Verdict
Hire
The depth is real. You get the risks to watch and what to put in their first 90 days.
AI leadership hire check
Hiring a CTO or Head of AI? Check the depth.
Your search firm can judge leadership. Very few can judge whether a candidate has shipped AI that works. We assess your finalists on exactly that and give the CEO or board a written verdict on each.
Five things a CV won't tell you.
Tested in conversation and on a live case, not taken from the CV.
- Shipped
- Systems they put into production, and the numbers behind them.
- Cost sense
- Can they estimate build cost, run cost and payback, or only the demo?
- Judgment
- Handed a real AI vendor proposal, do they spot what's wrong with it?
- Team
- Who they'd hire first, and what they'd buy instead of build.
- Plan
- Is their 90-day plan realistic for your company and budget?
Why it matters
The person who leads AI decides where the budget goes.
A strong interview and a good story are easy to find. Someone who has run AI in production, kept the monthly bill in check and said no to the wrong vendor is not. A wrong hire usually shows after a year, when the money is spent.
Verdict
Hire with support
Strong leader, thinner on AI. You get the specific gaps and how to cover them, for example with an adviser beside them.
Verdict
Don't hire
The track record doesn't hold up. You get the reasons in writing, ready for the board.
How it works
Four steps, alongside your search.
We fit around your existing process and your search firm's timeline. The final decision stays with you.
€15,000Fixed fee for up to 3 finalists
We never place candidates, take a percentage of salary, or apply for a role we assess.
The steps
- 1. Role brief
- Two hours with the CEO or board on what this leader must deliver in the first 18 months: team, vendors, budget and first use cases.
- 2. Finalist deep-dive
- 90 minutes per finalist: the systems they've shipped and the numbers, then a live case built on a real AI vendor proposal.
- 3. Technical references
- Optional calls with engineers and peers who worked beside them, beyond the references they chose.
- 4. Written verdict
- Strengths, risks, a check of their 90-day plan, and hire or no-hire for each finalist, within 3 business days of the last interview.
Common questions
Before you add us to the process.
- Do the candidates know?
- Yes. Finalists are told that an independent technical adviser is part of the process. Strong candidates usually welcome it.
- Does this replace our search firm?
- No. Your search firm finds and courts the candidates. We check one thing they usually can't: whether each finalist has built AI that works in production, and whether they can make sound cost and vendor calls.
- What if no finalist passes?
- We say so, and tell you what to change in the brief. A Fractional AI adviser can cover the gap while you keep looking.
For search firms
Placing CTOs and AI leaders?
You find the people. We check the technical depth, so your shortlist holds up in front of the board. Talk to us about partnering.
Choosing who leads AI?
Tell us about the role and where the search stands. In 30 minutes you'll know whether a hire check is worth it.
Prefer email? shekhar@asksarthi.ai · LinkedIn