How We Work
Most CX AI consulting is thinly-veiled vendor sales. We're the exception.
The Vendor-Agnostic Manifesto
We don't resell platforms
No revenue share. No referral fees. No preferred vendor relationships. If we recommend a platform, it's because it's right for your situation—not because it's right for our P&L.
We don't play favorites
We've worked with Salesforce, Zendesk, Intercom, Kustomer, Freshworks, and a dozen others. We know what they do well and where they fall short. You get the truth, not the pitch.
We recommend categories, not products
"You need a knowledge management system with semantic search" is useful. "You should buy vendor X" is sales. We do the former, not the latter.
We won't recommend a vendor we haven't seen ship
Demos lie. Pilot results lie less. Production at scale doesn't lie. If we haven't seen a vendor deliver in a situation like yours, we'll tell you.
We'll tell you when not to buy
Sometimes the answer is "fix your data first" or "change your process before adding tech." We're not here to sell you software. We're here to help you succeed.
We stay until it ships
Strategy decks are cheap. Implementation is hard. We don't hand you a roadmap and disappear. We stay through rollout, measurement, and iteration.
4-Phase Engagement Model
Not every engagement needs all four phases. Most start with Diagnose, skip Architect if the path is obvious, and go straight to Implement.
Diagnose
We figure out where you actually are—not where you think you are, not where vendors want you to be. Data audit, stakeholder alignment, use case prioritization.
- Readiness assessment across 4 dimensions
- Prioritized use case list with estimated ROI
- Gap analysis & 90-day roadmap
Architect
We design the solution architecture—data flows, integration points, AI-human handoffs, measurement frameworks. This is where we figure out what you build vs. what you buy.
- Solution architecture diagram
- Vendor category recommendations (not products)
- Integration design & data flow specs
- Success metrics & measurement plan
Implement
We help you ship. Vendor selection (if needed), integration work, pilot design, measurement setup, stakeholder management. We don't write code for you, but we're embedded with your team.
- Vendor RFP & selection support (if needed)
- Integration & configuration guidance
- Pilot design with clear success criteria
- Weekly implementation checkpoints
Operate
We help you run and optimize what you built. Measurement review, iteration planning, scale-up strategy. This phase is optional—many clients go it alone after rollout.
- Monthly performance reviews
- Optimization recommendations
- Scale-up roadmap
- Ongoing stakeholder reporting
What We Won't Do
Transparency matters. Here's what we're not:
We won't run 40-vendor RFPs
Vendor bake-offs waste everyone's time. We narrow to 3-5 realistic options, then help you decide.
We won't write strategy decks that sit in Google Drive
If it doesn't ship, it doesn't count. We're implementation-first, not PowerPoint-first.
We won't recommend tech you can't support
If your team can't maintain it after we leave, we won't build it. No technical debt time bombs.
We won't let pilots run forever
90 days max. Clear success criteria. Ship or kill decision. No pilot purgatory.
We won't work with vendors who pay us
No exceptions. If we're consulting for you, we don't take money from vendors. Period.
We won't promise ROI we can't measure
If we can't tie it to a metric you already track, we won't claim credit for it.
Diagnostic-First Principle
Most CX AI projects fail because organizations start building before they understand the problem. We always start with diagnosis.
1. Audit Current State
Data quality, system landscape, team capability, stakeholder alignment
2. Identify Gaps
What's missing? Data? Use case clarity? Exec sponsor? Technical capability?
3. Prioritize Fixes
Address blockers before expanding scope. No vendor demos until readiness is clear.
4. Execute
Now you build. With clarity on what success looks like and how to measure it.
Ready to Start?
Take the 5-minute CX AI Readiness Assessment or book a call to discuss your situation.