If you haven’t heard of MCP - here’s what it does and what it can unlock Something worth paying attention to if you’re acquiring or operating an SMB right now: Model Context Protocol, or MCP. MCP is an open standard developed by Anthropic that allows AI models to connect directly to external tools, data sources, and business systems in a structured, reliable way. Think of it as a universal connector layer that lets AI actually work inside your business stack and actually interact with your data as a backend. Essentially, it’s a localized Claude for your business that becomes an expert in your data stack. Here’s what it can do for buyers - Pre-acquisition: MCP enables faster, deeper diligence. Instead of manually pulling reports from five disconnected systems, you can connect an AI layer directly to a deal room, the target’s tech stack, etc. Post-acquisition: Most SMBs you acquire will have disconnected systems that nobody has ever properly integrated. With MCP, you can connect those systems and have AI operating on top of it, taking care of tasks and giving you real time data on the details of your business so you can get way ahead of problems you wouldn’t recognize without MCP. Practical implementations I’m seeing work right now: • AI that can query your CRM and accounting system simultaneously to answer revenue and customer questions in plain language • Automated diligence workflows that pull from multiple data sources and surface anomalies without manual reconciliation • Operational dashboards that update in real time by connecting AI directly to source systems rather than relying on manual exports The businesses that figure out how to make their tech stack more efficient and connect their stack with MCP are going to have a meaningful operational advantage in the next two to three years. If you’re in the middle of a deal or thinking about post-close integration strategy and want to see what implementation looks like, feel free to DM me.