AI Makes the Pretty Slides: Pay for Impact, Not Optics
In short
AI now produces in seconds what consultants once billed for days: polished slides, reports, and analyses. What keeps its price is judgment, accountability, and measurable implementation. Buy the outcome, not the optics: the working process, the agent, the measured result.
A viral LinkedIn post by Alvin Foo (2026) captured the consulting career ladder in one line: before AI, consultants made pretty slides; now AI makes them in 30 seconds. The honest punchline: less PowerPoint, more actual power. For Swiss SMEs, the strategic consequence is clear: stop buying the presentation layer as a premium product.
The consulting ladder, told honestly
Before AI, consultants made pretty slides; now AI makes pretty slides in 30 seconds.
The post goes further: AI might automate the slides, but convincing everyone the slides will change the world survives another decade. Less PowerPoint, more actual power. That is not a reason to dismiss consulting. It is a reason to buy a different layer of it.
What keeps its price when optics collapse
When presentation becomes a commodity, you overpay for slide production. But analysis, judgment, and implementation do not become worthless. Demand shifts to what AI cannot replace: deciding under uncertainty, taking responsibility, and turning a recommendation into a measured outcome.
- Judgment: deriving the right decision from incomplete information.
- Accountability: owning a recommendation even when AI drafted it.
- Implementation: turning a slide into a working process or agent that measures its impact.
Swiss reality: data, audit, and revDSG
An AI agent that generates a monthly report from your ERP (for example Abacus or Bexio) sounds simple. In practice it is about data quality, permissions, audit trails, and revDSG-compliant processing. Ignore that and you automate the error, just on a prettier slide.
From slide theatre to outcome buying
The shift starts with a business goal instead of a deliverable. Instead of 'we need an AI strategy as a presentation', say: 'we want to reduce throughput time in the quoting process by a measurable amount.' You then negotiate results, not page counts.
- Classic PowerPoint consulting
- You buy hours and slide production. Output: a document.
- Solid AI analysis (Swiss market)
- Typically CHF 5,000 to 10,000. It prevents misinvestment by clarifying processes, data, and ownership before tool selection.
- Outcome buying / AI outsourcing
- You buy a working process or agent including measurement; price depends on scope.
- Risk
- Buying optics means you pay for representation, not for decision-making or change.
In the Swiss market, a solid AI analysis typically costs between CHF 5,000 and 10,000. It prevents expensive misinvestment because it clarifies processes, data, and responsibilities before tool selection. How Swiss mid-market companies anchor AI as a top-management topic is covered by the Swiss AI Podcast.
Frequently asked questions
- Why should I stop buying expensive PowerPoint consulting?
- Because AI produces the presentation layer in seconds. You otherwise pay a premium for a commodity. Your budget belongs in judgment, accountability, and implementation.
- What is the difference between output and outcome?
- Output is the document or slide. Outcome is the measurable change in a process, such as shorter turnaround or fewer errors. Buy outcome.
- How much does a solid AI analysis cost in Switzerland?
- Typically between CHF 5,000 and 10,000. It prevents misinvestment by clarifying processes, data, and responsibilities before tool selection.
- How do I recognize a consultant who delivers impact instead of slides?
- They ask about your business objective first, not page count. They define measurable targets, accept accountability, and stay available during implementation.
- What role does revDSG play in AI-generated reports?
- If personal or business data is processed, data protection, permissions, and audit trails must be right. Swiss hosting or a clearly governed data flow belongs to clean implementation.
- Is AI outsourcing only for large companies?
- No. Swiss SMEs benefit especially because they become capable of action without building an internal AI team. The analysis costs a fraction of typical consulting budgets.
Sources
Chris Jon Graf · AI Strategist & CEO
For over 15 years, Chris Jon Graf has built productive Swiss software platforms and advised executive teams on the strategic deployment of artificial intelligence. Would you like to evaluate this topic for your company?