Service / Decision Review
AI Decision Review
For the AI decision that survived the chatbot stage but still isn't resolved. A working session plus a written recommendation — with the reasoning, risks, and kill criteria your team can act on. Done in a week.
When the chatbot stops helping
For the decision that's still stuck after exploration
You've already explored the question with AI. The chatbot has opinions, the prototype is half-built, the vendor decks are read. The decision is still expensive, still ambiguous, and still stuck.
This is when an outside voice — technical enough to challenge architecture, product enough to challenge the business case — moves a team forward. Some examples of decisions teams have sent over:
- Build vs. buy vs. integrate for a specific AI capability
- Foundation model selection (and what to revisit later)
- Whether to fine-tune, RAG, or use a base model with better prompts
- Hire an AI lead vs. partner with an outside team
- MVP scope for an AI feature — what to ship, what to cut, what to fake
- Vendor evaluation — comparing 2 or 3 platforms on real criteria
- Whether your prototype is ready for production investment
- Architecture choice between two viable AI system designs
Good fit when
- The decision is specific enough to articulate in one page.
- The cost of being wrong is meaningful — at least mid-five-figures of wasted engineering, or a meaningful slip on roadmap.
- You want a defensible recommendation in writing, not just a hallway conversation.
- Your team is open to outside input but you don't need (or want) a multi-week engagement.
What changes by the end
From "still not sure" to a call you can defend in writing
Before
Three weeks of debate, two viable options, and a sense that the team is going to commit anyway because nobody can articulate the trade-off clearly enough to settle it.
After
A written recommendation, the reasoning behind it, the risks I'd watch for, and the conditions under which I'd revisit the call. Forwardable to leadership without translation.
What you receive
One brief, one session, one memo
-
01
You send a brief
One page. The decision in a sentence, the options you're considering, the constraints, and any background materials I should read. I'll send a template after you reach out.
-
02
We do the working session
90 minutes, scheduled within a week of receiving the brief. I've read everything in advance. We work the decision live — I ask questions, your team contributes context, we narrow the options together.
-
03
I deliver a memo
Five pages, delivered within five business days of the session. The recommendation, the reasoning, the risks, the conditions under which I'd revisit it, and the next-step options. Written so you can forward it to leadership.
Not a fit
When to skip this
- You haven't framed the decision yet — you're at the "we should do something with AI" stage. Start with a Strategy Sprint instead.
- You want me to make the decision for you. I'll give a clear recommendation, but the decision is still yours and your team's.
- You need ongoing implementation support. The Decision Review produces a memo, not a roadmap.
Common questions
What teams ask before booking
-
How is the engagement priced?
Fixed price — $2,000, single-issue, single-payment. It's sized to be the smallest amount of money where the work can be done properly (read the materials, prep, run the session, write a real memo) and small enough to fit under most procurement and legal thresholds, which keeps the time-to-start short. Confirmed on the first reply, invoiced before the working session. -
How quickly can we start?
Usually within a week of you sending the brief. The 5-business-day SLA on the memo starts after the working session. Most reviews are done end-to-end in two weeks. -
What does the brief need to look like?
One page. The decision in a sentence, the options you're considering, the constraints (budget, timeline, team), and any background materials I should read before the session. I'll send you a template after you reach out. -
Who attends the working session?
Whoever owns the decision and whoever has the technical or product context to inform it. Usually 2–4 people from your side. The session is structured but conversational — I'll have read everything in advance and come with specific questions. -
What's in the memo?
Five pages, give or take. The recommendation, the reasoning, the key risks I'd watch for, the conditions under which I'd revisit the call, and any next-step options. It's written so you can forward it to leadership without translation. -
What if the decision turns out to be bigger than a single Review?
I'll say so explicitly in the memo and we can talk about whether a Strategy Sprint is the right next step. The Decision Review fee is credited against a Sprint engagement if you start one within 60 days. -
Do you do these on retainer?
No. The Decision Review is single-issue, single-payment, no ongoing relationship implied. If you have ongoing decisions, a Strategy Sprint or a longer engagement is the right shape.
Book a Decision Review
Tell me what you're deciding
Send a few sentences on the decision. I'll respond within a day or two with the brief template, scheduling, and an invoice. No scheduling tools, no funnels.
Decision Review fees are credited against a Strategy Sprint engagement if you start one within 60 days.