Get Pointy - What To Do When Success and Survival Are the Same

Ever read it?

In the fast-evolving world of professional services, the line between success and survival has all but disappeared. For many U.S. firms, the days of incremental improvement and broad-based services are over. The reality? To survive, you must succeed—and to succeed, you must specialize. This convergence isn’t just a trend; it’s an existential shift.

The marketplace isn’t coasting; it’s coalescing. Competition is tighter, client expectations are sharper, and emerging players are redefining what it means to deliver value. Generalists risk irrelevance, while those who focus—those who Get Pointy—can carve out a defensible, lucrative niche.

Success and Survival: Two Sides of the Same Coin

For decades, success was aspirational. Survival was the baseline. Firms sought success to grow, while survival was a given if you simply met your clients' needs. But today, the accounting and advisory marketplace is under pressure from all directions: talent shortages, automation, consolidations, and client demands for both specialization and speed.

When“Good Enough” ain’t good enough anymore.

A well-rounded practice with broad capabilities may sound stable, but it’s a dangerous illusion. Clients are gravitating toward experts—not generalists who dabble in their issues. Surviving is no longer about offering everything; it’s about being the best at something specific.

In a survival-is-success world, standing still is falling behind. You must continually focus, refine, and differentiate—or risk being left in the dust by firms that do.

Why Firms Need to Get Pointy

Here’s where Get Pointy comes in. Imagine applying pressure to a broad surface—it spreads thin, making minimal impact. But concentrate that same pressure into a single point, and it’s transformative. That’s the power of specialization. Force, divided over area, gives you penetration. In an ever-crowding marketplace, your firm's sharpness is your greatest asset.

To Get Pointy is to narrow your focus, sharpen your expertise, and concentrate your efforts in a way that allows you to cut through the noise. It means committing to a niche and becoming indispensable to a specific market segment.

Consider this:

• Force = Your firm’s capabilities, resources, and expertise.

• Area = The market segments and service offerings you pursue.

When your area is too broad, your force dissipates. But by narrowing your focus—your area—you amplify your pressure and impact. This is the essence of specialization: it’s not about doing more; it’s about doing less, but with exceptional precision and excellence.

Applying Pointy Principles

How do you get pointy? Start by answering these questions:

1. What’s our sharpest edge?
   Identify the areas where your firm excels or where there’s untapped market potential. Look for high-margin, high-demand niches where you can dominate.

2. What dull edges need sharpening—or cutting off?
   Not all service lines or client types are worth keeping. Prune the offerings that don’t align with your specialization goals.

3. Who are we uniquely qualified to serve?
   Drill down into specific industries, client sizes, or business challenges where your firm can become the go-to expert.

4. Are we willing to commit?
   Getting pointy is about bold moves, not half-measures. Specialization requires clarity and courage, but the rewards—a clearer value proposition, stronger client relationships, and increased profitability—are worth it.

A Call to Action

Success and survival are no longer independent goals; they are inextricably linked. And in this new reality, only those firms willing to sharpen their focus will thrive. The broad, generic approach is a relic of the past. If you want to grow, you have to Get Pointy.

The pressure to specialize will only increase as the marketplace consolidates. Embrace it. Get pointy. Sharpen your edge—and your firm will cut through the noise, commanding attention, trust, and growth.

The question isn’t whether specialization matters—it’s whether you’re ready to make it your strategy for both survival and success. The time to decide is now.

So, what’s your point?