How we work
Audit, build, run. In that order.
Every engagement starts small and proves itself before it grows. You see a working system within weeks, and you only commit to the next step once the last one is paying off.
The engagement
Every engagement follows the same loop
Audit
Two weeks to map your workflows, size the opportunities and agree on the first build.
Build
A fixed-scope sprint that ships one workflow to production, connected to your systems.
Adopt
Training, documentation and a side-by-side run so your team trusts the system before relying on it.
Run and improve
Monitoring, evaluations and model updates, plus the next opportunity from the list.
Pricing
Engagements and pricing
Fixed scopes and fixed prices in Canadian dollars. No hourly billing, and no surprise invoices.
AI Opportunity Audit
CA$10,000
Fixed fee. 2 weeks, credited to your first sprint
Find and rank the AI opportunities in your revenue or operations workflows, with a costed plan for the first build.
- Workflow mapping and interviews
- Systems and data review
- Top three business cases
- Sprint-ready scope and price
Implementation sprint
From CA$25,000
4 to 8 weeks, fixed scope
Ship one workflow to production, integrated with your systems and adopted by your team.
- Build, testing and evaluations
- Integration with your tools and data
- Side-by-side pilot on live work
- Training and documentation
- Code and IP owned by you
Run and improve
Monthly
After your first sprint, cancel with 30 days' notice
Keep systems accurate as your business and the models change, and keep shipping new workflows.
- Monitoring and quality reviews
- Model and prompt updates
- Monthly results report
- Priority support
- New use cases from your list
All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and exclude applicable taxes. Final scope and price are confirmed in a written proposal. Audit guarantee: if the audit doesn't identify opportunities worth at least 10 times its fee (CA$100,000) in estimated annual savings or new revenue, you don't pay. Full terms are in the audit agreement.
Compare
How we compare
Three common ways to bring AI into a business, and what you typically get from each.
| Compare | ottertail studio | AI software tools | Large consultancies |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | A working AI system built into your tools and workflows | A licence to a general-purpose product | Strategy, roadmaps and large transformation programs |
| Time to first result | A costed plan in 2 weeks, a live system 4 to 8 weeks later | Set up in days; adoption depends on your team | Typically several months |
| Typical cost | CA$10,000 audit, then sprints from CA$25,000 | Per-seat or usage fees that grow with your team | Usually six figures or more |
| Fit to your workflows | Designed around how your team already works | Your team adapts to the product | Custom, after an extended discovery phase |
| Who does the work | The senior people who scoped it | Your own team | Mixed teams, often with a large delivery bench |
| Integration with your systems | Included in every sprint | Limited to built-in connectors | Often scoped as a separate project |
| Ownership | You own the code, prompts and evaluations | You rent access to the vendor's product | Varies by contract and platform |
| Commitment | Fixed scope per sprint, no long-term contract | Monthly or annual subscription | Multi-month statements of work |
A general comparison of typical options, not of any specific company. Individual vendors and engagements vary. Our prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude applicable taxes.
Inside a sprint
What six weeks looks like
Week 1: design
We map the workflow in detail, agree success metrics and confirm access to systems and data.
Weeks 2 to 4: build
We build in short cycles and demo working software every week, using your real data.
Week 5: pilot
Your team uses the system on live work, side by side with the old process, while we tune it.
Week 6: launch and handover
We go live, train the team, hand over documentation and start tracking results.
Principles
How we work with you
Senior people only
The people who scope your project are the people who build it. No hand-off to a junior team.
Weekly demos, not status reports
You see working software every week, so there are no surprises at the end.
You own everything
Code, prompts, evaluations and documentation belong to you once the sprint is paid for.
We say no when AI isn't the answer
If a spreadsheet, a process change or an off-the-shelf tool is better, we'll tell you.
Vendor-neutral
We take no commissions from model providers or software vendors, so recommendations are based only on fit.
Measured in hours and dollars
We agree the metrics before we build and report against them after launch.
FAQ
Questions about working with us
Do you bill by the hour?
No. Audits and sprints are fixed scope and fixed price, agreed in writing before work starts. Run and improve is a flat monthly fee. All prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude applicable taxes.
Do you invoice US clients in Canadian dollars?
Yes. Our prices are set in Canadian dollars for every client. Your proposal shows the exact amount in CAD.
Can you work with our IT or engineering team?
Yes. We can build alongside your internal team, follow your security and deployment standards, and hand everything over so your team can maintain it.
Which AI models and tools do you use?
Whatever fits the job. We work with models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, as well as open-source models, and build on the business tools you already use.
Where are you based, and who do you work with?
We are based in Vancouver, Canada, and work with companies across Canada and the US, remotely and on site when it helps.
What if the first sprint doesn't deliver?
Each sprint has success metrics agreed up front and weekly demos, so problems surface early. If something isn't working, we change course or stop, rather than keep billing.
Start with two weeks, not a two-year roadmap.
Book a CA$10,000 AI Opportunity Audit and get a ranked, costed plan for your first build.