Not actually that long ago in the grand scheme of things—if you were someone who got things done—there was one tool you reached for when a problem emerged; a rock. It was the perfect solution for everything, whether you were building, breaking, attacking, or defending; if a rock didn’t get the job done you likely just needed a bigger rock.
For a ridiculously long time, a good rock was the ultimate answer. But things change and so we stumbled upon metals and learned how to shape them. Bronze gave way to iron, which gave way to steel. The simple rock, once indispensable, became somewhat obsolete as more specialized, refined tools emerged. The processes we used had to change as well. You no longer needed the same arm strength or constant sharpening for a bronze sword; the tools became more efficient, allowing us to focus on the precision of the work rather than the brute force.
And here we are again, at another critical juncture in the evolution of tools and processes.
Look around, most digital processes we use were built around manual effort, data wrangling, and human intuition alone. But in a world where our understanding of AI is rapidly redefining what’s possible, those old processes are starting to look a lot like rocks of millennia past.
It’s time to let go.
Tools Define Humanity, But Refinement Defines Progress
The story of human progress has always been about refining the tools at our disposal. The leap from a blunt rock to a razor-sharp blade isn’t just a technological advancement—it’s the start of a whole new way of thinking about how work gets done. Suddenly, the question shifts from “What can I hit?” to “What can I shape?” With every step forward, processes simplified. A sharp stone needs constant sharpening to not just become a stone again. Iron, on the other hand, holds its edge longer. And once we discovered steel, we unlocked a new world of possibilities.
AI, in many ways, is the modern equivalent of these refined tools. But here’s the critical distinction:
AI is not a tool in itself. It’s the material from which a new generation of tools is being forged.
Just as bronze allowed for the creation of swords, which could cut and pierce in ways the most feared rock-wielding-warriors could never even imagine; AI enables us to build tools that were inconceivable even a decade ago.
Consider what this means for consulting. The processes you’re using today might feel tried-and-true, but they were likely built around manual tools—the equivalent of stone axes in a modern, data-driven world. The data analysis, the client reports, the strategy sessions… each one is still rooted in workflows designed for a different era. An era where the metaphorical rock—no matter how big—was the only tool you had.
But just as we didn’t discard the rock overnight, we’re not discarding your firm’s hard-won expertise, experience, or human intuition. Instead, we’re refining the tools around them, allowing for more precise, streamlined, and powerful processes that focus on impact rather than effort.
AI: The Material, Not the Tool
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that it’s a single, monolithic tool—a “solve everything” mechanism that will either revolutionize or destroy entire industries. This idea comes from viewing AI as a general tool, much like a rock was seen in the early days of humanity. But let’s be clear: AI is not a blunt object. It’s a material—like bronze or iron—that’s giving rise to countless specialized tools designed for specific tasks.
When AI is framed as a broad, abstract concept, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, or to think that adopting it will somehow mean overhauling everything all at once. But that’s not what this is about. AI’s true value lies in its refinement, its ability to be sculpted into precise solutions that make your existing processes more efficient, more agile, and more effective.
Imagine client reporting, for instance. The manual processes many firms still use today are like those stone tools—effective, but requiring constant effort and refinement. By adopting AI, you’re not replacing your team’s expertise, nor are you uprooting your firm’s identity. What you’re doing is introducing a refined tool that allows the same work to be done faster, more accurately, and with less wear and tear on your team. You’re sharpening the blade, making your firm more competitive and agile in the process.
The Slow, Gradual Change
One of the biggest fears consultants—along with everyone else who has something that actually works—have about AI is disruption. And that fear is understandable. But the truth is, change happens gradually, not in one sweeping move. Just like bronze didn’t replace the rock overnight, AI is simply the next material that’s reshaping the tools we use. We didn’t stop using rocks—we learned how to refine them. The same is true now: we’re not discarding your processes, we’re refining them. We’re introducing tools that help your firm stay relevant, adaptive, and, most importantly, focused on what matters—not on the grunt work.
Every step forward in the evolution of tools has led to a simplification of the user experience. Sharpening a stone was constant work, but with better materials came more efficient processes. The same principle applies today. With AI-driven tools, the repetitive, labor-intensive tasks—like data processing or report generation—become automated, freeing your team to focus on the more complex, human elements of their work.
The Rock to Silicon
The tools we build now, the processes we define, are no longer about brute force—they’re about precision, agility, and foresight.
The same process of refinement applies to your firm. The question isn’t whether to embrace AI; the question is whether you’re willing to let go of the rock and reach for something sharper, more agile, and far more powerful. The change is happening, but it’s up to you to decide the direction. After all, at the core of every computer running AI today is silicon, a material once embedded in the humblest of tools; rock. We haven’t abandoned it, we’ve refined it into something far more powerful.
What will be the first rock you put down?