The short version
Choose done-for-you AI when you need it built and run for you; choose a generalist consultant when you already have a team to action a strategy yourself. A generalist AI consultant is strongest on strategy and breadth, useful if you have an in-house team to build what they recommend. FKD is done-for-you: we find the fixes, build them into the software you already run, train your office, and stay accountable with a refundable audit and a 90-day guarantee. The real question isn’t “advice or build”. It’s whether you have anyone to do the building.
| What matters | FKD Group (done-for-you) | Generalist AI consultant |
|---|---|---|
| What you walk away with | A built, running system inside your business | A strategy, report or a tool handed over |
| Who builds it | We do, and we train your office to run it | Usually you, or an extra build cost |
| Trade knowledge | Built for construction; knows AroFlo, Simpro, ServiceM8 | Generalist; may not know your world |
| Accountability | Refundable audit + written 90-day result guarantee | Billable hours; the outcome is on you |
| Pricing | Fixed: $1,500 audit, $18,000 build, no meter | Hourly or day-rate; scope-creep risk |
| When it breaks | We fix it, covered by your subscription | More billable hours, or you’re on your own |
| After the project | $1,500/month subscription, one number to call | Project ends, consultant moves on |
| If it doesn’t work | Money-back audit | Fees are sunk |
| Where the work happens | On your site and in your office, in Sydney | Often remote, slides and calls |
“Generalist AI consultant” covers a broad market. Some do implement. This compares the common pattern (advice and strategy, build left to the client) against FKD’s done-for-you model. FKD pricing is the published offer ladder. Last reviewed June 2026.
Where FKD wins
- It’s built and running, not a deck you still have to action
- Fits how a trade business actually runs, no abandoned tools
- Fixed price, no hourly meter, no scope creep
- Refundable audit and a written 90-day guarantee
- Someone stays on the phone after go-live
- Proven on real jobs: the AI take-off tool FKD deploys lifted tender & take-off submissions 400% at Daniel’s own Sydney firm, AKA Acoustics Pty Ltd. See the case study
Where a generalist consultant wins
- Great if you’ve got your own team to build what they recommend
- Broader cross-industry exposure and strategic range
- Good for a one-off strategic question rather than a build
- More options if you want to shop the implementation separately
Common questions
Has FKD actually built this, or is it just advice too? +
Built, and proven. The AI take-off tool FKD deploys was built by Daniel Natoli and runs in his own Sydney firm, AKA Acoustics Pty Ltd, where it increased tender and take-off submissions by 400%. That’s the difference from advice. There’s a working system with a number behind it. Read the case study ›
What’s the difference between done-for-you AI and an AI consultant? +
A consultant typically gives you advice, a strategy or a tool and leaves the building and running to you. Done-for-you means we build it, wire it into the software you already use, train your office and stay accountable for the result. If you’ve got an in-house team, a consultant can be great. If you’re on the tools with no one to implement, advice you can’t action is just an invoice.
Why does trade knowledge matter? +
Because a tool that doesn’t fit how a trade business actually runs, quote to invoice, AroFlo or ServiceM8, the way calls come in, gets abandoned. We’ve built real tools for a Sydney trade business, so what we set up fits the workflow instead of fighting it.
Is a consultant cheaper? +
Sometimes the day rate looks cheaper, but a strategy you then have to build yourself usually isn’t. Our pricing is fixed: a $1,500 refundable audit and an $18,000 build, so there’s no hourly meter and no scope creep.
What happens after the project ends? +
With most consulting, the project ends and the consultant is gone. With FKD, a $1,500/month subscription keeps it running, so there’s still one person to call. Everything we built stays yours either way. Guarantee terms ›
When is a generalist consultant the better choice? +
If you already have your own developers or operations team and just want strategic direction to execute yourselves, or you want broad cross-industry exposure for a one-off question, a generalist consultant can be the right fit. FKD is for owners who need it built and run, not just advised.
Want it built, not just advised?
Book 15 minutes with Matt. He’ll tell you straight whether your gap is strategy or execution, and whether we’re the right fit.
Book a call with Matt ›