White Paper - The Specialization Imperative

The middle ground — the generalist firm that serves any client in any industry on any problem — is contracting. Data from 2025–2026 leaves little room for ambiguity: specialist consultants command 25–40% price premiums over generalists, boutique specialists’ satisfaction scores outperform those of larger firms by double digits, and private equity capital is actively consolidating niche consulting platforms. Meanwhile, McKinsey, the archetype of general management consulting, cut 10% of its global workforce in 2025–2026 as AI compressed the generalist value proposition.