AI Consulting That Ships a System.
Most AI consultants hand you a roadmap and leave. We advise on strategy, build-vs-buy, and technology selection — then build the system, fixed-scope, in 2–4 weeks. You end the engagement with a deployed prototype, not a deck.
The problem
Traditional AI consulting sells advice. We sell outcomes.
The standard AI consulting engagement runs 6–18 months. You hire a strategy firm, they interview your team, map your processes, and produce a transformation roadmap. Then the engagement ends. Implementation is a separate contract, with a separate team, starting from scratch.
The result: companies that spent $500K on AI consulting still don't have a working AI system 18 months later. The advice was sound; the execution never happened.
Advisory scope
What we advise on.
Each advisory area has a linked resource so you can read our thinking before booking a call.
Build vs buy analysis
We map your use case against available tools, platforms, and custom-build costs. You get a recommendation with a cost model, not a vendor-agnostic non-answer.
Read our build vs buy framework →AI roadmap and prioritisation
Which workflows to automate first, in what order, with what ROI per dollar spent. Ranked by payback period and implementation risk — not by what sounds impressive.
In-house vs agency decision
When to build an internal AI team, when to use an agency like Hestur, and how to structure a hybrid. We give you the honest answer even if it means you build internally.
Read in-house vs agency guide →Technology selection
LLM choice (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, open-source), orchestration framework (LangGraph, n8n, custom), vector store, voice platform. We've built in production on all of them and give you the tradeoffs.
PoC scoping and validation
2–4 week proof of concept on your real data. The PoC answers whether the approach works before you commit the full build budget. Accuracy metrics, integration validation, fixed price.
How we scope a PoC →Cost and ROI modelling
Build cost, running cost, expected savings, payback period. We run the numbers before the PoC starts so you know whether the project makes financial sense.
See AI development cost ranges →How it works
From discovery call to deployed system.
Every engagement starts with a single call to scope the problem. From there, the path is fixed-scope and time-boxed — no open-ended retainers, no scope creep, no billing surprises.
01
Discovery call (free)
30-minute call to understand your use case, current stack, and constraints. We tell you honestly whether AI will deliver ROI — and what the right approach is. No sales pitch.
02
Fixed-scope PoC (2–4 weeks)
We build a working prototype on your real data. At the end you have accuracy metrics, integration validation, and a fixed quote for the full build. Go/no-go decision is yours.
03
Production build (6–10 weeks)
Full deployment with monitoring, error handling, and documentation. Systems are production-hardened, not MVP-grade. You own the code and the infra.
FAQ
Common questions.
What makes Hestur AI consulting different from a strategy firm?
Strategy firms deliver recommendations. We deliver working systems. Our consulting engagement ends with a deployed prototype or production build — not a slide deck. Advisory without implementation is how AI projects stall.
Do you do consulting-only engagements, or must we build with you?
We do both. If you want a roadmap, build-vs-buy analysis, or technology selection without committing to a build, that's a fixed-scope advisory engagement. If you want to validate the approach before building, we run a 2–4 week PoC. If you want the full build, we scope that after the PoC.
How long does an AI consulting engagement take?
Discovery and advisory: 1–2 weeks for a focused roadmap or build-vs-buy analysis. PoC: 2–4 weeks to a live prototype with accuracy metrics. Full production build: 6–12 weeks depending on complexity. Every engagement is fixed-scope with a firm timeline before work starts.
What industries do you consult for?
Healthcare (HIPAA-compliant AI architecture), financial services (compliance-first automation), e-commerce (order ops, support deflection), SaaS (RAG knowledge bases, product AI), and professional services (document processing, client workflow automation). Our ex-FAANG team has shipped AI in all of them.
What does AI consulting cost?
Advisory engagements (roadmap, build-vs-buy, technology selection): fixed-price, typically $5K–$15K depending on scope and complexity. PoC engagements: $10K–$25K. Full builds are quoted after the PoC. [CONFIRM exact pricing ranges with your team before publishing]
Ready to stop planning and start shipping?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We scope the project, tell you honestly whether it makes sense, and give you a fixed quote before any work starts.