Should I trust a big agency or an independent?

Trust whoever will put the person doing the work on the call and a price on the page. Size does not predict either.

How do I check someone's references?

Ask for a client whose system is still running, call them, and ask what went wrong. Something always goes wrong. You want to hear how it got handled.

Is it a red flag if a consultant uses AI to write their proposal?

No, if they read it and own it. It is a red flag if it reads like nobody did.

What if I do not have the budget for a consultant at all?

Then start with a half day of AI 101 for your team, $1,500, and do the next step yourself. I will tell you what the next step is on the way out.

Do you get paid by any software vendors?

No. I pick tools for clients, I do not sell them. If that ever changes it will say so on this page.

These days, who can you even trust with AI advice?

Trust the people who have built something still running, who will tell you what not to do, and who put a price on the page.

Jared Lukes, Minneapolis consultant

This one comes up on calls, usually with a laugh. Every agency added "AI" to its name in the last two years. Every software salesman has a copilot. Your nephew has opinions. So, who do you trust?

How do I tell a real expert from a guy with a webinar?

Ask what they have built that is still running, and ask to see it. You want something a real business uses every day, with a person there who can vouch for it. If the answer is a list of certifications or a deck about "transformation," keep moving.

Then see whether they will tell you no. Someone who knows the work will tell you which of your AI ideas are a bad use of money and why. A salesman never says no.

What should I ask on the first call?

These five will tell you in ten minutes.

What have you built that is in use right now, and who can I call about it?
What would you tell me not to do? If they cannot name anything, they are thinking about their invoice.
What does it cost? If they will not say a number until after "discovery," the number is going to be whatever they think you can pay.
Who does the work? If it is a sales guy on the call and "the team" later, you will never meet the team.
What happens if it does not work? Everybody has had something fail. Listen for whether they will tell you about theirs.

Why is there so much BS in this space right now?

The tools got good faster than the knowledge did. Anyone can make an impressive demo in an afternoon now. It is still hard to make something that works on a Tuesday in March when the intern is out and the data is messy. The demo people and the Tuesday-in-March people look the same on LinkedIn.

Look for running systems, named clients, and prices on the page. The more of that a person has, the less selling they need to do.

How do you want me to check you out?

Same way. The capabilities page lists what I use. The portfolio goes back to 2000 and every piece on it is work I made or led. The services page has the price on every item. I hold fractional AI and technology seats at three companies right now, and on the first call I will tell you which of your ideas I would not do.

If after all that you still want a second opinion, get one.

What is the biggest red flag?

Urgency: "your competitors are already doing this" and "the window is closing." The window is not closing. The companies doing well with AI went carefully, in the right order, with their people on board. The ones that rushed are calling me to fix it.

Answered by Jared Lukes, Minneapolis. Twenty-five years in brand, UX, and technology, currently holding fractional AI and technology seats at three companies. About Jared.