Reflections on 2024 and What I Will Do Differently in 2025
I'm not where I want to be, but I'm not where I was before
Summary
All-In Consulting grew this year, but not as much as I would’ve liked.
This year I learned to critically analyze advice, not get distracted with side projects, and slow down non time-sensitive decisions.
I expect 2025 to be a better year as I have a clearer focus on AI, fewer energy drains, a new business partner, a larger existing client portfolio, and an improving economy.
I’m not yet where I want to be, but I’m certainly further along than where I started. All-In Consulting grew this year, though not as much as I had hoped.
That said, simply surviving 2025 feels like an accomplishment. Advisors warned me that 2024 was one of the toughest years for tech consulting since 2008.
As business slows down around Christmas and New Year’s, I’ve reflected on the lessons of 2024 and what I’ll do differently in 2025.
Here are my three key takeaways.
1. Don’t blindly follow people’s advice
Well-intentioned but misleading advice cost me at least three months going down wrong paths this year.
This is a mistake I want to avoid for 2025.
For example, I was encouraged to niche down into a specific industry, like supply chain (a strategy called “vertical” positioning).
This approach works well for consultants with deep, industry-specific experience—like a doctor serving healthcare clients or a FinTech veteran launching a FinTech consultancy.
But my expertise spans multiple industries, especially in software and AI.
When I shifted to “horizontal positioning” by focusing on AI, it became clear this was the right move.
Why this mistake happened
Advice is always filtered through someone else’s perspective.
Critical details about your situation might be missed, or the advice-giver might unintentionally project their own experiences or biases onto you.
Worse, they don’t bear the consequences—you do.
In my rush to execute, I didn’t stop to critically assess whether some advice truly fit my circumstances.
In 2025, I plan to act with more agency, evaluating advice carefully and taking full ownership of my decisions.
Question: Have you received any advice recently? Consider whether it was given with incomplete information. Does it apply to your unique situation?
2. Staying Focused - Cut out side projects and stick to my expertise
In 2025, my goal is to eliminate all distractions and side projects.
Everything I do must directly advance All-In Consulting—no product-building, no unrelated services, no exceptions.
In 2024, I got sidetracked with a few side projects, and they drained a significant amount of energy.
I already spent 2022 exploring different entrepreneurial ventures and chose consulting because it had the most traction.
It continues to have the most traction of all, so it doesn’t make sense to backpedal on that decision.
Focus also means doubling down on my expertise—AI and software exclusively.
For example, I once worked with a client in law who wanted to build software in a completely unrelated industry.
While possible, I gently reminded them how much easier and more successful they’d likely be by leveraging their existing career experience rather than venturing into unfamiliar territory.
The same principle applies to me.
If a project or idea doesn’t align with my core expertise, that’s a red flag.
It’s not worth the uphill battle when I can make more progress by sticking to areas where I have a proven track record.
For instance, I’ve moved away from Odoo ERP implementations because they fall outside my experience at Netflix and Amazon.
Instead, I focus on pure software and AI projects, where I bring the most value.
Question: Are you pursuing ventures aligned with your expertise, or are you straying into unfamiliar territory? How can you focus more on what you know best?
Slow Down Non-Urgent Decisions
My third key lesson from this year is to slow down when making non time-sensitive decisions.
If a decision can be delayed without consequence, I’ll take that time to ensure it’s the right one.
While many people struggle with moving too slowly, I have the opposite problem—I’ve sometimes moved too fast, leading to avoidable mistakes.
For example, if I had slowed down, I wouldn’t have enrolled in the Odoo partner program, a decision I quickly regretted after shifting focus to AI.
In fact, I’ve already seen the benefits of slowing down.
Just this month, I was unhappy with the work I received from a vendor. They were slow, and the results didn’t match my expectations. When they pressured me to pay, my usual instinct would have been to settle quickly.
But I paused.
I gave myself a couple of extra days to think it through, and in that time, I realized something felt off—I had never even spoken to their manager.
When I asked to escalate the issue, it led to the cancellation of the contract, saving me thousands of dollars.
All because I slowed down.
Question: Are there decisions you’re facing right now that could benefit from a little more time and clarity?
Final Thoughts
Despite the challenges and lessons of 2024, I’m optimistic for 2025. Several tailwinds are working in my favor including:
Fewer energy drains
A sharper focus on AI
A new business partner
A larger and more established client base
An improving economy and growing market
With these advantages, I’m aiming to double my revenue in the coming year—stay tuned!
Let’s Stay Connected 🤝
In the mean time, if you’d like to follow along with my journey:
Look out for another update from me in January!
- Michael
Lovely, very helpful and relevant. Great insights with stories and examples