The Lazy Sales Tactic That's Hurting Your Business | Ben King from Aviato Consulting

Ben King is the founder and CEO of Aviato Consulting, a software and AI consultancy that ranked sixth in the AFR Fast 100 this year. Before starting Aviato, Ben ran the app modernisation team for Google Cloud across Asia Pacific, and when he left, he built essentially the same thing, but leaner and on his own terms. The company now has 95 people across Australia, India and Singapore, with around half of all work being AI-related.

In this episode, Ben joins Alan to talk about what it actually looks like to build and scale a technical consulting business in Australia, from the talent shortage that forces most serious engineering firms offshore, to the practical realities of using AI in production versus just prototyping. Ben is refreshingly direct about what works and what doesn't, including why he thinks signing a three-year deal with any AI provider right now is a mistake, why AI cold email campaigns do more damage than good, and why a physical piece of mail will outperform ten thousand automated messages every time.

Alan challenges Ben on the right tech stack for founders heading into 2026, how to get the most out of free cloud credits before you raise, and what product managers still do better than any AI tool on the market.

If you're a founder making decisions about how to build, who to hire, or which AI tools to trust with your business, this episode is worth your time.

🎙 Ask Alan a Question – https://speakpipe.com/pickmybrain

🎧 More from Alan Jones – https://www.startupfoundercoach.com

Sponsors:Pick My Brain is supported by our wonderful sponsors:

Galah Cyber offers the Foundations of Application Security course: a practical, hands-on AppSec course built for engineers who actually ship code. Two days of real-world lessons you can apply immediately. Learn more at galahcyber.com.au/learn.

The Day One NetworkPick My Brain is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors.

To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new and upcoming shows. The only content we create is content that will help Australian founders.