Mike Larcher: Why Australian companies are moving thousands of roles overseas

AI is coming for white collar work. But the loudest voices predicting the end of human labor might have the most to gain from the hype. Mike is Founder and CEO of Outsourced, a global offshore talent company employing just under 2,000 people across six countries. While technologists predict AI will eliminate the need for human workers, Mike is seeing the opposite. His business is growing faster than ever, hiring 100 people per month, and clients aren't replacing offshore staff with AI. They're using AI to make those teams more powerful. In this conversation, Mike shares what's actually happening on the ground as businesses navigate AI, automation, and offshore talent. He explains why major Australian companies like NAB, Coles, and Woolworths are moving thousands of roles offshore while simultaneously investing in AI, why economists disagree with the technologists about the future of work, and how business owners should decide what to automate, what to offshore, and what to keep onshore. He also opens up about the decision to partner with private equity four years ago, how that partnership helped him scale from 400 to nearly 2,000 staff, and what he's learned about valuation, accountability, and building a business that can grow without breaking. He explains: - Why AI is more of a threat to onshore staff than offshore staff, and what that means for how businesses should structure their teams - How major Australian companies are moving thousands of roles offshore while investing heavily in AI at the same time - Why the technologists predicting the end of human work have different incentives than the economists studying it - The framework for deciding what to automate, what to offshore, and what to keep onshore - Why roles requiring human judgment, client relationships, or compliance oversight should stay with humans, even if AI can assist - How multilingual real time translation technology will remove the last major barrier to offshore hiring within 12 months - The cultural nuances business owners need to understand when managing offshore teams, and why hierarchy systems in the Philippines and India change how meetings and brainstorming sessions work - Why he decided to partner with private equity, and how that partnership helped him scale from 400 to nearly 2,000 staff in four years - What changed when private equity came on board, and why the increased accountability was necessary to scale past 60 million in revenue - The acquisition strategy that opened up new countries, and what he learned about valuation by looking at the books of 30 different companies If you've been wondering whether AI will make offshore talent irrelevant, or if you're trying to figure out how to structure your team in a world where automation and global talent are both accelerating, this episode will give you a perspective most business owners aren't hearing. Timestamps: ### Chapters - **00:00:00** Introduction - **00:01:53** The AI Threat: Will Offshore Jobs Disappear? - **00:04:18** What's Already Changed: The First AI Job Losses - **00:06:41** Why AI Makes Offshore Talent More Competitive, Not Less - **00:07:27** The Corporate Evidence: NAB, Coles, Woolworths Going Offshore - **00:11:56** How to Decide: Automate, Offshore, or Keep Onshore? - **00:14:59** The Offshore Talent Myth: From VAs to CTOs - **00:18:56** Cultural Intelligence: What Onshore Leaders Need to Learn - **00:20:55** The AI Skills Revolution: What Changes for Offshore Teams - **00:31:56** Bringing in Private Equity: The Decision That 10x'd the Business - **00:34:46** The PE Learning Curve: Experts, Accountability, and Acquisitions - **00:39:08** Choosing the Right PE Partner: Red Flags and Green Flags We're just getting started! Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and their advisers. Mike Larcher: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-larcher/ Outsourced https://outsourced.co/ At The Top Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@atthetopwithben Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atthetopwithben/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/at-the-top-with-ben/ Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/show/1GTjCXqdQzQtZ33idMpQgo?si=C5gNvXDZSkWdxBz-mW13AA Apple Podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-the-top/id1893782299