The fractional model

An embedded AI executive, sized for the middle market.

The AI executive that Fortune 500 companies hire full-time, brought to founder-led and mid-market businesses on a flexible cadence. Engagements start within 48 hours. Scope flexes as your business changes. At a fraction of a full-time hire's cost.

What is a fractional AI executive?

A fractional AI executive is a senior operator who sits inside your leadership team part-time, owning the AI calls a Chief AI Officer would own at a Fortune 500. Same caliber of judgment, on a flexible cadence, at a fraction of the cost. Best fit for $5M–$200M companies where AI is on the roadmap but no senior technology voice yet owns it.

Why a fractional model makes sense now

Fractional is the middle path: senior operator experience in the room for the decisions that actually need it, at a fraction of the fully-loaded cost. For companies still figuring out the shape of their AI work, that optionality is the point.

$400K–$700K
Fortune 500 Chief AI Officer compensation
Before equity. Before the 12-month ramp. The math middle-market companies can’t make work — and the gap fractional fills.

Senior judgment, applied to the calls in front of you

The specifics flex to what your business needs. That's the point of fractional — senior judgment applied to the calls in front of you, not a fixed scope of deliverables.

Executive and board prep

Walk into executive and board meetings with confident answers on AI strategy, vendor landscape, and competitive position.

Vendor evaluation and selection

Cut through pitches. Run vendors against the problems you actually need to solve, not the demos they want to give.

Architecture and build-vs-buy

The architecture calls that determine what you can build next year. Framed against your team, stack, and timeline.

Competitive positioning

Where AI shows up in how you win — and where it's just table stakes everyone will catch up to.

Team enablement

Help your existing team operate with AI, not around it. Senior judgment layered on top of the people you already have.

Roadmap and sequencing

What to do first, what to defer, and what to kill. Priorities ranked against revenue, risk, and readiness.

When fractional is the right fit

If more than one or two of these feel familiar, the conversation is worth having.

You're $5M–$200M in revenue and AI is on the roadmap — but there's no senior technology voice owning it

You've been pitched by three vendors and can't tell which one is right

Your CEO, board, or investors are asking AI questions your team doesn’t have confident answers to

You're considering a full-time CTO or Chief AI Officer hire but want to de-risk the scope first

You have a technical team but need senior judgment layered on top — not replacement

Typical cadence

01

Working sessions

Weekly or bi-weekly sessions with your leadership team — the venue where the real calls happen.

02

On-call availability

Vendor calls, executive prep, and architecture decisions get senior backup when they happen — not when the calendar opens up next week.

03

Monthly outcomes review

Progress measured against revenue, cost, or velocity metrics you care about — not hours logged or slides produced.

04

30-day opt-out

No long-term lock-in. If the engagement isn't working, either side can wind it down with 30 days' notice.

Different by design. On purpose.

Pattern recognition, not first-timers

AI is the fourth technology wave we’ve led through. We know what the hype curve looks like, which vendor promises survive contact with reality, and where the real unlocks are.

Vendor-neutral

We’re not a reseller. We don’t have partnership quotas. Recommendations come from what fits your business — not what fits a contract.

In the room, not next to it

We don’t deliver a report and walk away. Fractional means sitting inside your leadership meetings, vendor calls, and the tough calls you’d normally make alone.

Measured on your metrics

Progress judged against revenue, cost, or velocity targets you care about — not hours logged or slides produced. Outcomes make the case for renewal, not loyalty.

Common questions about fractional AI leadership

If you don't see yours here, the scoping call is the fastest way to get specifics for your situation.

How is a fractional AI executive different from a consultant?
A consultant delivers a report and leaves. A fractional executive sits inside your leadership meetings, owns the calls with you, and stays accountable to outcomes over time. Think embedded operator, not outside advisor.
How is this different from hiring a full-time CTO or Chief AI Officer?
A full-time hire costs $400K–$700K plus equity and takes 6–9 months to source. Fractional gets the same caliber of operator in the room within 48 hours, at a fraction of the cost, with the ability to scale up or wind down as the shape of the work becomes clear.
How quickly can we start?
Engagements typically start within 48 hours of a signed agreement. The first working session is usually scheduled inside the first week.
What if our needs grow — can we go full-time later?
Yes. Many fractional engagements are a deliberate de-risking step before a full-time hire. By the time you’re ready to staff the role permanently, you’ll know the scope, the shape, and the profile of the right hire.
Do you work with technical teams, non-technical teams, or both?
Both. Fractional leadership is about judgment at the executive layer. Whether your team is deeply technical or leans non-technical, the work translates — the decisions about vendor selection, architecture, and sequencing look the same either way.
How do you stay vendor-neutral in practice?
No reseller arrangements. No partnership quotas. No referral fees. When a vendor recommendation goes out, it reflects what fits the business — not what fits a contract on our end.

See if fractional is the right fit

Book a scoping call. Walk away with a clearer view of where AI fits in your business — whether we end up working together or not.