A fifteen-person landscaping company just got pitched a $180,000 “AI transformation.” Forty-two slides. Meanwhile their QuickBooks hasn’t been backed up since March of last year. That server under the desk is load-bearing. The chatbot is not. Here’s what honest IT modernization actually looks like — and why I’ll tell you when you don’t need it.

Robot placing money into a metal bucket with flames
A small robot drops cash into a burning bucket, illustrating financial loss.