How to Choose the Right AI Consultant

Start by Looking for a Combination of Business Acumen and Technical Skills

The most critical quality in an AI consultant is the ability to bridge business needs with technical execution. Look for someone who combines business acumen with technical know-how—essentially an AI-savvy product manager focused on internal organizational needs. The right consultant can take ambiguous goals and transform them into concrete roadmaps. This requires more than just technical expertise; it demands experience across a broader portfolio of projects and the ability to imagine what solutions might actually work in practice. Technical skills matter, but the ability to understand and solve real business problems matters more.

Look for Diverse Technical Experience

Tool versatility is essential. A qualified consultant should have hands-on experience with multiple AI platforms—from ChatGPT and Claude for conversational AI and problem-solving to rapid development tools like Lovable and V0. Their portfolio should span different contexts: large corporate implementations, smaller-scale projects, and varied use cases. This breadth enables them to recommend the right approach for specific situations rather than defaulting to familiar tools.

Prioritize Knowledge Transfer, Not Just Delivery

The real value of an AI consultant today isn't simply completing projects—it's transforming organizational capabilities. Avoid consultants who only deliver finished work and leave. Instead, seek those who prioritize helping teams understand AI tools so they can leverage them independently. The goal should be building internal AI competency, not creating permanent dependency on external expertise.

Co-Building: The Most Effective Approach

The ideal engagement model is collaborative. The consultant should work alongside the team to define project scope, establish clear success criteria, and then co-build the solution together. This hands-on, side-by-side approach ensures team members learn how things actually work in practice—not just in theory. When the project concludes, someone internally can step into a role as an AI app administrator, developer, or manager.

Of course, sometimes there's no one available or interested in taking on this technical role, and in those cases, having a consultant execute the work independently makes sense. But most organizations have untapped potential—someone who's curious, capable, and ready to become an internal AI champion. The right consultant helps discover and develop that person.