How a £200k PowerPoint Became More Expensive than the Actual Project
We see it repeatedly in digital transformation: businesses spending six months and hundreds of thousands of pounds on detailed roadmaps from the large consultancies, only to find themselves holding a 200-page document with no actual progress toward their goals. Meanwhile, they view the smaller, execution-focused agencies as "the expensive option."
It's a fascinating case of misdirected risk perception that's costing businesses both time and money. And now is not the time to be losing out on those.
The Great Roadmap Illusion
The typical large agency engagement follows a predictable pattern:
6 months of discovery and planning
£150k-300k investment
Rotating cast of junior consultants led by a few senior faces
The client’s business team squirreled away in week after week of meetings
A comprehensive document delivered, outlining "the path to success"
Zero proof of concept, zero working software, zero measurable progress
The deliverable looks impressive. It's thorough, well-designed, and filled with industry frameworks and examples that feel authoritative and relevant. But strip away the consulting theatre, and you're left with theoretical recommendations that may or may not work for your specific business context.
The Execution Alternative
Consider the smaller agency approach:
4-6 weeks of focused discovery
£20k-50k investment in planning
Direct access to senior practitioners throughout
Immediate transition to building and testing solutions
Proven methodologies from successful transformations
One month after discovery, instead of more PowerPoint slides, you have working prototypes, validated assumptions, and tangible progress toward your goals.
So Why Does "Expensive" Feel Cheaper?
When you look at the psychology here, it’s fascinating and reveals several cognitive biases at play:
The Anchor Effect: When big agencies present a £250k planning engagement, it feels reasonable compared to their £6.5M implementation estimate. Meanwhile, a £800k "plan and build" proposal from a smaller agency appears expensive because it's not anchored against inflated planning costs.
Risk Aversion Masquerading as Due Diligence: Extensive planning feels like risk mitigation. In reality, theoretical planning without validation often increases risk by delaying feedback loops and market testing.
The Consulting Theatre Premium: Big agencies excel at creating the appearance of thoroughness. Multiple stakeholder interviews, comprehensive frameworks, and detailed timelines create comfort, even when they don't create value.
Status Quo Protection: A detailed plan provides cover. If the transformation fails, leaders can point to the "comprehensive strategy" rather than execution issues. It's easier to defend a process than defend results.
The Real Cost Calculation
What do we see when we run the numbers on a typical enterprise ecommerce transformation:
Big Agency Route:
Planning: £250k over 6 months
Implementation: £6.5M over 30 months
Total time to live platform: 3 years
Risk of plan becoming outdated in that time: High (requiring further planning phases, and delays to delivery)
Total investment: £6.75M
Execution-First Route:
Discovery and MVP: £400k over 5 months
Iterative enhancement: £800k over 7 months
Total time to live platform: 12 months
Risk mitigation through early validation: High
Total investment: £1.2M
The execution-first approach delivers results faster, costs less, and reduces risk through early validation. Depending on how risk averse the client is, the platform could even launch early whilst the iterative enhancements are taking place. Yet this route is consistently perceived as "more expensive" because it requires a commitment to action rather than just planning.
#ResultsNotReports in Practice
At Cabiri, we've seen this pattern across retail, luxury, and entertainment sectors. Our most successful transformations start with focused discovery that quickly transitions to building and testing real solutions. We work alongside our Client’s teams enabling them to develop confidently within the solution and become fully independent with it.
The difference is stark:
Reports: Theoretical recommendations based on industry examples and best practices
Results: Working solutions validated against your specific customer behaviour and business context
One approach gives you confidence in your planning process. The other gives you confidence in your results.
Making the Shift
If you're evaluating digital transformation approaches, consider these questions:
What are you actually buying? A plan for success, or progress toward success?
How will you measure value? Documents delivered, or capabilities built?
What's your real risk? Moving too slowly in a competitive market, or not having enough PowerPoint slides?
Where is expertise most valuable? In creating frameworks, or in solving your specific technical and business challenges?
The businesses winning in digital commerce aren't the ones with the best transformation documents. They're the ones that start building, testing, and iterating toward their vision faster than their competitors.
The Bottom Line
Big agency roadmaps feel expensive because they are. They consume significant budget and time while producing theoretical value. The really expensive route isn't paying for execution, it's paying for the illusion of progress while your competitors gain actual ground.
True transformation happens in code, in customer experiences, and in measurable business outcomes. Everything else is just expensive documentation.
Ready to focus on results instead of reports? Let's discuss how an execution-first approach could accelerate your digital transformation goals.