AI is changing not only how we work, but what we should pay for.
Generative and agentic AI can dramatically compress the time needed for coding, analysis, configuration, documentation and other consulting tasks.
And that creates an uncomfortable question:
If a consultant delivers in 2 hours what previously took 2 days, should they earn less? 🤔
The traditional consulting model often sells time: days, hours, headcount, TJM.
But when AI increases productivity, time spent and value delivered can become increasingly disconnected.
At the same time, pure outcome-based pricing has its own problems: unclear requirements, changing scope, legacy systems, dependencies on other suppliers and results the consultant cannot fully control.
That tension comes through strongly in the discussion that inspired this poll.
🔸 THE 4 OPTIONS
▪️ Pay for time spent ⏱️
Simple, measurable and predictable. The client pays for the expertise and capacity made available, regardless of the final outcome.
▪️ Pay for outcomes 🎯
Reward the value delivered rather than the hours consumed. AI-driven productivity becomes an advantage instead of reducing revenue.
▪️ Hybrid: time + results ⚖️
A base fee covers effort and complexity, while part of the compensation depends on agreed KPIs, milestones or business outcomes.
▪️ It depends on project 🤷♂️
Probably the pragmatic answer: consulting, implementation, architecture, support and transformation don't carry the same risks or measurability.
As Peter Drucker famously said:
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
AI may make us incredibly efficient.
But perhaps consulting should increasingly ask a different question:
Not “How long did it take?” but “What value did it create?”
What would YOU rather buy from a consultant? 👇
📊 POLL OPTIONS
1️⃣ Pay for time spent ⏱️
2️⃣ Pay for outcomes 🎯
3️⃣ Hybrid: time + results ⚖️
4️⃣ It depends on project 🤷♂️
#Consulting #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #GenerativeAI #AgenticAI #ITConsulting #Tech #SoftwareEngineering #Productivity #FutureOfWork
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