4 Industries About to Boom Thanks to AI
An analysis of four business models that will be enhanced rather than disrupted by AI, with the crucial ingredient for success.
Published Nov 9, 2025 by KeyPersonOfInfluence
Key Insights
Small, nimble consulting firms will thrive in the era of AI due to high demand for transformation expertise coupled with constrained supply.
Technical agencies (IT, engineering, accounting, legal) will become highly efficient and profitable through AI integration, especially when focused on demand generation.
Seemingly boring businesses (maintenance, cleaning, contracting) can be extremely profitable while everyone else chases exciting but money-losing ventures.
Software as a service has become much more accessible to develop thanks to AI reducing costs from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
Personal brands (Key Person of Influence) are 20 times more powerful than business brands and are the essential ingredient for driving demand.
The highest profits come when demand exceeds supply, making founder-led demand generation crucial for all four business models.
Businesses built with a strong personal brand can still be sold successfully, with the founder continuing as a high-paid consultant during transition.
0:46
Opportunity 1: Consulting Firms
“Small, nimble, dynamic management consultancies are going to be the ones that make a lot of profit.”
Consulting businesses are positioned to be highly profitable in the current environment of change and transformation. Daniel argues that unlike large consulting firms with excessive overhead and bureaucracy, small and nimble consultancies can leverage constrained supply against high demand to maintain high profitability.
The key advantage is that every business is currently undergoing transformation and willing to pay for expert guidance. With a focus on businesses between $5-50 million in revenue, consultants can provide significant ROI by charging six figures to deliver million-dollar improvements to their clients.
Takeaways
Small consulting firms have advantages over large ones due to lower overhead and bureaucracy.
Personal expertise and proof stories can be leveraged into high-value consulting services.
Businesses with existing revenue ($5-50M) can afford consulting and get excellent ROI.
Constrained supply plus high demand equals higher profitability.
Any previous business transformation experience can be used as a foundation for consulting.
2:44
Opportunity 2: Technical Agencies
“AI really does a lot of the heavy lifting. Now, you can use co-pilots. You can plug AI tools in, which means you can have a smaller number of technical team who can get a lot more done.”
Technical agencies include IT services, engineering, architecture, accounting, and legal firms where most employees have advanced technical qualifications. Daniel explains that contrary to predictions that AI will destroy these businesses, it will actually make them more efficient and profitable through what he calls "arbitrage" - leveraging a small team of technical experts with AI and remote workers to serve larger companies.
A critical insight is that most technical businesses struggle with profitability because they're supply-side focused (focused on doing the work) rather than demand-side focused (winning the work). The most successful technical businesses are run by those who excel at generating demand while having the technical team handle delivery.
Takeaways
Technical businesses can leverage AI to significantly improve efficiency and output per employee.
Success comes through arbitrage - using technical expertise, technology, and remote workers to serve larger companies.
Most technical businesses aren't profitable because they focus on supply (doing work) rather than demand (winning work).
You don't need to be the technical expert yourself - you can hire, partner with, or acquire the technical expertise.
Like Richard Branson with Virgin Atlantic, non-technical founders can be a superpower as they speak the language of customers.
5:27
Opportunity 3: Boring Businesses
“Some of the wealthiest people that I've ever come across have made a ton of money in businesses like this. These boring businesses that tick away in the background, they can make big money.”
The third opportunity lies in what Daniel calls "boring and dull" businesses that operate quietly in the background. These include contractors to local councils, air conditioning maintenance, elevator repair, cleaning, waste removal, electrical contracting, basic IT services, and customer service help desks.
Despite their unglamorous nature, these businesses can be extremely profitable. Daniel notes that while many entrepreneurs chase exciting ventures that lose money, these background operations can be "a license to print money." The key is to treat the boring business as if it were exciting by identifying and highlighting the compelling elements.
Takeaways
Unglamorous businesses often generate substantial profits while flying under the radar.
Examples include maintenance, cleaning, waste removal, and contracting businesses.
These businesses succeed by consistently delivering essential services that others overlook.
The key to success is treating a boring business as if it were exciting.
6:22
Opportunity 4: Software as a Service
“Software is a powerful product. Now, once that software is embedded into another organization, they just keep paying every single month. It's subscription revenue.”
Software as a Service (SaaS) represents the fourth opportunity that Daniel "absolutely adores." The model involves creating valuable software that provides 5-10 times more value than its subscription cost, resulting in recurring monthly revenue. Once embedded in an organization's operations, customers continue paying month after month.
What's changed dramatically is the cost of development. Thanks to AI, what previously cost hundreds of thousands or millions to develop can now be created for $10,000-$30,000 with a much smaller team. Daniel emphasizes that the entrepreneurial skillset, not coding ability, is what makes software businesses successful - translating market needs to developers and effectively marketing the product.
Takeaways
SaaS creates recurring subscription revenue that continues once software is embedded in organizations.
AI has dramatically reduced development costs from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
You don't need to be a coder - entrepreneurial skills are more important than technical knowledge.
A small team can now create powerful products that would have required large teams previously.
Reaching 1,000-5,000 subscribers can create an extremely valuable business with high profit margins.
8:11
The Secret Ingredient: Key Person of Influence
“LinkedIn did some research and they found that personal brands are 20 times more powerful than business brands.”
The secret ingredient for success in all four business models is what Daniel calls the "founder brand" or "key person of influence." This is the face of the business who drives demand while the business handles supply. LinkedIn research shows personal brands are 20 times more powerful than business brands.
Daniel explains that all businesses are a relationship between demand and supply, and profit only occurs when demand exceeds supply. When businesses focus too heavily on supply without sufficient demand generation, they struggle to make more than wages. A key person of influence whose primary role is driving demand through their personal brand can generate tremendous profit when paired with constrained supply in any of the four business models.
Takeaways
Personal brands (key person of influence) are 20x more powerful than business brands.
Profit occurs when demand exceeds supply; most businesses focus too much on supply.
The key person's primary role is demand generation through their personal brand.
Businesses with strong founder brands can still be sold, with the founder continuing as a consultant during transition.
The five key tools are: pitching, publishing content, product development, profile raising, and partnerships.
Conclusion
In a world obsessed with which industries AI will destroy, Daniel Priestley offers a refreshing perspective on business models that will thrive with AI integration. The four opportunities - consulting, technical agencies, boring businesses, and software as a service - share common elements: they can leverage AI for efficiency, they benefit from constrained supply, and they generate substantial profits when paired with strong demand generation.
The fundamental insight is that success doesn't come from the business model alone but from the powerful combination of founder-led demand generation and efficient delivery systems. This explains why two seemingly identical businesses can have dramatically different outcomes - one struggling while the other thrives.
So what? Rather than fearing AI disruption, entrepreneurs should embrace these proven business models and focus on positioning themselves as the key person of influence in their industry. By building a personal brand that drives demand while using AI to enhance delivery efficiency, entrepreneurs can create highly profitable, sellable businesses that thrive in the AI era. The opportunity isn't just about choosing the right business model; it's about becoming the visible authority who connects that model to an eager market.