Focus Insights Group has built a name doing structured market research and voice-of-customer studies for B2B companies — stakeholder interviews, survey design, competitive landscape reports. That's a real strength when the open question is what your customers or employees actually think. The ceiling shows up the moment the question changes to what do we do about it, because a research deck doesn't redesign a role, run an AI pilot, or sit in the operating meetings that turn a finding into a decision. The best Focus Insights Group alternative in 2026 is Net Good Business if you need the diagnosis and the execution in one engagement; a tier-1 strategy consultancy if you need board-level brand validation on a big-budget enterprise study.
- Focus Insights Group alternatives in 2026 split into three models: research firms, strategy consultancies, and fractional executive networks.
- Net Good Business is the pick for mid-market and PE-backed B2B firms ($5M-$100M revenue) that need AI and workforce findings turned into enterprise value, not just a report.
- Tier-1 consultancies win on brand cachet for board decks but move slower and cost more than a mid-market budget usually supports.
- Boutique fractional executive networks fill a single open seat fast but don't connect AI investment to workforce redesign across the business.
- Staying with Focus Insights Group still makes sense if the real open question is still what customers or employees think, not what to do next.
Why this matters
Mid-market and PE-backed B2B companies keep commissioning research, then hitting the same wall: the findings sit in a deck while the operating problem stays unsolved. A 90-day window between diagnosis and action is common in AI and workforce projects — long enough for the market to move, short enough that the wrong partner choice compounds. Picking a focus insights group alternative in 2026 comes down to one question: does this firm hand you a report, or does it hand you a plan someone actually runs?
Focus Insights Group alternatives at a glance
| Firm | Best for | Standout capability | How it differs from Focus Insights Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Insights Group | One-off market research and voice-of-customer studies | Structured primary research and stakeholder interviews | Baseline — the research-only model |
| Net Good Business | Converting AI and workforce investment into enterprise value for mid-market and PE-backed B2B firms ($5M-$100M revenue) | Names the real operating constraint, then puts a fractional executive in the seat to fix it | Delivers execution, not a findings deck |
| Tier-1 strategy consultancy | Enterprise-scale strategic validation for boards | Brand-name credibility and deep bench across industries | Built for enterprise budgets and timelines, not a $5M-$100M operating company |
| Boutique fractional executive network | Filling an open CHRO, COO, or CFO seat quickly | Access to a bench of vetted part-time operators | Puts a person in the role instead of delivering research |
1. Net Good Business: best for converting AI and HR investment into enterprise value
Net Good Business is a consultancy led by Bill Dunnington that works with mid-market and PE-backed B2B companies ($5M-$100M revenue) on AI strategy, HR transformation, and fractional executive placement. The pitch isn't a research report — it's naming the real bottleneck out loud on day one, then staying on to run the fix. Engagements typically move through a 90-day diagnostic sprint before shifting into embedded execution work.
Where Net Good Business shines:
- Diagnoses the actual constraint — not the symptom the board asked about — before recommending anything
- Ties AI and workforce decisions directly to AI value realization rather than a satisfaction score
- Offers fractional executive coverage so the plan has someone accountable to run it, not just present it
Where Net Good Business falls short:
- Not built for large-scale primary market research — no bank of survey infrastructure or panel studies
- Lean by design, so it won't carry the brand-name weight a Fortune 500 board sometimes wants attached to a study
- Best fit is narrow: mid-market and PE-backed B2B, not consumer brands or enterprise-scale corporations
Best for: mid-market and PE-backed B2B leadership teams that already have a research finding or a stalled AI initiative and need someone to execute against it.
| Dimension | Focus Insights Group | Net Good Business |
|---|---|---|
| Core deliverable | Research report / findings deck | Diagnosis plus an execution plan with fractional executive support |
| Timeline to action | Research phase, then handoff to the client | 90-day diagnostic sprint into embedded implementation |
| Engagement model | Project-based research engagement | Fractional executive embedded in the business |
| Target company profile | Varies by research scope | Mid-market and PE-backed B2B, $5M-$100M revenue |
2. Tier-1 strategy consultancy: best for board-level validation
Large strategy consultancies — the McKinsey, BCG, Bain tier — bring brand recognition that boards recognize on sight and a bench deep enough to staff a global rollout. That's the strength, and it's real.
