One AI decision at a time, starting with a free hour.
Bring one business problem or AI opportunity. In an hour we assess its potential, identify the biggest uncertainties and agree a sensible next step. You leave with an independent view, whether or not we work together.
| Cost | Free, with no obligation afterwards |
|---|---|
| Length | One hour |
| Where | In person in Hyderabad, or on a call |
| Bring | One problem or idea. A few lines is enough. |
| Who it is for | Business decision-makers with a specific problem, plus anyone who knows the data |
| You leave with | An independent view of the opportunity, its biggest uncertainties and a sensible next step |
The decisions that come up before anyone writes code.
Which use cases are worth doing
A short list with a business case for each, ranked by value and effort, so the first pilot is the one most likely to pay.
Whether your data is ready
What your data can support today, and the minimum work needed for a pilot if it cannot. No heavy pipelines unless the return is clear.
What it is worth, and what it costs to run
ROI modeling that includes the running cost at production volume, which is where many business cases fall apart.
Build, buy or wait
Most companies should buy before they build. We help you tell when you are the exception, and evaluate the vendors when you are not.
AI features, pricing and packaging
For SaaS teams adding AI to a product, grounded in Hitesh's doctoral research. More below.
Where AI agents belong
Which workflows an agent should own, what it may touch, and how you would know afterwards what it did. More on agent governance and policy.
Three ways to continue, if you continue at all.
Plenty of sessions end with advice and no further work. When there is a next step, it is usually one of these.
Pricing AI features, from research on 371 companies.
Subscription, usage, credits or outcomes? Hitesh's doctoral research studied how 371 B2B SaaS companies price and package AI features, alongside nine executive interviews, and ended in a five-step framework for choosing a model.
The research is free to read: the full dissertation (101 pages), or the 19-slide brief if you want the findings in ten minutes. If you are deciding which AI features to build and how to charge for them, bring that question to the advisory session.
When a use case looks worth it, we test it.
An AI pilot exists to reduce uncertainty about the business. A sprint is scoped with you and typically runs a few weeks: feasibility and a baseline first, then an MVP, which usually takes about two weeks to build, then the measurement. Every step below is a point where you can stop.
We start with the business problem and the data you actually have, and leave you with a short list of use cases ranked by value and effort.
We test the top bet against your data and its running cost, then agree a baseline, a named owner and the test for going to production.
A quick prototype, built by our lab or your chosen vendor with us reviewing. Accuracy, cost, speed and business impact are measured against the baseline.
Deploy into your existing systems with monitoring and continuous improvement in place, or stop before the money is spent.
About the advisory session.
Why is the first session free?
Because it is a discovery session for both sides. You find out how we think and whether that helps you; we find out whether the problem is one we can help with. There is no obligation afterwards.
What should I prepare?
A few lines on the problem, who owns it and what data you have. Nothing polished. If there is a vendor proposal on the table, bring that too.
What happens after the session?
If the next step is a validation sprint, we scope it with you: what will be tested, how success is measured, who owns it and what it costs. If the next step does not need us, we say so, and you keep the advice.
Is there an ongoing option without a fractional role?
Yes, the AI Advisor retainer, described under What comes next: monthly reviews and governance for teams that already have someone inside who owns AI.
How is an AI advisor different from an AI consulting firm or a vendor?
A vendor sells you its product and a large consulting firm sells you a project team. An independent AI advisor helps you decide what is worth doing first, including when the answer is to buy, wait or skip. At 256 the same senior person, Dr. Hitesh Sarda, is in every engagement.
Do you meet in person in Hyderabad?
Yes. Advisory sessions are in person in Hyderabad or on a call, whichever suits you. Clients outside Hyderabad usually start on a call.
Bring one AI decision you are stuck on.
An hour, free, on one problem. Write a few lines about it; Hitesh reads every request himself and usually replies within a couple of working days.
Book a free advisory session