Why Most AI Consultants Are Wrong

The AI consulting space has a credibility problem. Most AI consultants don't actually use AI to run a business. They've read about it, built demos, maybe completed a certification — but they've never deployed a system that handles real operations with real consequences.

The Demo vs Production Gap

There's a massive gap between “I can show you a cool ChatGPT prompt” and “I run a fleet of AI models that handle guest communication, content creation, and operations for a live hospitality business.”

Demos work in controlled environments. Production systems need to handle edge cases, fail gracefully, and actually save time instead of creating new problems.

What to Look For

When evaluating anyone who offers AI consulting (including me), ask:

• What AI systems do you use daily? Not “what can you build” — what do you actually run?
• How much time/money has it saved you? Real numbers, not projections.
• What failed? Anyone who hasn't had an AI system fail hasn't built enough of them.
• Can you show me the production system? Not a slide deck — the actual system.

My Approach

I run AI in production every day. A multi-machine fleet with local LLMs, a RAG system with 267 knowledge chunks, 28 automated workflows, and computer vision on live camera feeds. When I consult, I'm drawing from systems that are running right now — not things I built for a demo once.

That doesn't mean my approach is right for everyone. But it does mean the advice comes from actual experience, not theoretical knowledge.