Engagements / Principal AI Systems & R&D Consultant
Ways to work together.
Start with one consequential decision or a clearly bounded need for senior technical capacity. Experimental builds follow only when the question and inputs are ready.
Free fit call. It establishes fit and a possible next step—not a technical design session.
Focused projects
Start with a decision.
Continue when the evidence warrants it.
All prices in USD. The standard decision sprint has a firm cap; validation is selectively scoped and not automatic.
Available starting point
Feasibility & Decision Sprint
Standard sprint$7,500Up to 5 focused working days · usually 1–2 calendar weeks
Resolve one consequential uncertainty before committing to a build.
A funded team needs an independent assessment of a difficult AI, software or research question and a credible basis for deciding what to do next.
What it can produce
- One decision, the key assumptions and the constraints that matter
- Assessment of the evidence, technical options and material risks
- A recommended direction, which may include an architecture or experiment plan
The standard sprint is capped at one decision and up to five focused working days. It does not include implementation or promise to resolve every uncertainty. A broader investigation is separately scoped before work begins.
Discuss a decision sprint ↗Selected follow-on
Technical Validation Sprint
Typically from$18,000Up to 10 focused working days · usually 2–4 calendar weeks
Run the smallest experiment that can change the decision.
Offered selectively after a feasibility sprint—or when equivalent scope and inputs already exist—to test one bounded technical hypothesis.
What it can produce
- One agreed hypothesis, representative inputs and evaluation criteria
- A focused model, algorithm experiment, technical spike or limited proof of concept
- Results, limitations, handover and a go, change or stop recommendation
Limited to one active validation sprint at a time. This is not an MVP, production system or open-ended R&D commitment. Product design, broad integrations, security or compliance hardening, deployment, wet-lab validation, third-party costs and ongoing development require separate scope.
Ask about a validation sprint ↗Sustained technical direction
Fractional Applied AI / R&D Leadership
Senior judgment and hands-on technical leadership, reserved for your team as the work develops.
For applied ML, LLM systems, private or on-prem AI, retrieval and knowledge systems, agentic workflows, or research that needs a path to implementation.
Work can include architecture, experiment design, technical reviews, mentoring and research-to-production planning. This is focused AI and R&D leadership—not a generic fractional CTO role.
From$7,000 / month
Approximately 1 reserved day per week
From$13,000 / month
Approximately 2 reserved days per week
Typically a three-month initial term. Reserved capacity and continuity, not unlimited availability. Priorities, cadence and responsibilities are agreed in advance.
Discuss fractional support ↗For a focused question
Technical Advisory
Independent perspective on an architecture, technical decision, research direction or difficult blocker. Useful when you need targeted judgment rather than a project or ongoing role.
$250 / hour
Two-hour minimum. Preparation, review time and the total cap are agreed before paid work begins.
Ask about advisory ↗Before we start
Clear expectations.
Room to investigate.
What happens on the free call?
The 20-minute Fit & Scoping Call is to establish fit, understand your goals and constraints, and identify a useful next step. It is not a free architecture review, design session or technical consulting engagement.
What if the scope is still uncertain?
That is the reason to start with the Feasibility & Decision Sprint. We agree one decision and its boundaries before paid work begins. A sound result may be to narrow, change or stop an approach.
When is a validation sprint appropriate?
When one technical hypothesis, representative inputs, evaluation criteria and a decision owner are already identifiable. It may follow the decision sprint, but it is neither required nor automatic. I accept one active validation sprint at a time.
Is production delivery included?
No. A validation sprint creates evidence, not an MVP or production system. Product design, broad integrations, security or compliance hardening, deployment, operational support and external costs are separately scoped when appropriate.
Is this based on prior consulting clients?
The selected work reflects research and engineering experience, including work supporting NASA Ames through August 2025. It is not presented as a roster of consulting clients or institutional endorsements.
Explore selected technical work ↗