Frequently asked questions.

When an AI agent is about to take over a process and the operating model for it is missing. When a connected product is being created, has to move platforms or be redesigned. When the technology works but the market or sales to industrial customers are not there yet. And when an investor wants an independent, practice-based read before a decision. In every case: a 30-minute introductory call, free, confidential, under NDA if you wish.

I establish whether the move is worth it and whether to build or buy. I write the spec, select the implementation partner, govern the work and sign it off against the spec, with the AI Act, the CRA and NIS2 as inputs to architecture and processes. I never bid on the build. Entry via the free AI readiness check or a board workshop.

On a 4-week audit: interviews with customers or stakeholders and, depending on the pillar, a review of the process, the architecture or the pipeline. By week four the result is in writing. On interim mandates the same first two weeks, then a plan, handovers and clear ownership before execution starts.

Directly. No associates, no junior layer in between. On mandates that need specialised depth, I draw on a small trusted network of senior freelancers (tech, product, security) — by exception with a clear rationale, not by default.

For the agentic operating model audit, a board paper with a recommendation: whether it pays, build vs buy, operating model, stopping criteria and cost envelope. For the architecture and platform audit and the go-to-market audit, a memo (typically 10–15 pages) with the current state, prioritised recommendations and a 12-month roadmap. Plus a kickoff and a closing workshop, optionally a briefing for the board or investors.

Audits run at a fixed price, set after a 60-minute scoping call, so you know what you get and what for before anything starts. What moves the price is the scope, not the company logo: how many customer interviews or systems and sites are in it, whether a board or investor briefing is part of the deliverable, and how many days are on site. Interim and advisory mandates run on a day rate or a monthly budget, in the range that is standard for senior interim work in industry; the number depends on days per week and duration. You get it on the scoping call, before you commit to anything.

EU-wide, with a base in Gevelsberg and Athens. Across Europe I know the buyer landscape, the regulatory frameworks (NIS2, EU AI Act, CRA, UNECE R156), and the industrial standards ecosystem best, from operating practice since 2001. Outside Europe selectively, typically through existing OEM or platform-vendor relationships.

Because the pre-study is not free then; it is paid for out of the implementation sold afterwards. Whoever earns from the implementation does not write the specification against its own interest. I do not sell implementation; I sign it off against the specification. The price of the pre-study is fixed beforehand — not afterwards, in the margin.