The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone
Aug 3, 2026 · 13 min · 9 segments
AI isn't going away. And the consultancies that don't adopt it are going to get left behind. In this episode I break down how to use AI to grow your consultancy - to win more work, move faster, and…
Josh StoneHost
So the big idea one I wanna talk to you about is, uh, essentially adopt AI or get left behind.
Um, so what I wanna talk to you about is, like, I guess, the, the honest and potentially slightly uncomfortable truth that AI isn't a fad.
And as an industry built on, I guess, crunching numbers, doing repetitive work, the firms that ignore AI are going to get left behind.
Um, you know, you can get angry about the fact that it's here, but it's just, um, you know, it's a simple fact.
And so, so, so much of what we do in the engineering built environment industry is, like, number crunching, it's repetitive tasks, the report writing, um, emails.
Like, there's, there's so much process-driven work, which is exactly what AI is, is good at.
So we, we can get angry, we can get frustrated, we can put our head in the sand and go, "Oh, it'll, it'll, it'll...
They'll burn themselves out." Um, but it's here to stay and we've got to adopt it.
So yeah, the reality is that there are firms out there that can see the competitive advantage that AI gives them.
But the reality is those firms out there, and there are some, I hate that people undercut each other in this industry, it's a pet peeve of mine, but there are people out there that will do stuff for cheaper, that will undercut you, uh, they'll win more market share, and that's gonna be their plan to grow.
So wishing that AI wasn't here and hoping it going away won't stop it from happening.
So the firms that adopt AI, they get comfortable with, like, the changes, um, the, and you get more competitive in the market, um, you know, you're just gonna win more work, and you're gonna be, um, keeping up with the times.
And the ones that don't, the ones that wait for this to, to, to go past us or, um, or slowly start or only adopt a little bit, they're gonna be losing work, and that's just kinda how business goes.
So I guess if part of you is quietly hoping this whole AI thing blows over, I want you to ask yourself this.
So the big idea one I wanna talk to you about is, uh, essentially adopt AI or get left behind.
Um, so what I wanna talk to you about is, like, I guess, the, the honest and potentially slightly uncomfortable truth that AI isn't a fad.
And as an industry built on, I guess, crunching numbers, doing repetitive work, the firms that ignore AI are going to get left behind.
Um, you know, you can get angry about the fact that it's here, but it's just, um, you know, it's a simple fact.
And so, so, so much of what we do in the engineering built environment industry is, like, number crunching, it's repetitive tasks, the report writing, um, emails.
Like, there's, there's so much process-driven work, which is exactly what AI is, is good at.
So we, we can get angry, we can get frustrated, we can put our head in the sand and go, "Oh, it'll, it'll, it'll...
They'll burn themselves out." Um, but it's here to stay and we've got to adopt it.
So yeah, the reality is that there are firms out there that can see the competitive advantage that AI gives them.
But the reality is those firms out there, and there are some, I hate that people undercut each other in this industry, it's a pet peeve of mine, but there are people out there that will do stuff for cheaper, that will undercut you, uh, they'll win more market share, and that's gonna be their plan to grow.
So wishing that AI wasn't here and hoping it going away won't stop it from happening.
So the firms that adopt AI, they get comfortable with, like, the changes, um, the, and you get more competitive in the market, um, you know, you're just gonna win more work, and you're gonna be, um, keeping up with the times.
And the ones that don't, the ones that wait for this to, to, to go past us or, um, or slowly start or only adopt a little bit, they're gonna be losing work, and that's just kinda how business goes.
So I guess if part of you is quietly hoping this whole AI thing blows over, I want you to ask yourself this.
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