Resources · Buyer guide
Seven questions to ask before you hire an AI builder
AI projects go wrong in predictable places. These seven questions find them early, and they are the ones we expect to be asked.
Why these seven?
They cover what the AI will and will not do, where its information comes from, when a person takes over, how its output is checked, who keeps it running, what happens if you leave, and what it costs. If a provider cannot answer one clearly, that is useful to know before you sign.
What you get
Who it’s for
Anyone about to hire a team to build or run AI.
- 01Seven questions you can take to any provider
- 02What a good answer looks like, from how we work
- 03A way to compare providers on the same points
The seven questions
1. What exactly will it do, and not do?
We write the scope first, and nothing is built before both sides agree on what done means.
2. Where does its information come from?
Agents answer only from information you approve. They do not invent answers.
3. When does a person take over?
A person is one step away. The call flow says when the conversation goes to your team.
4. How is the output checked?
Measurable things are scored by script. Judgment calls are scored by one model and re-checked blind by a model from another vendor.
5. Who keeps it running?
One accountable owner, and we operate it after launch.
6. What happens if I leave?
Every build ships with a runbook, a recovery plan, a changelog and credential escrow.
7. What does it cost, and what is included?
The first call is free, custom work is quoted in writing, and product prices are published.
How we answer them
Each answer below is how we work, so you can compare it with what other providers tell you. We do not claim these are the only good answers.
How it works
A 30-minute call
We map the problem and decide together whether it is a product or a custom build. It is free.
A written scope
Nothing is built before both sides agree, in writing, on what done means. Custom work is quoted in writing.
Built, then operated
You see the work before launch. Every build arrives with a runbook, a recovery plan and a changelog, and we keep it running.
Pricing
The first call is free. Custom work is quoted in writing before anything starts. Pricing depends on scope and volume, and we quote it in writing.
Questions
- Should I ask for a demo first?
- Yes, and ask for it on your own call flow or data, not a generic script.
- What if a provider will not put the scope in writing?
- Treat that as an answer.
- How do I compare providers?
- Ask all of them the same seven questions and compare the answers.
Bring us the problem
Book a free 30-minute call. We tell you whether a product already fits or whether it needs a custom build, and we put the scope in writing.