All About 8MDs

Welcome

Thank you for coming to this site and for reading these words.

We are living through a time unlike any other.

If you have not done so yet, please read AI: Stark Warning. It provides an essential backdrop to why this platform exists.

What is 8MDs?

8MDs is an abbreviation of “Eight Managing Directors.”

It is a notional title. The site and platform were founded by a small group of advisers, running advisory firms in different parts of the UK, who recognised that their working lives were about to change, dramatically.

What began with a couple of individuals soon grew into a few more, and eventually reached eight, at which point a decision was made to act, to organise, and to build something that could serve all advisers across the intermediary sector.

Eight is not a rigid number. It is simply indicative of how a small, committed group can come together with purpose.

Why this platform was created

The founders realised early on that, while the advice sector has strong networking dynamics, almost all of that energy has historically been concentrated at the back end: compliance, administration and systems.

Very little, if anything, was being done at the front end.

Despite running independent firms with unique identities, they found that their “front-end” requirements were remarkably similar. Yet each adviser was acting alone, trying to navigate the same challenges in isolation, even as a new paradigm was emerging – one that would upend not only business practices, but the very model of advice itself.

So the founders began to imagine a community. One that would protect each adviser’s autonomy and individuality, but also harness the strength of collaboration where it matters most.

The ethos of 8MDs

This site, this platform, this service – its foundation rests on a simple idea:

To support and train advisers as we enter a new age and a new model.

To encourage collaboration in areas such as marketing, communication and technology adoption.

To focus not only on managing change, but on building through it.

The future, one that will be profoundly shaped and accelerated by AI – is not something to fear. It is something to respect, to understand, and ultimately, to harness. The power and potential it offers is astonishing, and it will enable exceptional development for those who engage with it early and thoughtfully.

Built by advisers. Extended to advisers.

The site, the platform and the resources within it are largely free. They were built by the founders initially for their own benefit, but it soon became clear that the value should be extended to all advisers across all parts of the advice sector.

If you would like to use the platform and join the developing community, please register here.