Growth Ritual #70

📋 IN THIS ISSUE: The 5-Year Plan Is Dead: How to Survive in an Age of Instant Obsolescence

Jul 03, 2025

The 5-Year Plan Is Dead: How to Survive in an Age of Instant Obsolescence

Remember when the world's major events could be discussed over the dinner table, digested from the evening news? That slow-drip of information is gone.

Today, a war can start, a market can crash, and a new technology can change everything—all before you’ve finished your lunch.

I want to start by acknowledging something that might feel a little unsettling, but it’s a truth we all need to confront: The relentless pace of change, supercharged by artificial intelligence, means that yesterday's revolutionary innovation is today's common tool.

If we don’t make a strategic pivot, our companies will quickly become undifferentiated, unvalued commodities.

Remember those "visionary" five-year plans we used to hold in such high regard? Frankly, they're largely a waste of time now.

I know some of you might be ready to object, but please bear with me; I'm here to put forth a different idea.

What used to be an evolution spanning decades is now compressed into a single year. That’s why those old, long-term strategic plans simply won't work in today's world.

This isn’t just about efficiency or digital transformation anymore; this is, quite simply, a matter of survival.

So, what should we do?

Your Role as a Technology Orchestrator

I believe every company needs to rebuild its market positioning around a single, undeniable truth: Becoming a Technology Orchestrator.

What does Technology Orchestrator mean?

A Technology Orchestrator is a specialized company that selects, integrates, and optimizes the latest, best-in-class technology tools within a specific industry or domain — delivering seamless, high-performance solutions without the client needing to manage the complexity or R&D themselves.

They don’t work across every industry. They master one domain — like conversational AI for call centers, predictive analytics for retail, or logistics automation for e-commerce — and orchestrate the optimal combination of tools, APIs, and models tailored for that domain’s unique challenges.

Key Principles of a True Technology Orchestrator

Domain Expertise: They deeply understand the operational, technical, and commercial dynamics of the sector they serve.
State-of-the-Art Tech Integration: They actively track, test, and select the top-performing technologies (APIs, AI models, platforms, services) in their domain.
Plug & Play Delivery: They deliver fully integrated, fine-tuned, and optimized solutions for clients, without those clients needing to build, manage, or deeply understand the underlying tech.
Performance and Cost Optimization: They not only integrate — they constantly optimize for the best latency, scalability, reliability, and pricing in that niche.

Generalist tech service providers, system integrators, or SaaS vendors do not deserve this title. Only domain-specialized orchestrators who commit to owning the technical and strategic orchestration layer within a defined vertical qualify.

Example (Conversational AI Orchestrator):

A company that specializes in AI-powered voice assistants for healthcare appointment scheduling.

They don't just use any speech-to-text, TTS, or LLM. They test the best tools for medical terminology accuracy, HIPAA compliance, latency in call centers, and integration with hospital booking systems — and bundle them into a single, plug-and-play system optimized for that context.

That’s a Technology Orchestrator.

This brings us to a new term…

What is a Tech Curator?

A Tech Curator is a specialized advisor or platform that helps brands navigate the complex landscape of emerging technologies by recommending the most suitable, domain-focused Technology Orchestrators.

They use their deep industry knowledge, network, and trust to match companies with the best innovation partners, simplifying the decision process and ensuring the brand accesses the optimal tech solutions without the technical headaches.

Why is the Tech Curator role important?

Brands avoid costly trial-and-error with emerging technologies.
Tech Curators reduce risk by vetting and continuously monitoring orchestrators’ performance and fit.
They serve as trusted guides and connectors, often earning a commission or fee for brokering these strategic partnerships.
They allow creative agencies, consulting firms, or innovation boutiques (like TBWA) to expand into a new, value-added service layer that leverages their existing trust and client relationships.

Imagine you’re a retail brand wanting to adopt conversational AI for customer service.

You don’t know which vendor to trust — many claim to have the best tech.

A Tech Curator steps in, understands your unique needs, and connects you with a Technology Orchestrator that specializes in retail voice AI.

You get the perfect match without the hassle of vetting dozens of vendors yourself.

