HOME · FILE 3.3 — MONTHLY AI RETAINER
A fractional AI CTO who runs a franchise.
Most technology advisors have never signed the back of a vendor invoice. I operate a franchise store every week — so the retainer's advice is grounded in a real P&L, not a slide about one.
SCOPE AGREED IN WRITING
What a month looks like
FOUR THINGS HAPPEN EVERY MONTHOne working session.
We look at the numbers, re-rank the priority list, and decide what gets built or fixed next. An agenda and decisions — not a status call.
Your tools stay working.
Whatever you run — tools I built, tools you bought — gets maintained, patched, and adjusted as your operation changes. Priority access when something breaks.
Something new ships.
At least one automation or improvement from the running list lands each month — sized to the retainer, chosen by payback.
Your vendors stay honest.
Every AI pitch, renewal, and price change that lands on your desk gets screened by someone on your side of the table — I don't resell anything.
Is it a fit?
BUILT FOR OPERATORS WITH SOMETHING TO MAINTAIN✓The retainer fits when…
—It doesn't fit when…
Retainer FAQ
BEFORE YOU STARTWhat does a typical retainer month look like?
One working session on strategy and priorities, ongoing maintenance of the tools you run, at least one new automation or improvement from the running priority list, and screening of whatever AI pitches and vendor renewals landed on your desk that month. Plus priority access when something breaks.
Why is the AI retainer month-to-month instead of a contract?
Because the work has to earn the renewal. Operators get locked into 12-month software and consulting contracts constantly — the retainer is deliberately structured so that if a month doesn't pay for itself, you cancel. That constraint keeps the priority list honest.
What decides whether a retainer is $2,000 or $5,000 per month?
Scope: how many locations, how many tools under maintenance, and how much new build work rides along each month. A single location with one custom tool sits at the low end; a multi-location group with several tools, active vendors, and a monthly build cadence sits at the top. The number is agreed in writing before the first month.
Is this the same as hiring a fractional CTO?
It's the operator version of one. A typical fractional CTO advises on technology strategy from a software background. This retainer is run by an active franchise operator — the advice is grounded in running a restaurant P&L, and the tools get tested against a real store before they're recommended to yours.
Do I need an audit or a custom build before starting a retainer?
Usually one of them comes first — the audit gives the retainer its priority list, and a build gives it something to maintain. But operators who already run AI tools (bought or built elsewhere) start on the retainer directly, often to get the vendor sprawl under control.
Start here
OPERATOR TO OPERATORTell me what you're running.
Locations, tools, and the thing that keeps breaking. I reply within 24 hours with an honest read — including "you don't need a retainer yet" when that's true.