Key Facts

• Background: 30 years in corporate IT across multiple tech areas

• Starting Point: No clear AI consulting offer, low confidence outside corporate environments

• Time to First Major Client: ~3 months after completing AICC

• First Engagement Value: ~$1,000 AUD → expanded to ~$5,000 AUD

• Current Focus: Building a specialised AI consultancy for small businesses

• Program Completed: AI Consultancy Certification (AICC)

  
  

Experience Without Confidence

After nearly three decades in the IT industry, Rao Murugesh wasn’t new to technology. He had lived through the dot-com boom, the client–server era, and the rise of the internet. On paper, he had everything he needed to succeed but when it came to stepping out of corporate life and into AI consulting for small businesses, something didn’t click.

For years, Rao had been a classic “company man”. Corporate life gave him structure, frameworks, and clear processes but when he started exploring the idea of building his own AI consultancy, that same structure became a limitation. “I knew how to consult in big enterprises,” Rao explained, “but AI consulting is a different world, especially for small businesses.”

He tried to explore consulting opportunities, but engagements never turned into something concrete. Without a clear framework, every conversation felt uncertain. He knew he could help, but didn’t feel confident showing up with an offer.

Choosing AICC

When Rao began looking at AI consulting programs, most didn’t resonate. “They were doing a lot of marketing, but there wasn’t real value,” he said. AICC stood out immediately. Not because of hype, but because of how practical and structured it was. In fact, it was the only program he applied for.

“I never regretted joining,” Rao said.

One of the biggest shifts Rao experienced inside AICC wasn’t technical, it was how he communicated. Coming from enterprise IT, his natural instinct was heavy processes and formal language but small businesses don’t operate that way. AICC helped him simplify his language and his processes.

He learned how to:

• Strip away unnecessary complexity

• Speak in startup and SME language

• Apply structure without overwhelming clients

• Use AI to support himself, not just the customer

“It helped me let go of heavy-handed corporate structure and become more agile,” Rao shared.

First Client, Real Confidence

After completing AICC, Rao decided it was time to step up. Within three months, he submitted his first proper AI consulting proposal, built using AICC frameworks and AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. The client was impressed.

For the first time, Rao wasn’t just reacting to client requests, he was leading the conversation. The initial engagement was valued at $1,000 AUD, but that was just the start.

Using the Goldilocks-style engagement model, Rao layered his work:

• Trust-building engagement

• Deeper pain-point solutions

• Longer-term business transformation

That first project quickly expanded into a $5,000 AUD project with discussions moving toward strategic transformation and long-term collaboration.

From Technician to Strategic Partner

Today, Rao operates with a level of confidence he didn’t have before. He’s no longer trying to serve everyone and AICC helped him identify his clear niche: small, non-technical business owners who need simple, practical AI solutions.

He’s also:

• Using AI to accelerate proposals and documentation

• Onboarding interns in days instead of weeks

• Saving hours through automated scoping and discovery frameworks

• Positioning himself in strategic conversations, not just execution

“One of the AICC frameworks ‘Tech Check/Dream Score’ saved me weeks of back-and-forth,” Rao explained. “I spent two hours, the client did the rest.”

Results at a Glance

• First major AI consulting client secured within ~3 months

• Engagement expanded from $1,000 → $5,000 AUD

• Clear niche and repeatable frameworks established

• Interns onboarded in 2–3 days instead of 2–3 weeks

• Strong foundations laid for a scalable AI agency

The Road Ahead

In 2025, Rao officially registered his company and in 2026, his vision is clear: build a repeatable AI agency framework based on AICC principles, refined into his own methodology.

“AICC gave me the confidence to step forward,” he said. “It was the nudge I needed.” Rao doesn’t credit AICC with doing the work for him. Instead, he says it gave him what he needed to finally act: clarity, structure, and confidence.

For experienced professionals who know they can help, but struggle to package, price, and present their expertise, Rao’s journey shows what’s possible. If he could turn decades of experience into a focused, profitable AI consultancy in just a few months, others can too.