Most agency ops leaders spend their whole day in conversation. The resourcing clash on Thursday, the project that's out of scope and now unprofitable, the new starter whose laptop still hasn't arrived, the month's revenue forecast that needs a reality check.
Agencies are good at diagnosis. You walk into a client's business and within a few conversations, you can see it.
For many of us, today marks the unofficial start of the summer holidays. The day when school finishes, the kids are home, and somehow your days aren't quite yours in the same way they are during term time.
Every agency has a version of this story.
Most founders know, somewhere, that something needs to change.
Two-thirds of agencies say they're delivering faster because of AI. Only 15% say they're more profitable.
Most agencies have project plans. Tasks are listed, timelines are mapped, people are assigned. On paper, it all holds together.
In a fixed fee agency, agreeing a price without understanding the work is a gamble. You might hit deadlines and keep clients happy, but that doesn't mean revenue will match expectations...or that projects will actually be profitable.
There's a particular kind of agency problem that doesn't look like a problem at all.
There's a moment early in the year when growth targets start landing on your desk, and suddenly, everything feels harder work.