering the era of the Software Composer

The gap between idea and execution has nearly vanished. When AI handles the syntax, we can focus on solving real problems. This shift isn't just changing how we build—it's transforming what we choose to build. The traditional "unicorn or bust" mentality is giving way to a new model: portfolios of small, highly profitable micro-businesses, each serving a precise market need.

For the past decade, the startup narrative has been dominated by a singular vision: raise big, grow fast, and aim for billion-dollar valuations. This "unicorn or bust" mentality shaped everything from founder ambitions to investor expectations. But a profound shift is occurring, led by entrepreneurs like Greg Isenberg who argue that "the future of building startups is not by building a startup—it's by building a microstartup." Enabled by AI and validated by market success, founders are discovering that smaller, focused businesses often create more value than moonshot ventures.

The New Mathematics of Value Creation

The traditional startup equation assumed bigger meant better. But AI has fundamentally altered this calculation. As Isenberg demonstrates through Late Checkout's portfolio, today's micro-businesses can achieve unprecedented efficiency:

• Development cycles compressed from months to days through AI-powered tools like Cursor and LLM's very good in coding like Sonnet 3.7 by Anthropic

• Customer acquisition through hyper-specific positioning (e.g., "AI-generated interview questions for Series A SaaS companies" rather than generic "AI for HR")

• Support and scaling handled by AI-powered systems, allowing small teams to serve large user bases

My experience isn't an isolated case. The Lean AI Native Companies leaderboard tracks startups generating over $5M ARR with fewer than 50 employees. These aren't just efficient businesses—they're proof of Sam Altman's prediction that "There'll soon be a 1-person billion dollar company."

The numbers are staggering:

• Telegram: $1B revenue with just 30 people ($33.3M per employee)

• Midjourney: $500M revenue with 40 people ($12.5M per employee)

• Cursor: $100M revenue with 20 people ($5M per employee)

Even more inspiring are the micro-teams:

• Cal AI: A 17-year-old CEO built a $12M ARR business with 4 people

• Oleve: $6M ARR with 4 people, proving the portfolio approach works

• Chatbase: Hit $5M ARR with just 11 people

When you can build and deploy sophisticated solutions in days instead of months, the traditional correlation between team size and output breaks down completely. We're witnessing the rise of what I call "exponential efficiency"—where each team member can generate millions in revenue through AI leverage.

Portfolio Thinking: The New Startup Strategy

Instead of betting everything on a single big idea, successful founders are building portfolios of focused solutions. Isenberg's framework suggests breaking down your long-term vision into 5-10 microstartups prioritized by viral potential. For example, a comprehensive productivity vision might include:

1. A browser extension blocking distracting websites

2. An AI agent summarizing meeting notes

3. A niche newsletter targeting remote workers

Each product serves a specific need while contributing to a larger ecosystem. This approach:

• Reduces risk through revenue diversification

• Accelerates learning across products

• Allows rapid market testing of multiple ideas

• Creates compound value through interconnected solutions

The 1mm Rule: Why Details Create Empires

Drawing from Nikita Bier's social app philosophy, successful microstartups thrive on "atomic differentiators"—features so precisely tuned they create outsized impact. Consider how a simple coconut notification sound became a crucial differentiator in a crowded market. This principle manifests through:

• Hyper-specific positioning that solves one problem exceptionally well

• Frictionless onboarding using "link-only" sales mechanisms

• Community-driven virality built through curated user groups

The Taste vs. Engineering Dichotomy

While AI democratizes technical execution, Isenberg emphasizes that "taste trumps engineering in sought-after skills." Success increasingly depends on:

• Ability to spot gaps in saturated markets

• Understanding of user psychology and needs

• Skill in positioning and differentiation

• Community building and engagement

Practical Implementation: The ACP Framework

For entrepreneurs ready to embrace this shift, Isenberg's Audience → Community → Product (ACP) framework provides a clear path:

1. Start as a Twitter account or Discord community solving a specific pain point

2. Transition to paid tiers once engagement hits critical mass (10+ daily organic discussions)

3. Build tools that automate community-validated solutions

Before writing any code, validate through:

1. Identifying paying customer segments through manual outreach

2. Mastering their vernacular through community immersion

3. Testing hooks via low-cost ads

4. Documenting pain points in their own words

5. Analyzing competitors' positioning gaps

6. Defining differentiation axes

7. Securing financial commitments

8. Building the minimal viable community

The Cultural Shift: Redefining Success

The most profound change isn't in business models—it's in how we define success. The new metrics include:

• Profit per employee rather than total headcount

• Community engagement over user acquisition costs

• Speed to first revenue versus funding raised

• Quality of life alongside business growth

For entrepreneurs, this shift creates immediate opportunities. Start by identifying underserved niches within your expertise. Build small, focused solutions using AI tools for development and operations. Test multiple ideas in parallel, letting market response guide your portfolio strategy.

The end of the big idea doesn't mean thinking small—it means thinking smart. In an AI-powered world, the most successful entrepreneurs won't be those chasing unicorn status, but those building portfolios of focused, profitable businesses. The future belongs to those who understand that in 2025, small is not just beautiful—it's powerful.

🤔 Your Turn: What small, focused opportunity are you ignoring while chasing your "big idea"?

Hit "Reply" and let me know:

1. What would you build if you could code anything in 48 hours?

2. Which micro-opportunity are you most excited about?

See you next week,

Iwo

PS. Don't forget to join this week's sessions on AI's consulting revolution 👆