‘Backing The Underdog’: Thomas Tearle & Brent Clarke Launch Transformation Consultancy

Why It Matters

By pricing on outcomes and leveraging AI, Underdog Studio promises faster, lower‑cost growth for firms that typically can’t afford traditional consulting fees, addressing the high failure rate of digital transformations.

Key Takeaways

• Underdog Studio offers outcomes‑based consulting for eCommerce, loyalty, and AI.
• Targets private‑equity‑backed firms seeking rapid growth over multi‑year projects.
• Founders bring VML leadership and McDonald’s digital expertise to the venture.
• Uses AI and lightweight tech to cut waste and accelerate results.
• Aims to lower transformation failure rate that sits at 88% globally.

Pulse Analysis

The consulting landscape is dominated by heavyweight firms that charge by the hour, often locking clients into multi‑year engagements that inflate costs and dilute focus. Underdog Studio’s outcomes‑based pricing flips this model, tying fees directly to measurable business results such as increased online sales or reduced churn. This approach resonates with private‑equity‑backed companies that operate under tight timelines and capital constraints, offering them a lean alternative that aligns incentives and accelerates ROI.

Industry data underscores the need for such a model. Bain estimates the global consulting market at $263 billion in 2024, yet 88 percent of transformation projects fall short of their objectives. In Australia, only 12 percent of leaders say generative AI is already reshaping their operations, according to Deloitte’s 2026 State of AI report. Underdog Studio’s blend of AI, design, and data analytics aims to close this gap by delivering quick wins and avoiding the scope‑creep that plagues longer programmes.

The founders’ pedigrees reinforce the venture’s credibility. Tearte’s seven‑year tenure leading VML’s 300‑person Australian‑NZ operation and Clarke’s track record launching McDonald’s MyMaccas loyalty platform and steering digital change at Australia Post provide a rare mix of agency creativity and corporate execution. Their promise—to achieve more growth with less cost, time, and frustration—could set a new benchmark for transformation consultancies, especially as firms increasingly demand measurable outcomes over traditional billable‑hour models.