AI consulting from a developer who builds AI products
I build AI features and run AI products myself. As an AI consultant, I look at your business, find the places where AI can save time or make money, and tell you what to build first and what to leave alone.
I'm all in on AI and use it every day. That makes me fast, and it also means I know where the models fail. I work with small businesses that have no developer of their own and with teams that want an experienced second opinion.
I usually reply within one working day.
What AI consulting with me covers
From the first question to a plan you can act on.
Where AI helps you
We go through the work your team does every week and find the tasks where AI saves the most: documents, emails, research, reports, support or content.
AI readiness assessment
Which data you have, where it lives, what is allowed to go to a model provider, and which of your systems AI would need to connect to.
What to build and what to buy
Sometimes ChatGPT or an existing tool is enough. Sometimes you need an automation or a feature in your own software. I tell you which, and why.
A plan in the right order
A short list of AI projects in the order that makes sense for you, with what each one needs and what it would change.
Models and providers
Anthropic, OpenAI, Google or xAI, which model for which job, and how to keep costs visible. I have shipped products on all four.
From plan to implementation
If you want, I build what we planned: AI features in your product, automations, or agents. You can also take the plan to your own team.
How I work
You don't need to have everything figured out before we talk. An idea, access to the repo, a screen recording or a list of problems is enough. I look at what is there, tell you what I would do and what it costs, and then I build it.
I use Claude Code, Codex and my own agent workflows for reading code, planning changes, writing tests, refactoring and debugging. It is not vibe coding. It is senior engineering with a much faster loop.
AI-first in my own work
I use Claude Code, Codex and my own agent workflows every day and run AI products myself. That is why I can say clearly which ideas will work and which ones only look good in a demo.
I stay in control
AI writes a lot of my code. I still make every technical decision, read every change before it ships, and test it. Fast, but meticulous: the speed is only worth something if what goes live is right.
The way you want to work
Some clients want to look at every change before it goes live, others want me to deploy. Some want a weekly call, most prefer written updates. I work well asynchronously, and I still ask the important questions when they come up.
I think like an owner
I still run my own online products. So when I build or fix yours, I think about traffic, conversion, revenue and support as much as about the code, and I tell you when something is not worth building.
Ways to work with me
Fixed price, a flat monthly rate, or hourly. It's always me doing the work, not an agency. If you're not sure, describe what you need and I'll suggest one.
Examples of my work
AI projects I have built and run.
Many AI agents per job, four providers
A Laravel and Vue product that runs several AI agents per job across Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and xAI, with large-scale web scraping, team accounts, credits and billing.
AI matching for visitors
An event platform where AI suggests relevant exhibitors to each visitor, next to registration, day planning, QR tickets and admin tools.
An AI content engine for a blog network
A Laravel platform that pulls data from the TMDb movie database, writes summaries with the OpenAI API, publishes on a schedule and watches for updates.
What clients say
"He started by really digging into our requirements, asking clarifying questions until he had a solid understanding."
"Vincent does not just close tickets, he thinks through the product, the edge cases, and the customer impact."
"His english is fluent, he understands what you need, and he's not looking to overcomplicate things."
Questions
What does an AI consultant do?
An AI consultant helps you decide where AI is worth using in your business and how. I also build what we decide on, so the advice stays close to what is possible.
We are a small business. Is AI consulting worth it for us?
Often yes, because small teams feel the time savings most. The first step is usually small, like one automation or one tool your team uses every day.
Do you also build AI features into our product?
Yes. That is often the next step after the consulting. If you already know what you want, we can start there.
Can you guarantee savings?
No. I can show you where AI helps in similar work, what it would take, and what could go wrong. Then you decide.
What about our data?
We decide early which data may go to a model provider and which must stay with you. That shapes which tools and providers make sense.
How do you charge?
Fixed price for a job with a clear outcome, a flat monthly rate for ongoing work, or hourly. Describe what you need and I'll suggest one.
Get in touch
What your company does, where your team spends the most time, and what you have tried with AI so far. A few sentences are enough.
If you would rather talk first, book a 30-minute call or email contact@vincentschmalbach.com.