Work with me

From a promising AI idea to a product people can use.

I work with founders, product teams, and established organizations that need experienced help defining, building, and improving AI products. I offer project-based engagements, fractional AI leadership, and ongoing advisory retainers through Project Sapiens, Inc.

Where I can help

Start with the decision you need to make.

Define the right product

You see an opportunity for AI but need to decide what to build. We can work through the user need, available data, technical options, and the evidence a prototype should produce.

Typical focus: use-case assessment, product scope, architecture, and an evaluation plan.

Build a working system

You have a defined direction and need to turn it into software. I connect product decisions with implementation, including data integration, model behavior, interface design, and deployment.

Typical focus: conversational and voice interfaces, enterprise knowledge and search, AI agents, and custom applications.

Improve what already exists

You have a prototype or product, but reliability, usability, or operations are holding it back. We can examine the failure modes and prioritize changes against real usage.

Typical focus: evaluation, data quality, workflow design, product clarity, and production readiness.

Engagement options

The right level of involvement for the work.

Project-based strategy and development

A defined engagement to assess an opportunity, build a product, or improve an existing system. We agree on the scope, deliverables, and measures of success before work begins.

Fractional AI leadership

Hands-on leadership on a part-time basis to help set AI direction, prioritize a roadmap, guide product and technical decisions, and support the people delivering the work. We agree on responsibilities and a working cadence that fits your organization.

Ongoing advisory retainers

Regular access to an experienced perspective as your AI plans evolve. Advisory work can include strategy reviews, architecture and vendor decisions, product feedback, and evaluation of new opportunities. We define the focus and meeting cadence together.

These options are available across industries and organization sizes. The starting point is the work you need to accomplish, rather than a particular client profile.

Working together

Useful software starts with a shared understanding.

1. Understand the situation
We start with who the product serves, what needs to change, and what you already have: data, systems, people, and constraints.
2. Agree on a focused scope
We define the deliverable, responsibilities, and how we will judge whether the work is useful. Scope, timing, and fees are agreed before work begins.
3. Build, evaluate, and refine
Working software and concrete evidence guide the next decision. We test the important failure cases alongside the intended experience.
4. Make the next step clear
The engagement should leave you with a useful result and a clear understanding of what it takes to operate, extend, or hand over the work.

A good fit

A meaningful use case, and room to work through it.

I’m particularly interested in products where AI needs to work with real information and real constraints: finding answers across enterprise knowledge, helping someone complete a task through conversation, or turning fragmented data into a clear decision.

You don’t need a finished specification. It helps to have a clear audience, access to the people or information the product will depend on, and a willingness to evaluate what actually works.

For an example of how I approach those tradeoffs, read the Hotline Sports case study. For my background, meet the person behind the work.

Before we talk

A little context makes the first conversation useful.

Send a short description of what you’re trying to build or improve, who it’s for, and where the project stands. If you have a target timeline or budget range, include it. Please keep credentials and confidential materials out of the initial inquiry.

Use the contact form or email tony@tonymarks.com. We can determine fit and the right next step from there.

Start a conversation

Have something worth building?

Tell me what you’re trying to create, who it needs to serve, and where you are today.

Tell me about your project →