How Tech Curators, Technology Orchestrators, and Disruptors Work Together

Disruptors are the trailblazing innovators and R&D powerhouses who create breakthrough technologies and push the boundaries of what’s possible. They invest heavily in research, experiment with new ideas, and bring truly novel solutions to life — often taking the biggest risks to shape the future.
Technology Orchestrators take the innovations created by Disruptors and specialize in integrating, optimizing, and tailoring these advanced technologies for specific industries or use cases. They build practical, reliable, and scalable solutions that businesses can adopt without having to develop everything from scratch.
Tech Curators serve as trusted advisors and matchmakers who help brands navigate this complex landscape. They identify and recommend the best Technology Orchestrators for a brand’s unique needs, ensuring companies connect with the right partners efficiently, with minimized risk and maximum impact.

Together, these three roles create a powerful innovation ecosystem:

Disruptors invent the future.
Technology Orchestrators make the future usable and accessible.
Tech Curators guide businesses to the right orchestrators to unlock innovation effortlessly.

Why Focus on Being a Technology Orchestrator?

Here's why this strategic shift is critical:

Undifferentiated Services are a Death Sentence: In the age of AI, anything that can be automated or easily replicated will quickly become a commodity. If your core offering is purely about the "what" – the product or service itself – you're in a race to the bottom. The "how" – how you help customers navigate, adopt, and leverage change – becomes your unique differentiator.
The Pace of Innovation is Unsustainable for Internal R&D Alone: Most companies simply cannot compete with the sheer volume and speed of innovation coming from dedicated R&D powerhouses. Trying to out-innovate them is a futile exercise for many. Instead, your innovation lies in your ability to curate, translate, and deliver external breakthroughs.
Direct Customer Relationships are Paramount: In a world where intermediaries are increasingly disintermediated, building direct relationships with your customers is vital. As a Technology Orchestrator, you become indispensable by offering clear, immediate value. This naturally fosters strong marketing and sales channels, vibrant communities, and direct lines of communication, often bypassing traditional, slow, and expensive intermediaries.

How to Become a Technology Orchestrator Company

So, how do you operationalize this vital positioning?

Deeply Understand Your Customers' Evolving Needs: This goes beyond typical market research; it's about genuine empathy and foresight. What are their biggest fears regarding the future? What opportunities are they missing because they don't understand emerging technologies? Your job is to listen intently and anticipate their pain points and aspirations.
Rapidly Identify, Partner with, and Interpret Innovations: You don't need to invent the next big thing. Instead, become an expert at identifying the most impactful innovations and quickly forging deals with their providers. Your true value lies in your ability to translate complex technological advancements into tangible, business-specific benefits for your customer base. Think of yourselves as proactive solution curators who can ground complex ideas in practical reality.
Simplify and Demystify Complexity: The tech world is full of jargon and overwhelming information. Your role as a Bridge is to cut through that noise. Use clear language, compelling examples, and intuitive solutions to make the unknown understandable and accessible, focusing on the business outcomes, not just the features.
Build Direct Channels and Communities for Implementation and Education: This is where you directly deliver value. Focus relentlessly on creating marketing and sales channels where you can reach potential customers directly, providing them with the translated solutions and the knowledge to use them. This could be through:
- Actionable Educational Content: Webinars, workshops, whitepapers, and practical guides that explain new technologies in a concise, customer-centric way, demonstrating clear business applications.
- Engaged Community Building: Online forums, user groups, and events where customers can learn from each other and from you about how to integrate and leverage change.
- Direct Sales and Consulting: Positioning your teams not just as product pushers, but as trusted advisors who help customers understand, adopt, and implement these transformed solutions seamlessly.
- Integrated Solutions: Offering not just a technology, but a complete package that addresses a customer's specific problem, often combining multiple external innovations.

10 Practical Examples of Becoming a Technology Orchestrator for Revenue Growth

It's easy to talk about such concepts, but imagining them is challenging, and implementing them is even harder.

That's why providing real-world examples of "what kinds of ideas could work" is essential.

Here are 10 practical, revenue-generating examples of how established companies can act as a Technology Orchestrator.

These focus on actionable, rational applications that deliver immediate value to existing customers, create new revenue streams, and ensure seamless switching between technology providers.

1. Regional Accounting Firm: Automated Compliance & Predictive Tax Planning

How: Instead of just filing taxes, partner with AI-driven tax preparation and compliance platforms. Offer a premium service where the firm uses these tools to proactively identify tax-saving opportunities and potential compliance risks for clients, providing ongoing insights beyond annual filing.
Revenue: Charge higher fees for proactive planning, subscription models for ongoing compliance monitoring, and a percentage of identified savings.

