When a professional feasibility study from a consulting firm costs $10,000–$50,000 and an AI-powered alternative costs $200–$2,000, the natural reaction is scepticism. Surely the $200 version can't be nearly as good? What corners is it cutting? What are you missing?
These are fair questions. And the honest answer is nuanced: an AI feasibility study isn't identical to a $50,000 consultant engagement. But the gap is much smaller than the price difference suggests — and for most business decisions, the AI version delivers more than enough analytical depth to make a confident go/no-go decision.
What $50,000 Buys You
A top-tier consulting firm delivering a $50,000 feasibility study provides:
Primary Research: Original surveys, customer interviews, focus groups, and expert consultations. A consultant might interview 50–100 potential customers, survey 500 people in the catchment area, and speak with 10–15 industry experts. This primary data is unique and unavailable from any other source. Field Research: Site visits to competitor locations, physical assessment of the proposed site, observation of foot traffic patterns, and evaluation of the local environment. For a hotel feasibility study, this might include staying at competitor properties, reviewing their services firsthand, and assessing the guest experience. Custom Financial Modelling: A senior financial analyst building a bespoke Excel model tailored to your specific project, with detailed assumption documentation, multiple scenario tabs, and sensitivity tables. The model is designed to be used as an ongoing management tool, not just a one-time output. Expert Judgement: Partners and senior consultants with 15–30 years of industry experience reviewing the analysis, challenging assumptions, and applying pattern recognition from hundreds of similar projects. This human judgement layer catches issues that data alone might miss. Presentation and Defence: The consulting team presents findings to your stakeholders, answers questions, and defends the analysis. They stake their professional reputation on the conclusions. Ongoing Support: Follow-up meetings, revised scenarios, and advisory support as the project evolves.What $200–$2,000 Buys You
An AI feasibility study from SimpleFeasibility (Complete Analysis tier, $500) provides:
Automated Market Research: Google Search-grounded data on market size, competitive landscape, demographic trends, and pricing benchmarks. Every data point is sourced from real, verifiable web sources. The breadth of research conducted in 8 minutes covers territory that would take a junior consultant 2–3 weeks. AI-Built Financial Model: Automatic generation of CAPEX breakdown, staffing requirements, operating expenses, revenue projections, and multi-year financial forecasts. The model calculates NPV, IRR, payback period, and break-even — the same metrics the consulting firm would calculate. Interactive Scenario Analysis: The What-If analyser allows unlimited scenario testing with real-time recalculation of all financial metrics. This is actually superior to the consultant's approach of testing 3–5 predefined scenarios — you can test hundreds of combinations to find exactly where the viability boundaries lie. Professional Output: PDF report and 12-sheet editable Excel model with working formulas. The output is professional enough for bank and investor review. Speed and Iteration: Generate a complete study in 2–8 minutes. Test 5 different concepts in under an hour. Iterate rapidly based on findings.Where the $50,000 Study Wins
Let's be honest about the gaps:
Primary Research
This is the biggest differentiator. No AI tool can conduct original customer interviews, run focus groups, or perform on-the-ground competitive assessment. If your business decision hinges on qualitative insights that only direct human interaction can provide — customer preferences, emotional responses, willingness to pay for specific features — primary research is irreplaceable.
However, primary research is most critical for novel concepts where existing data is scarce. For established business types (restaurants, hotels, gyms, clinics) in developed markets, secondary data is often sufficient for feasibility assessment.
Expert Pattern Recognition
A consultant with 20 years of hotel development experience has seen hundreds of projects succeed and fail. They bring intuitive pattern recognition that can flag risks or opportunities that pure data analysis might miss. This experienced perspective is valuable.
Stakeholder Credibility
A $50,000 study from a recognised consulting firm carries weight with institutional investors, boards, and government agencies. The brand name provides credibility that a newer AI tool hasn't yet established.
Bespoke Complexity
For highly unusual or complex projects — a first-of-its-kind development, a project in an emerging market with limited data, or a venture that requires specialist engineering or regulatory assessment — custom consulting is necessary.
Where the AI Study Wins
Speed of Decision
A consultant needs 4–8 weeks to deliver. During that time, opportunities can be lost, competing developers can move ahead, and market conditions can shift. An AI feasibility study provides a data-driven decision in minutes — you can act while the opportunity is live.
Breadth of Scenarios
A consultant typically tests 3–5 scenarios (base, optimistic, pessimistic, plus one or two variations). SimpleFeasibility's interactive What-If analyser lets you test unlimited scenarios in real-time. This broader exploration often reveals insights that a limited set of consultant-defined scenarios would miss.
Cost of Exploration
Testing 5 different business concepts with a consultant costs $250,000. With SimpleFeasibility, it costs $1,000–$2,500. This cost difference makes it feasible to explore opportunities you'd never invest $50,000 to evaluate — and some of those unexpected ideas turn out to be the best opportunities.
Objectivity
Consultants are human, and their business model creates subtle incentive misalignment. A consultant who recommends "don't proceed" doesn't get follow-on work. An AI tool has no such bias — it reports what the data shows.
Data Freshness
AI research uses real-time web data. A consultant's research becomes stale the day after they collect it. For fast-moving markets, the AI's ability to pull current data is an advantage.
The 90/10 Analysis
For most business decisions, an AI feasibility study delivers approximately 90% of the analytical value of a consultant study at less than 4% of the cost. The remaining 10% — primary research, expert judgement, stakeholder credibility — matters, but whether it's worth 25x the cost depends on the decision at stake.
When the 90% is sufficient (use AI):- Investments under $500,000
- Established business types in developed markets
- Early-stage concept validation
- Comparing multiple concepts or locations
- Speed is critical
- Budget is constrained
- Investments over $5 million
- Institutional investors or government agencies require it
- Novel concept with limited comparable data
- Primary research is essential to the decision
- Regulatory or engineering assessment required
- You need a named expert to defend the analysis
Start with an AI feasibility study ($200–$500) to validate the concept and identify the key variables. If the results are promising, commission a targeted consultant engagement focused only on the areas the AI can't cover — primary research, expert opinion, and regulatory specifics. This hybrid approach often costs $5,000–$10,000 total instead of $50,000, while delivering comparable analytical depth.
The Bottom Line
The question isn't whether an AI business plan is "worth it." The question is whether it's worth it compared to your alternatives:
- Compared to doing nothing (most common): Absolutely yes. A $200 feasibility study is infinitely better than no analysis at all.
- Compared to DIY in spreadsheets: Yes. It's faster, more comprehensive, and includes financial metrics you might not calculate yourself.
- Compared to a $50,000 consultant: It delivers 90% of the analytical value. Whether the remaining 10% justifies the remaining 96% of the cost depends on the scale and stakes of your decision.
For most entrepreneurs evaluating most business ideas, an AI feasibility study provides more than enough depth to make a confident, data-driven decision.
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