When your AI platform loses 89% margin: a consulting leader's decision to cut her own project

Short summary

A consulting leader discovers her AI evaluation platform is burning $200K/quarter for only $22K revenue, while an unglamorous internal methodology system costing $9K/quarter underpins $3M in delivery revenue. She faces recommending the shutdown of her own pet project to preserve the hidden backbone. The piece illustrates the hard financial reality of internal AI product investments versus invisible operational infrastructure.

• •AI platform: $200K cost, $22K revenue, 89% negative margin
• •Hidden methodology system: $9K cost, supports $3M annual delivery
• •Founder must cut her own project to preserve the profitable backbone

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.