Board of One vs Consultants
McKinsey charges £5,000+/day. Boutique firms charge £1,000+. What if you could get strategic frameworks without the consulting invoice?
The reality of consulting costs
For most founders, consulting is simply out of reach—or requires betting a significant portion of runway on a single project.
Quick comparison
| Consultants | Board of One | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £1,000-5,000/day | Fixed monthly subscription |
| Minimum engagement | 2-4 weeks typical | No minimum |
| Availability | Project-based, scheduled | 24/7, instant |
| Context ramp-up | 1-2 weeks to understand you | Instant (always loaded) |
| Output format | Polished decks after weeks | Immediate, iterative |
| Research depth | Deep primary research | Works with your data |
| Brand credibility | High (McKinsey/BCG name) | None |
When to choose Board of One
You need strategic frameworks, not primary research
Speed matters—you can't wait weeks for a deck
You have frequent decisions, not one big project
Budget matters—£50k+ minimum is out of reach
You want to iterate quickly, not wait for polished deliverables
When to choose consultants
You need deep primary research (50+ customer interviews)
Their brand name matters (investor credibility, board politics)
It's a bet-the-company decision (major acquisition, market entry)
You need implementation support, not just strategy
Budget isn't a constraint and timeline isn't urgent
The 80/20 reality
Most of what founders need from consultants is strategic thinking—frameworks, analysis, recommendations. That's the 80% that Board of One handles.
The other 20%—deep research, brand credibility, implementation support—is where consultants still have an edge. But you're paying for the full 100% even when you only need 20%.
Use Board of One for the 80%. Save consultants for the rare occasions you truly need them.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI really replace McKinsey?
Not for everything. Top consultants bring deep industry expertise, research capabilities, political capital (their brand carries weight), and hands-on implementation support. What Board of One replaces is the strategic thinking and framework development—the stuff you're paying £1,000+/day for someone to do. For most founder decisions, that's what you actually need.
What about the research consultants do?
Consultants excel at deep market research, customer interviews, and competitive intelligence gathering. Board of One doesn't replace primary research. What it replaces is the analysis and recommendation layer—taking what you know and turning it into frameworks and decisions. If you need 50 customer interviews, hire a consultant. If you need to decide what to do with the insights you already have, that's Board of One.
My investors want to see a McKinsey deck
That's a credibility play, not a quality play. If your investors specifically want the McKinsey brand on a deck, that's a different value proposition than getting good strategic advice. Be honest about what you're buying—if it's credibility, pay for it. If it's thinking, you might not need to.
What kinds of projects make sense for consultants vs. Board of One?
Consultants: Due diligence for major acquisitions, market entry studies requiring primary research, organizational restructuring with political sensitivity, anything requiring their brand credibility. Board of One: Day-to-day strategic decisions, pricing and positioning, feature prioritization, operational improvements, anything you need to decide quickly and repeatedly.
How does the output quality compare?
For strategic frameworks and decision support, Board of One's output is comparable to good consultant work—sometimes better because it's faster and more iterative. For deep research and politically sensitive recommendations, consultants have advantages. For speed and cost, Board of One wins decisively. The question is what you actually need.
What about boutique consultants who are cheaper?
Boutique consultants (£500-1,000/day) are more accessible, but the economics are still challenging for most founders. A week of boutique consulting costs £2,500-5,000. That's months of Board of One access. And you still have scheduling constraints, context rebuilding, and project minimums to contend with.
Strategic guidance without the invoice
Get consulting-quality frameworks at a fraction of the cost.