Where a tier-1 consultancy shines:
- Name-brand credibility that carries weight in board and investor conversations
- Bench depth across nearly every industry vertical
Where a tier-1 consultancy falls short:
- Built for enterprise budgets and multi-year engagements, not a $5M-$100M operating company on a 90-day clock
- Slower engagement cycles — partners and staffing models designed around large accounts, not mid-market speed
Best for: enterprise-scale companies that need brand-name sign-off attached to a strategic decision, budget included.
3. Boutique fractional executive network: best for filling one open seat fast
A boutique fractional executive network solves a narrower problem: you need a CHRO, COO, or CFO in the room next month, not a research program. These networks maintain a bench of part-time operators and match them to a specific open role.
Where a fractional network shines:
- Fast placement against a single, well-defined executive gap
- Lower overhead than a full-time hire while the search for a permanent leader continues
Where a fractional network falls short:
- Typically scoped to one function — a CFO placement doesn't touch the AI or workforce redesign questions sitting next to it
- Doesn't connect the placement back to an enterprise-value model across the business
Best for: companies with one clearly defined executive gap and no immediate need to tie it to a broader AI or workforce transformation. See the fractional executive firms compared in 2026 for a fuller field of these networks.
Why people switch from Focus Insights Group
- The report lands, and then nobody moves. Findings without an owner and a 90-day plan sit in a shared drive.
- The board wants an enterprise-value number attached, not a satisfaction score. Research firms measure sentiment; they don't model what a workforce or AI decision does to valuation.
- AI investment decisions need role and workflow redesign, not another interview round. Surveying employees about a new AI tool doesn't redesign the jobs that tool touches.
“A research firm tells you what people think. Someone still has to decide what the company does with it.”
When staying with Focus Insights Group is the right call
If the open question at your company in 2026 is still what customers actually value or what employees think about a change already in motion, a dedicated research engagement is the correct next step — not a transformation program you're not ready to commit to yet. Skip the alternatives above until the research question is settled; switching too early just adds a second vendor relationship on top of an unanswered one.
Name the real constraint first
A straight diagnosis of where AI and workforce investment is stuck.
FAQ
What is the best Focus Insights Group alternative in 2026?
Net Good Business is the best fit for mid-market and PE-backed B2B companies that already have research findings and need someone to execute against them. A tier-1 strategy consultancy is the better fit for enterprise-scale board validation.
Is Net Good Business better than Focus Insights Group?
They solve different problems. Focus Insights Group is built for primary research and voice-of-customer studies; Net Good Business is built to diagnose an operating constraint and execute the fix with a fractional executive.
Do fractional executive networks replace a research firm like Focus Insights Group?
No. A fractional executive network fills an open role fast but doesn't run market research or voice-of-customer studies the way Focus Insights Group does.
When should a company stay with Focus Insights Group instead of switching?
Stay with a research-focused firm when the open question is still what customers or employees think. Switch once you know the answer and need someone to act on it.
How long does a Net Good Business engagement typically run before execution starts?
Engagements generally move through a 90-day diagnostic sprint before shifting into embedded execution work with a fractional executive.
What company size does Net Good Business work with?
Mid-market and PE-backed B2B companies with $5M to $100M in revenue.
Are tier-1 consultancies a good fit for a $10M B2B company?
Usually not. Tier-1 strategy consultancies are staffed and priced for enterprise accounts, and their engagement cycles run slower than a mid-market operating company can typically wait for.
One last thing
Most companies searching for focus insights group alternatives in 2026 aren't actually unhappy with the research — they're stuck on the step after it. Before signing anyone new, write down who owns the next 90 days of execution. If that box is empty, the answer isn't more research. It's an operator.