What evidence shows that AI is making a business more productive, more resilient, and more valuable to a potential buyer?
In this episode of AI At Work, I speak with Robby Riggs, Global Chief Transformation and Operations Officer and Head of Coverage at Equiteq. Robby previously built a consulting business with a cofounder and sold it to North Highland. His experience as an operator informs the way he now works with founders and investors assessing technology services and consulting businesses.
Our conversation begins with the gap between AI claims and operating reality. Robby says buyers are increasingly examining AI as part of due diligence, while questioning how widely it is used inside the business. His suggested evidence includes revenue per employee, margins, delivery speed, and the actual work promised in client contracts. He also offers a simple diagnostic question. If AI were removed, would the firm's economics change materially? The answer can reveal whether it supports the operating model or mainly supports the sales story.
We discuss how AI could affect the economics of professional services. Robby believes smaller firms can gain capacity through faster analysis and delivery, while larger businesses may retain advantages through proprietary knowledge, customer access, and established relationships. His argument raises a useful question for leaders deciding where to invest. If common tools make certain tasks easier for everyone, what remains distinctive about the firm?
Robby also describes investor interest in recurring revenue and payment for outcomes, alongside the possibility of improved margins. He emphasizes the need to demonstrate those improvements over time. A profitable quarter created by reducing headcount tells a different story from a business that uses additional capacity to deliver better work and develop its people. We examine what happens to the talent pipeline when short term financial targets take priority over future capability.
The discussion then turns to data rights, dependence on models, security, and client concentration. Robby explains why these issues deserve closer attention when AI becomes part of service delivery. After an acquisition, different tools, controls, and working practices can create problems that reduce the value the buyer expected. His advice is to understand the integration work early and make people responsible for delivering the intended result.
For founders, his recommendation is to pursue a consistent plan, demonstrate improvements over successive quarters, and turn existing organizational knowledge into reusable assets. His optimism about deal activity is presented as his outlook, rather than a forecast listeners should treat as certain.
Where is AI creating lasting value in your business, and what would you measure to prove it? I'd love you to share your thoughts.
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