Senior AI strategy for your business — without hiring a Chief AI Officer.
For founder-led businesses doing $2M-$50M, a full-time AI lead does not pencil — but going without one leaves the most consequential technology decision of the decade to vendors and gut feel. Fractional AI Strategy gives you senior advisory, an evolving roadmap, and team enablement on a monthly retainer. Serving the Phoenix metro area from our Gilbert, AZ office.
Built for founders who need direction, not another deck
If you have already tried 'AI strategy' from a Big Four firm or your existing IT vendor, you know the drill: 60-page slide decks, no execution, no follow-through. This is the opposite.
$2M-$50M annual revenue
Big enough that AI decisions move real numbers. Small enough that the founder is still the final decision-maker.
AI is on the agenda — and stalled
Your team is excited but scattered. A few pilots, no real direction, no consistent ROI scoring, no quarterly cadence.
Want strategic input, not a build
You may already have a dev team, an existing platform, or a vendor partner. You need senior AI thinking layered on top — not another build engagement.
Tired of vendor pitches dressed as advice
Want a strategist whose only incentive is your outcome — no platform commission, no preferred vendor list, no upsell.
Six deliverables, every month, on a fixed retainer
No hourly billing. No scope debates. Show up, ship, repeat.
Monthly strategy sessions
Two 90-minute working sessions per month with the founder and ops lead. AI roadmap, vendor decisions, build-vs-buy debates, and quarterly priorities.
Vendor & tool evaluation
Independent evaluation of any AI tool, agent platform, or model your team is considering. No vendor kickbacks, no platform bias — just a clear recommendation.
AI roadmap & prioritization
Living quarterly roadmap of AI initiatives, scored by ROI and feasibility. Updated every month so the team always knows what to ship next.
Team enablement
Workshops and async training so your team actually adopts the tools. Prompt patterns, agent workflows, and governance — built around how your business runs.
Async office hours
Slack or email access between sessions. Quick gut-checks on a vendor pitch, a model decision, or a workflow redesign — usually answered same-day.
Stakeholder alignment
Quarterly sessions with the leadership team to keep AI strategy tied to business strategy. Avoids the most common SMB failure mode: AI as a side project.
A working rhythm, not a slide deck
Onboarding & baseline
Founder + ops interviews, current-state audit, tool inventory, and a 90-day initial roadmap. Sets the working cadence and decision rights.
Execution rhythm
Twice-monthly working sessions, weekly async check-ins, and live decisions on vendors, models, and workflows. The roadmap starts shipping.
Strategic review
Full leadership review every quarter. Roadmap reset, ROI scoring, and the next 90 days of priorities. The retainer compounds — so does the team's AI fluency.
Starts at $4K/month. No long-term commitment.
Most retainers land between $4K-$8K/month depending on session cadence and scope. Billed monthly, cancellable any time. The retainer is intentionally separate from any build engagement so strategic advice stays neutral.
Need a build, not just strategy? See AriesOS PlatformWhat strategic backing looks like
Common questions about the retainer
Who is fractional AI strategy actually for?
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Founder-led businesses ($2M-$50M revenue) that need senior AI strategy input but cannot justify a full-time CAIO or a six-figure consulting build. You get the strategic horsepower without the headcount or the platform commitment.
How is this different from the AI Readiness Audit?
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The Audit is a 4-week diagnostic that produces a written report and a one-time roadmap. Fractional Strategy is an ongoing monthly retainer — strategy sessions, vendor evaluation, and roadmap updates as the business evolves. Many clients start with an Audit and then move to Fractional.
What does it cost?
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The Fractional AI Strategy retainer starts at $4K/month, billed monthly with no long-term commitment. Scope and session cadence are tuned to the business — most clients land between $4K-$8K/month.
Do you build anything as part of this?
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No code or platform builds are included in the strategy retainer — the focus is decisions, direction, and team enablement. If a build is the right next step, it is scoped separately under AriesOS or a one-off engagement so the strategy retainer stays neutral.
How long do most engagements last?
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Most retainers run 6-18 months. The first 90 days set the AI roadmap and operating cadence. After that, the value compounds as the team ships, reviews, and iterates with senior strategic backing.
Ready to put senior AI strategy on retainer?
Schedule a 30-minute call. No pitch deck — just a working conversation about where AI fits in your business and whether a fractional retainer is the right shape.