Insights
Points of view, with the sources attached.
What we find when we tear down an industry, and what the evidence says about AI and the mid-market. Every figure links to where it came from.
Redesign the work: why the mid-market's AI gap is an operating-model problem
Large firms are pulling ahead on AI. The evidence says the advantage comes from redesigning work, not from size, and that is a gap a mid-market firm can close.
The 14-day quote: where home-heating firms lose their replacements
The firm that diagnoses the boiler has every advantage. Public reviews show how often it loses the sale anyway, in the days between “you need a new one” and a written price.
Answer first: how AI is reshaping how buyers choose a tradesperson
The first contact between a buyer and a tradesperson is becoming a paragraph written by an AI. The firms named in it get the call.
Editorial standards
How we write
- Sources. Every figure is linked to a named, dated source. Where a source is a lead-generation or commercial site, we say so.
- Quotes. Reviews and forum posts are quoted word for word. We remove the names of firms and individuals.
- Our view is marked. Where a section is our opinion rather than evidence, we say so.
- Disclosure. We disclose any interest, including our founder's software business, Needlemark.
- Corrections. If we get something wrong, email hello@tallpoppyadvisory.com. We correct it and note the date.
- How we work. We research and draft with AI tools. Every source is opened and checked, and every piece is reviewed before it is published.