Are micro-services the short-term future for consultants and freelancers?

As of the time of writing, a lot of people think they can do most things with AI. Anyone can now generate code, design logos, write copy, or draft business strategies. Things they’d previously have to hire people to do.

This might bring about a rise in micro-consulting and micro-advice, where experts offer short, focused sessions to address specific problems or questions.

Microservices: small components of your current service offerings, or adapted versions of them, that can be delivered quickly and at a lower cost.

Here are some examples:

• Graphic Designers review visual branding and provide feedback in a 30-minute session instead of creating the full brand identity.
• Copywriters edit and improve a piece of marketing copy instead of writing the entire campaign.
• Positioning Experts give a critique and suggested direction for a brand instead of defining the positioning and strategy.
• Management Consultants analyze a business process and suggest improvements in a one-hour call instead of conducting a full-scale consultancy project.
• UX Designers audit a vibe coded app and suggest easy fixes to improve usability instead of designing the entire user flow.

This might make you cringe. Unbundling services like this could feel like it’s selling out or dumbing down expertise. I have the same fear. I’m not talking about where I want the world to go - just where I think it might. Especially in the short-term as businesses incresingly chase efficiencies and cost savings with AI.

The plus side is that micro-consulting could make expert advice more accessible and affordable and reduce the damage done by AI-generated mediocrity. It allows experts to reach a broader audience and could end up leading into bigger pieces of work down the line. These smaller services can also fill gaps in your schedule, being able to easily fit them in between larger engagements.

As long as you can position them without devaluing your expertise, micro-services could be a practical response to the current state of the market.

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