Your competitors are already
using AI.
You're still
evaluating options.
I work with founders and leaders who know AI matters but can't figure out where to start. I don't hand you a roadmap and disappear — I sit with your team, we build the solutions together, and when I leave, your people own it completely.
The problem isn't the technology.
It's knowing where to point it.
There are hundreds of AI tools and everyone has an opinion. Your team is experimenting in isolation, nobody's sure what's working, and decisions keep stalling because the landscape feels impossible to evaluate.
- Your team suspects AI could save them hours every week, but nobody can agree on where to start
- People are experimenting with tools on their own — no shared strategy, no compounding gains
- You're not sure whether that AI initiative your VP pitched is visionary or a waste of money
- The real fear: looking foolish by betting on the wrong thing — or being the leader who moved too slow
This isn't a technology problem. It's a focus problem. And focus problems need a partner who's been in the trenches, not another vendor selling tools.
How we work together
01
Identify the 2–3 decisions that create 80% of the value
I work closely with your leadership team to understand your business — not just your tech stack. Together we find the highest-leverage places for AI, instead of chasing every shiny tool.
02
Ensure your team executes with confidence
We implement together. Your people learn by doing, not by reading a report. When I leave, they have the skills and confidence to keep going — no dependency, no black box.
03
Align your organization so adoption sticks
AI adoption isn't just technical — it's organizational. I help your leaders work through resistance, align teams, and have the hard conversations about why workflows are changing and what's on the other side. Most AI initiatives die here. Mine don't.
Your leadership team goes from overwhelmed to focused, from experimenting to executing, from hoping AI works to knowing exactly where it's working and why.
What this looks like in practice
One client — a growing company with a capable team stretched too thin — was losing the equivalent of a full-time employee's worth of hours every week to manual processes, scattered knowledge, and coordination overhead. Worse, critical business knowledge lived in people's heads, creating real risk every time someone left or retired.
We worked together to identify the highest-impact bottlenecks, then built AI-powered systems side by side with their team. The result: those hours came back, institutional knowledge got captured in systems instead of people, and the team went from confused about AI to confidently building on what we started.
In another engagement, I built tools that helped a team of dozens go from shipping work once a day to ten times that — same people, same budget, dramatically more output. That's the kind of leverage that's available right now for teams willing to focus.
That's what a focused AI strategy does — not a tool demo, not a slide deck, but working systems that compound over time.
Three ways to get started
Every engagement starts the same way
Understand your business. Find the highest-leverage opportunity. Prove what's possible.
AI Opportunity Audit
1–2 weeksI spend time with your leadership team — interviewing, observing, understanding where time and energy get trapped. You get a prioritized roadmap: where AI creates the most value in your specific business, what to do first, and what to ignore.
Best for leaders who need clarity before committing to a bigger engagement.
Strategic AI Partnership
MonthlyAn ongoing relationship where we tackle your highest-impact opportunities together. Discover the bottleneck, design the solution, build it with your team. One constraint at a time, and the results compound.
Best for companies ready to systematically upgrade how their teams use AI.
Group AI Transformation
Coming soonA structured program where I guide a small group of companies through the same proven framework. Strategic guidance, hands-on implementation, and the benefit of learning from other leaders navigating the same challenges.
Get on the list — I'll let you know when the first cohort opens.
What leaders say
“Works GREAT! I sent some drug card reminders and received a copy of what was sent! LOVE IT!”
“I actually kind of like the transition of starting jobs this way. It's been good for me.”
“Erik brings together AI knowledge, data skills, product thinking, and coding abilities — a combo that's super hard to find. I couldn't recommend him more.”
“The work has been a game-changer. The system keeps improving over time as it learns from usage. If you're considering working with Erik, don't hesitate.”
Who this is for
Founders and leaders of growing companies (20–200 people) who know AI matters but feel stuck. You have capable teams. You have real business problems worth solving. You just need a smart partner who's done this before to help you focus and get traction.
Who this isn't for
Companies looking for a developer to build an app. Startups without established teams. Enterprises with dedicated AI departments.
Frequently asked questions
What makes this different from other AI consulting?
Most consultants sell tools or build things for you. I work with your team so they build the capacity themselves. When I leave, your people know how to evaluate, implement, and iterate on AI without me. That's the difference between a vendor and a partner.
How quickly will we see results?
The AI Opportunity Audit delivers clarity within two weeks. For ongoing partnerships, most companies see measurable improvements within the first month — we focus on quick wins that build confidence and momentum before tackling bigger opportunities.
What does this cost?
The AI Opportunity Audit is a fixed-fee engagement — I'll share the number on our first call. Ongoing partnerships are monthly, and you can adjust or stop anytime. I'd rather you start small and expand based on results than overcommit upfront.
Do you write code?
When it serves the engagement, absolutely — I'm deeply technical. But the value isn't in my code. It's in knowing which problems to solve first, then building the solution with your team so they own it completely.
What if we don't know what we need yet?
That's exactly what the first conversation is for. Most leaders I talk to are relieved to finally have an honest conversation about AI where they don't have to pretend they know more than they do. Narrowing the field is the first thing we do together.
What if we're not happy with the results?
We keep working until you are. Simple as that.
Let's figure out where AI
actually moves the needle
In 30 minutes, I'll tell you the one or two places AI would actually make a difference in your business. If it's useful, we talk about working together. If not, you still walk away with clarity you didn't have before.
About
Erik Schwartz
I've spent 25 years building software products — including helping build the AI-powered pricing engine for a manufacturing marketplace that went public. For the last two years, AI has been my entire focus: not experimenting with chatbots, but designing and building AI systems that run inside real businesses every day.
I've built my own AI infrastructure from scratch — a custom system I use daily to manage work, research, and decision-making. That's the difference between someone who advises on AI and someone who lives inside it.
My current clients keep me on retainer because the strategic decisions and systems we build together generate more value than a full team did before. The combination I bring — deep technical fluency, decades of cross-functional product experience, and the ability to navigate the organizational side of change — is hard to find in one person. That's what makes this work.