A Midyear Note on AI, Growth, and Focus
AI investment is creating opportunity beyond software. For mid-market companies, the harder question is what deserves action now and what could become a distraction later.
Welcome back.
As summer heats up and calendars fill with vacations, long weekends, and family time, many leadership teams are also starting to think about what the second half of the year will require.
Naturally, one topic that keeps coming up is AI.
The headlines are hard to miss. OpenAI, Anthropic, Cerebras, and SpaceX/xAI are all part of a new wave of AI-related IPO activity and valuation speculation. Some of the numbers being discussed are enormous.
But the part I find more interesting for mid-market companies is what sits underneath those valuations.
AI is not only creating demand for models, chips, and cloud platforms. It is also creating demand for data centers, power, cooling, construction, electrical infrastructure, equipment, maintenance, and service providers.
For some mid-market companies, that creates real opportunity.
The question is how to respond without getting caught up in the rush.
When demand moves quickly, companies should pay attention. But they also need to be careful about building a plan that only works if the current pace continues.
When a market moves this fast, there is always pressure to chase it. Some of that pressure is justified. Some of it is not.
The real work is figuring out what deserves action now, what should be watched, and what could become a distraction if the market cools.
Quick Reader Poll
AI is showing up differently across the mid-market. Some companies are using it to improve productivity. Others are building it into their offerings, serving markets shaped by AI investment, or still deciding what deserves attention.
Consultant Spotlight: Gregg Fellows
AI is easy to talk about in broad terms. It is much harder to decide what it should actually mean inside a mid-market business.
That is where leaders often need a more objective view. What is practical? What is worth testing? What is likely to become a distraction? And how do you make those decisions without letting vendors drive the strategy?
Gregg Fellows, founder and CEO of AGSI, has spent decades helping companies answer those kinds of technology questions with more clarity and less noise.
Maven partners with Gregg and AGSI when clients need deeper expertise around AI, IT, and technology enablement.
Read more about Gregg and AGSI here:
https://maven-associates.com/2020/05/15/meet-gregg-fellows/
Field Notes: BOH Environmental
We recently revisited a project with BOH Environmental, a Fort Worth-based company serving the defense and military logistics market.
BOH makes rugged, mobile storage and deployment systems that help military units move, store, and access equipment in the field. It is a practical, mission-critical product category where growth opportunities depend heavily on how military needs are changing.
Maven worked with BOH and Anchor Partners to look at the company’s next stage of growth, including where organic growth made sense and where acquisitions could help accelerate the plan.
You can read the full case study here:
https://maven-associates.com/project/boh/
How Maven Helps
Markets change and opportunities shift. The hard part is deciding which moves deserve real attention.
Maven helps mid-market leaders and investors work through those decisions with the kind of strategy support typically associated with larger firms, but built for the realities of mid-market companies.
Our consulting teams are made up of former Bain, BCG, and McKinsey consultants who bring structure, research, and outside perspective to questions around growth strategy, acquisitions, profitability, value creation, and where to focus limited resources.
If your team is evaluating a new growth market, acquisition opportunity, AI-related investment, or major strategic initiative, Maven can help pressure-test the options before significant resources are committed.
Contact Maven here:
https://maven-associates.com/contact-us/
Closing Thoughts
The common thread in this issue is focus.
Whether a company is evaluating AI, technology investments, acquisition opportunities, or a new growth market, the challenge is rarely a lack of options. More often, the challenge is deciding which opportunities are worth real time, capital, and management attention.
That is where good strategy work can create clarity.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the summer.
Onward,
Mark Hess
Founder, Maven Associates
https://maven-associates.com/
Discussion Question
Where are you seeing AI create opportunity outside of the technology sector?
Are there industries, suppliers, or business models you think are being affected faster than people realize?
I’d be interested to hear what you’re seeing.
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For Consultants
Know someone who thrives in mid-market strategy work?
Maven is always interested in connecting with experienced independent consultants, especially former Bain, McKinsey, and BCG consultants interested in focused work with mid-market companies.
Learn more or refer a colleague below.