AI Readiness / Ship Audit
A fixed-scope, fixed-fee read on whether you’re actually ready to ship AI.
Engineering and product leaders who need an honest, evidence-based answer before committing budget to an AI build.
Learn more → Diagnostic
The low-risk first step.
Before a full engagement, get a fixed-scope, fixed-fee read on where you actually stand, scoped and delivered in weeks, not a quarter. Price is confirmed after a first conversation.
Book a Ship Audit →AI Technical Diligence
An investor-grade read on a target’s AI claims, before you commit capital.
PE and VC investors, and corp-dev teams, evaluating an AI-related acquisition or investment.
Learn more → Which one
Both are fixed-scope and fixed-fee, delivered as a written report. The buyer is different, and so is the question each one answers.
| Diagnostic | For who | What it answers | Timeline | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Readiness / Ship Audit | Engineering and product leaders who need an honest, evidence-based answer before committing budget to an AI build. | A fixed-scope, fixed-fee read on whether you’re actually ready to ship AI. | 2–4 weeks, fixed scope | A written readiness report |
| AI Technical Diligence | PE and VC investors, and corp-dev teams, evaluating an AI-related acquisition or investment. | An investor-grade read on a target’s AI claims, before you commit capital. | Time-boxed to your deal calendar, typically 1–2 weeks | A written diligence report suitable for an investment committee |
Choose the Ship Audit if you're deciding whether to build. Choose Technical Diligence if you're deciding whether to invest. Not sure which applies? Read the "For who" section on either page, or ask us directly before you book one.
Questions
What a diagnostic is, and why it's paid.#
A diagnostic is a written, fixed-scope assessment, not a sales call. It ends in a report and a plan, not a pitch for more work. Nothing about it commits you to a build.
01 Why do you charge for the diagnostic?
It’s real work: a written, board-ready assessment, not a sales call in disguise. Charging for it is also a filter, separating buyers who are serious about shipping from ones fishing for a free scoping session.
Link to this answer: Why do you charge for the diagnostic?02 Can we skip it and just build?
No. Every engagement starts with the diagnostic. It’s the only reliable way to establish where you’re actually starting from before we scope and price a build, and it protects you from paying for a build against an untested plan.
Link to this answer: Can we skip it and just build? What happens after
The diagnostic is stage one of three. Each stage is priced on its own terms.
- Stage 01 Diagnostic
A fixed-scope audit, scored against evidence. You get a written report and a go or no-go call.
- Stage 02 Build
A phased build, scoped and priced against the diagnostic's own plan, not a guess made before it.
- Stage 03 Retain
A monthly retainer once something real is in production. EvalsAn eval suite is a versioned set of test cases that measures whether outputs are good. run continuously. The roadmap gets reviewed each quarter.