Just to provide another perspective : I've consulted for 20+ companies. Spending money for outside advice or actual work products is extremely common and generally worthwhile if done right. There's a reason why consulting is a multi billion dollar industry.
I disagree. Consulting is fashion signaling. It’s a huge business because it’s about buying and selling political status in the context of company decision making. It offers value from social signaling, not from strategic facts that demonstrably yield improvements to success metrics.
