Court Painter runs a prolific yet unprofitable celebrity portrait business.
With rumours of an AI bubble bust how can Court Painter protect his business interests if AI billionaire investor clients suddenly become mere millionaires.
Facing a bleak financial future for many of his inner circle of friends and clients, Court Painter has called upon the studio’s resident financial expert, D.Eep S. Eek (DeepSeek), to outline a business survival strategy, designed as protection from the impending bubble burst boosted by browbeating brainiacs.
Executive Summary: Post-Bubble Business Continuity Strategy for Court Painter
Situation: Court Painter faces significant revenue risk from potential client wealth reduction (“billionaires to millionaires”) amid AI bubble speculation. Current business model relies on high-discretionary-spend clients.
Core Strategy: Pivot from selling luxury portraits to offering irreplaceable experiences and tangible assets. Position as the “anti-AI” alternative emphasizing human craftsmanship and permanence.
Key Initiatives:
- Brand Reinforcement
- Amplify “human touch” narrative against algorithmic art
- Document artistic process through content marketing
- Emphasize material permanence and heirloom quality
- Revenue Diversification
- Target resilient client segments (old money, institutions, professionals)
- Introduce tiered service offerings (Masterwork → Executive → Signature)
- Expand to generational family portraits and corporate commissions
- Value Proposition Enhancement
- Reframe portraits as tangible assets with provenance
- Maintain premium pricing for top tier as Veblen good
- Highlight scarcity (limited output of single artist)
- Financial Risk Mitigation
- Implement 50% non-refundable deposits
- Establish staged payment schedules
- Include cancellation protection clauses
Outcome: Transforms business from vulnerable luxury service to resilient provider of enduring value, leveraging market contraction to strengthen brand positioning as timeless master craftsman.
Summary: The Pivot in a Nutshell
| From (Bubble Economy) | To (Post-Bubble Reality) |
|---|---|
| Selling a Status Symbol | Selling an Heirloom Asset |
| Product: A Likeness | Experience: A Collaborative Journey |
| Client: The Nouveau Riche | Clients: Old Money, Institutions, Legacy Families |
| Price: Opaque & High | Value: Transparent & Justified (Tiers) |
| Reliance on Discretionary Income | Appeal to Permanence & Investment |
By executing this strategy, Court Painter doesn’t just survive the bubble bursting; he thrives because of it. The crash would cleanse his market of competitors who are merely fashionable and reaffirm his position as a timeless master of a sacred craft. The newly “mere millionaire” clients will still want to commission him—they will just need a better, more profound reason to do so. He must give them that reason.