2. Traditional Insurance Brokerage: Personalized Risk Assessment & Proactive Coverage

How: Integrate with IoT data platforms (e.g., smart home sensors, telematics for vehicles) and AI risk assessment tools. Offer clients a service that analyzes real-time data to provide personalized risk profiles, recommend optimal coverage adjustments, and even flag potential issues before they become claims.
Revenue: Premium service fees for data-driven risk management, increased policy retention due to added value, and cross-selling new policies based on identified needs.

3. Local Auto Repair Shop: Predictive Maintenance & Fleet Optimization

How: Partner with telematics and automotive diagnostic AI providers. Offer a service to local businesses with vehicle fleets, using data to predict maintenance needs, optimize service schedules, and minimize downtime, proactively communicating issues to fleet managers.
Revenue: Subscription fees for fleet management insights, guaranteed recurring service revenue from scheduled maintenance, and premium fees for emergency issue avoidance.

4. Commercial Real Estate Management: Smart Building Operations & Tenant Experience

How: Integrate IoT sensors for energy management, predictive HVAC maintenance, and smart access control systems from various vendors. Offer building owners a service that optimizes utility costs, reduces maintenance expenses through AI-driven insights, and enhances tenant satisfaction via automated amenities.
Revenue: Management fees based on operational savings achieved for owners, premium add-on services for enhanced tenant features, and potentially higher property valuations.

5. Mid-Sized Construction Company: Project Optimization & Safety Monitoring

How: Partner with drone mapping services, AI project management software, and IoT-enabled safety equipment providers. Offer clients (developers, large contractors) a service that provides real-time site progress monitoring, predictive analysis for delays/cost overruns, and enhanced worker safety insights.
Revenue: Project-based consulting fees for optimization, subscription for ongoing monitoring, and value-based pricing tied to efficiency gains or safety improvements.

6. Small Business IT Support/MSP: Proactive Cybersecurity & AI-Powered Helpdesk

How: Beyond basic IT, integrate with leading AI-driven cybersecurity platforms and automated helpdesk solutions. Offer a premium managed service where AI proactively identifies threats, automates routine support tasks, and provides deeper incident analysis, reducing client downtime and risk.
Revenue: Higher-tier monthly recurring revenue (MRR) for advanced security and proactive support, and reduced internal support costs due to automation.

7. Regional Agricultural Supplier: Precision Farming Optimization

How: Partner with drone imagery analytics firms, soil sensor data platforms, and AI-powered crop yield prediction tools. Offer farmers a service that provides actionable insights for precise fertilization, irrigation, and pest control, optimizing yield and reducing resource waste.
Revenue: Subscription fees for data analytics and consulting, increased sales of associated products due to optimized usage, and value-based pricing for yield improvements.

8. Local Marketing & Print Shop: Hyper-Personalized Local Campaigns

How: Integrate AI-driven demographic targeting tools and personalized content generation platforms. Offer local businesses campaigns that combine highly targeted digital ads with personalized direct mail or print materials based on granular customer data.
Revenue: Higher profit margins on campaigns due to increased effectiveness, recurring retainers for ongoing personalized outreach, and premium design fees for AI-assisted creatives.

9. Independent Pharmacy/Wellness Store: Personalized Health & Medication Adherence

How: Partner with AI-driven medication adherence apps, remote patient monitoring devices, and personalized supplement recommendation platforms. Offer patients a service that reminds them to take medication, tracks health metrics, and suggests personalized wellness plans based on their data.
Revenue: Subscription fees for personalized health management, increased sales of associated wellness products, and potentially partnerships with local healthcare providers for referral fees.

10. Vocational Training Center: AI-Enhanced Skills Assessment & Job Matching

How: Integrate AI-powered skills assessment platforms and job market analytics tools. Offer a service to both students and employers where the center provides precise skill gap analysis, personalized training recommendations, and AI-driven matching to high-demand job roles.
Revenue: Premium fees for enhanced career counseling, success-based fees for job placement, and corporate partnerships for sourcing pre-vetted, AI-matched talent.

The Payoff

With Technology Orchestrator positioning, you move beyond the constant treadmill of feature parity and price wars. You become an indispensable, strategic partner to your customers. You're not just selling them a product or service; you're selling them their future, simplified, actionable, and realized.

This strategic pivot is no longer an option; it's a necessity.

We must accept that yesterday's revolutionary innovation is today's ordinary tool. The question is, will you be the company that merely gets swept along by the current of change, or will you be the Technology Orchestrator that guides your customers confidently into the future, making the complex simple and the future actionable?

I believe the choice is clear.

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