Field notes from real engagements. Frameworks, postmortems, and the unglamorous discipline of shipping AI in production.
Showing 1–9 of 25 essays
Fractional executives give growing companies real C-suite leadership at 20-35% of a full-time hire. Here's how the model works, what every role covers — CFO, CMO, COO, CTO, CAIO — what each costs, and how to hire well.
Read essayMost companies adopted AI faster than they inspected it. An AI audit answers five questions — what's in use, what data it touches, what it costs, whether output is checked, and who's accountable. Here's the working framework.
Read essayEnterprise AI maturity models are built for companies with committees. This one is built for operators: five levels, honest placement criteria, and the specific work that moves a growing business up each rung.
Read essay"AI transformation" has become a phrase that means everything and therefore nothing. Here's what it actually is, why the big-bang version fails, and the executive playbook that works for companies without transformation offices.
Read essayUniversities now sell Chief AI Officer programs at $2K–$15K a seat. Here's an honest look at what they deliver, who actually benefits, and the build-vs-buy question companies should answer before sending anyone.
Read essayBoth put senior technology leadership on your team without a full-time salary — but they own different problems. Here's what each role actually covers, where they overlap, and how to decide which gap your company has.
Read essayA full-time Chief AI Officer now costs $300K to $550K+ all-in. Here's the 2026 salary picture by company size, what drives it, and the math on the fractional alternative for companies that need the leadership without the payroll line.
Read essayMost AI tools demo beautifully and break in production. After evaluating vendors across 100+ implementations, here's the framework I use — including the five questions that end most sales conversations early.
Read essayA full-time Chief AI Officer runs $300K+ a year all-in. A fractional one is a fraction of that. Here's an honest breakdown of both — plus the math for working out which one pays for itself at your size.
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