The most dominant consulting firm in history is crumbling.
McKinsey ruled business strategy for 100 years.
But their growth has now collapsed to 2%.
Their biggest rival is closing fast...
Here's the truth behind McKinsey's collapse (and what's coming next): https://t.co/de3tGqheSL
McKinsey's fall from grace is NUTS.
Between 2012 and 2024, they doubled revenue to $16 billion...they seemed unstoppable.
But behind the scenes...they've quietly eliminated 5,000 jobs globally.
And that's just the beginning... https://t.co/pnJudzn9gB
Boston Consulting Group is rapidly closing the gap.
BCG employs 37,000 people, approaching McKinsey's 45,000. Their revenue hit $13.5 billion in 2024 with 10% growth.
In 2012, McKinsey was twice BCG's size. Today...just 20% larger.
BCG's secret weapon isn't aggressive hiring: https://t.co/E8tqXslysT
It's digital talent retention.
BCG's Greater Delhi office grew 14% in 2025, and it's PACKED with data scientists and AI specialists.
While McKinsey cuts staff, BCG is building the future...
And there are more threats coming from companies that McKinsey never saw as rivals.
Palantir achieved 50% year-over-year revenue growth by doing something radical... https://t.co/cxCk2oFgfs
They embed engineers directly with clients to implement AI solutions.
No PowerPoints. No strategy decks. Just results.
Clients don't want more analysis. They want implementation.
Palantir proved it...
Technical execution beats strategic recommendations.
OpenAI is now offering consulting-like services. Major tech companies deploy advisory teams.
They combine deep technical expertise with business strategy that actually works...
McKinsey has tried to respond... https://t.co/dxImZRvTTM
They have acquired 16 technology companies between 2013 and 2023.
But the truth is, software companies attract better engineering talent.
And now the fundamental problem runs deeper than competition.
AI has completely destroyed the traditional consulting business model...
Junior analysts used to spend months crunching numbers and creating presentations.
Now AI does it in minutes.
The entire leverage model is collapsing... https://t.co/mQFfgcGPCI
Traditional consulting firms bill millions for work that junior staff perform.
Partners sell strategy while associates do grunt work.
But when AI automates data analysis and presentations, what's left?
Fee compression is inevitable.
McKinsey built proprietary AI called Lilli to protect their advantage.
It's trained on over 100,000 internal documents spanning decades of client work.
72% of consultants use it monthly, saving 50,000 labor hours.
But to be honest, this advantage will be short-lived... https://t.co/MdXs24qMXE
Because as AI tools democratize, proprietary knowledge loses its power.
The winners in this new landscape combine technical depth with business execution.
They don't just advise on digital transformation:
They build it, implement it, and make it work.
At @NextLinkLabs, we've been operating in this new model from day one.
We deliver secure, scalable tech solutions while building high-performance teams.
Our approach bridges the gap that traditional firms are scrambling to fill... https://t.co/jSfoQgicxS
We help mid-market companies execute digital transformation without traditional consulting markup or delays.
If you're a CXO or technical founder navigating the AI shift, DM me, I'd love to chat.
Thanks for reading!
After years of building secure, scalable tech for mid-market companies, I've learned that execution beats strategy every time—and the best operators know this.
Follow me @jordansaunders for direct insights on scaling tech teams and infrastructure profitably.
Image Credits:
"Sam Altman CropEdit James Tamim" by TechCrunch, sourced from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sam_Altman_CropEdit_James_Tamim.jpg
"3 World Trade Center 002" by Kidfly182, sourced from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3_World_Trade_Center_002.jpg
"Mckinsey-logo" by Unknown author, sourced from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mckinsey-logo.svg
Video Credit:
Is McKinsey losing its crown to AI?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXAXNcRs7gQ
