Escape the AI Efficiency Trap: Why Output-Based Pricing Is Your Bridge to Higher Margins
Hourly billing punishes agencies for getting faster with AI. Output-based pricing is the practical bridge to value-based pricing and 60%+ gross margins.

Board-level advice for agency founders
Co-founder of AgencyNXD. Specialising in Martech and Marketing agency growth, profitability, and Go-To-Market strategy.

Notes on boards, exit readiness, and agency strategy.
Hourly billing punishes agencies for getting faster with AI. Output-based pricing is the practical bridge to value-based pricing and 60%+ gross margins.


Last week in Leeds, we gathered founders, investors, and operators for Growth to Gold. From the brutal realities of exit processes to protecting EBITDA against AI commoditisation, here are the real takeaways.

The traditional non-executive director model was never built for agency founders. Here is why we rebuilt AgencyNXD around on-demand, board-level advice.

In 2015 I left Latitude, an agency I’d been a part of for twelve and a half years. In fact, my entire career at that point was in the agency world.

I’ve judged a number of awards in the digital sector over the years and thought I’d share one of the over-arching challenges encountered in the process.

While recently discussing ideal profit margins, I was reminded of this simple doodle from Comms professional Stephen Waddington:

Over the years I’ve noticed a few agencies that created tech products and then span them out as a separate business. Last week I took to Linkedin to see how wide-scale an occurrence this actually was.
Board-level input for agencies and MarTech businesses that need independent, experienced guidance.
Preparing founders and their agencies for a successful exit — getting the business, numbers, and team deal-ready.
Check your exit readiness →Improving margins, pricing models, and operational efficiency across the business.
Run the growth diagnostic →Positioning, proposition, and commercial strategy for growth-stage MarTech firms.
Independent oversight, governance support, and strategic counsel for leadership teams.