The Squid Game Effect: Adapt or Be Eliminated

IT services firms as “Player 456” in the AI transformation game

Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama where 456 deeply indebted contestants are invited to play a series of deadly children’s games for a chance to win a massive cash prize. As the games progress, contestants realize that failure means death, and the competition becomes increasingly ruthless.

The core theme of Squid Game is adaptation vs. elimination—those who quickly understand the changing rules, form smart alliances, and think strategically survive, while those who stick to conventional thinking are eliminated.

Player 456

Seong Gi-hun is the main character and a great analogy for IT services firms navigating AI transformation.

Why?

He starts behind: He’s not the strongest or smartest but learns to adapt quickly to new challenges.

He reads the game differently: Instead of just relying on brute force (like other players), he uses strategy, collaboration, and emotional intelligence to survive.

He pivots when needed: In each round, he adjusts his approach based on the situation, proving that adaptability is more important than just raw skill.

The same is true for IT services in the AI era. Traditional models won’t work anymore. Firms that don’t pivot to AI-driven solutions, adaptive pricing, and real-time decision-making will get left behind.

Easy to say - but how can they actually do this?

The AI Taylor Swift Effect: Hyper Personalization - Discover weekly moments

Taylor Swift isn't just a musician—she’s an empire. She has mastered personalization and data-driven engagement better than most Fortune 500 companies. Her ability to understand her audience and create demand has turned her into a billion-dollar force, influencing streaming, ticketing, and even the economy (as seen in the “Eras Tour effect”).

So what can we learn?

Owning the Customer Relationship

Swift bypassed traditional record labels and built direct relationships with her fans through social media, surprise album drops, and easter eggs. IT services firms have to shift to becoming an AI First Partner for their clients instead of waiting for AI adoption requests. Can you surprise the client before they even come to you?

Hyper-Personalization at Scale

Swift doesn’t just release albums; she creates tailored (pun firmly intended) experiences for different audience segments. Similarly, IT services firms must transition from one-size-fits-all solutions to AI-driven hyper-personalized services for clients.

Spotify’s AI-driven Discover Weekly playlist works the same way—predicting and delivering what users want before they even know they want it. IT services firms need to be so embedded with their clients that they can have their our Discover Weekly moments !

The Data-Driven Feedback Loop

Swift constantly adapts based on fan reactions—tracking which songs trend, how audiences react at concerts, and adjusting setlists accordingly. IT Services firms will sell the concept of a Data Driven Feedback loop to their clients, but do they have that same type of loop from the client to understand the CLIENTS needs dynamically?

This is a major shift in how IT Services sells its services, such a strong data backed feedback loop of what clients need doesn't exist and leads to only 'reactive' solutions.

How will you orchestrate this? Traditional solutioning workshops are dead and dont work - everyone does it

The Super Bowl Halftime Show Effect: Creating a “Wow” Moment for Clients

Super Bowl halftime shows aren’t just entertainment; they are cultural moments engineered to captivate audiences. IT services firms must design their AI deployment strategies the same way—not just as implementation roadmaps, but as transformative client experiences.

What does this mean for IT Services Firms

AI-Powered Immersive Workshops: Instead of just slide decks, firms should use real-time AI simulations and scenario planning to showcase business value.

Live AI Demonstrations: Show AI in action—deploy predictive models live, demonstrate automation, and build interactive AI experiences.

Make Every Engagement an Experience: Use AI storytelling, hyper-personalized client dashboards, and customized roadmaps to make workshops unforgettable.

No one does this right now and it will take a pivot of how these workshops are run to not just leave a lasting impression on the client but nail the 'precise' roadmaps where there is a never a moment of "we will work on this and get back".

The Future of IT Services: AI-Crafted, On-Demand, and Always-On

Traditional IT services firms need to stop waiting for RFPs and instead own the client’s AI journey—proactively embedding AI across engagements rather than reacting to defined scopes of work. To truly differentiate, they must:

? Hyper-personalize IT services

? Turn deployments into experiences

? Always stay ahead of the curve

But the real transformation lies in how AI services are bought and consumed. The ultimate sales cycle will not rely on traditional sales teams pushing solutions—it will be driven by an AI-powered platform where clients engage, explore, and request services on demand. IT firms must build an AI-crafted, made-to-order ecosystem that clients can access whenever they need, evolving their digital strategy in real-time.

Just think about it, even Taylor Swift, Squid Games and the Half Time Super Bowl Show cant do it without NETFLIX - anticipated, personalized, on-demand and always-on!