Ask Roland

Talk for an hour before you pick a direction.

Whether you are mapping an AI workflow, judging a new product, reworking how the models are wired in, or unblocking a delivery that has stalled — use 60 minutes to settle the direction before the larger budget and the months of work.

What the 60 minutes gives you

A clear call on the technical or business problem that is actually stuck.

You leave knowing which route to take, which money not to spend yet, which traps to skip, and the first thing to do when you are back at your desk.

Scope, before we start

This is a diagnosis and an architecture review. It does not include writing code, a training day, or an on-site engineer. If the hour shows that heavier work is warranted, we scope and price that separately.

This page charges for the hour only, in US dollars through Stripe. It does not issue a Chinese VAT invoice.

The four questions this hour is for

1. 1. Where AI actually saves money, and where it does not

   Many teams want AI and do not know where to start. We take apart the work you already do and pick the automation with a real return. If no workflow is running yet, don't pay for a company-wide class.

2. 2. From an idea to a first version, at the lowest cost that still works

   Turn a fuzzy idea into a build sequence. See which pieces an existing SaaS or API can cover, and which logic actually needs code, so the first version does not spend money on infrastructure you do not need.

3. 3. How to connect the models and where to keep the data, without overpaying

   The engineering choices, with the bill attached. Call a vendor API directly, or put one gateway in front. GPT, Claude, or a domestic model. Host the agent, or pay for a private deploy. We do the technical account and the money account.

4. 4. A project stuck at “the demo almost works”

   For a half-built project stuck on accuracy, speed, or a workflow that will not hold. We find the one chain that is blocked. A forward-deployed engineer, from ¥50,000 a month, only if that heavier work is actually required.

How to book

Write the one thing you want to talk through, and offer two times that work for you, preferably at least half an hour apart. After you pay, I lock the time by email within one business day and send the call link. If we cannot find a time, the hour is refunded in full.