“Everything we do is custom.” It sounds high-touch. Premium. Client-first.
But behind the scenes? It’s often chaos...and it drives your team crazy.
Custom work might win deals. But it rarely builds a business.
We’ve seen this pattern across dozens of service firms:
To stand out, they promise tailored solutions.
Every client gets a bespoke scope. Every project starts from scratch.
And every internal process becomes… an exception.
The result? Bloated delivery. Burned-out teams. Dependency on artisanal talent.
Margins vanish. Growth stalls. Leaders end up trapped in the weeds.
The best firms flip the script.
They productize their expertise. Define a clear set of problems they solve and solve them consistently. Custom where it counts, standardized everywhere else.
This isn’t about saying no to flexibility. It’s about protecting the business while delivering real value.
Custom is a tool, not a business model.
Build for consistency. Deliver with focus.
That’s how you grow.....and stay sane.