The AI Co-Founder Slot You Can't Fill Any Other Way
A full-time chief AI officer costs $300K--$500K/year (or the equivalent in London or Dublin). A consultant delivers a deck and disappears. Neither gets you what you actually need: senior AI leadership that stays in the work.
Fractional AI Co-Founder vs. Full-Time Hire vs. Consultant
Why fractional works better than the alternatives for companies building serious AI initiatives.
Full-Time Exec
- Cost
$300K–$500K/yr + benefits
- Time to Start
3–6 months to hire
- Skin in the Game
Yes
- Stays Through Build
Yes
- Accountability
Yes
- Flexibility
Low
Consultant
- Cost
Project-based
- Time to Start
Fast
- Skin in the Game
No
- Stays Through Build
Rarely
- Accountability
Report only
- Flexibility
High
Fractional Co-Founder
- Cost
Retainer or equity
- Time to Start
Fast
- Skin in the Game
Yes
- Stays Through Build
Yes
- Accountability
Yes
- Flexibility
High
What Is a Fractional AI Co-Founder?
A fractional AI co-founder embeds into your company on a part-time basis to provide the technical vision, AI roadmap, and implementation leadership you'd expect from a full-time Chief AI Officer-without the full-time cost or hiring risk.
The key difference from traditional consulting: I'm not here to deliver a report and disappear. I stay in the work-attending strategy sessions, reviewing builds, holding vendors accountable, and adjusting course as reality unfolds. The relationship is ongoing and outcome-oriented.
Why This Model Exists
Most companies building serious AI initiatives hit the same wall: they're not ready for a full-time AI executive, but they need more than a consultant who gives recommendations with no skin in the game. This is true whether you are a venture-backed company in the US, a scaleup in the UK navigating AI regulation, or an Irish startup moving fast with a lean team.
The fractional model solves this. You get access to senior AI leadership, strategic clarity, and hands-on implementation oversight-structured around what your company actually needs right now.
I've built and operated businesses at scale, shipped production LLM applications, and led teams through major technology transitions. That's the perspective I bring into every engagement.
Law firms with immediate AI automation needs can also explore our done-for-you OpenClaw implementation for attorneys-a scoped service for firms that want the agent running without the security risk.
Who This Is For
AI-Native Startups & Scaleups
Companies building AI into their core product who need technical co-founder energy without a full-time executive hire. Whether you are a US startup or a UK/Ireland scaleup preparing for your next funding round, the engagement adapts to your stage and market.
Established Companies
Businesses undergoing AI transformation who need experienced leadership to avoid costly missteps and move with urgency.
PE-Backed Portfolio Companies
Portfolio companies that need to modernize operations with AI to hit growth targets and improve margins.
What This Is Not
This isn't for companies looking for a part-time contractor to execute tasks. It's not for early experiments where the outcome is "let's see what AI can do." And it's not a good fit if you're not committed to moving quickly.
The engagements that work are ones where leadership is bought in, there's a real initiative with stakes, and the company wants a partner who will push back when needed.
What the First 90 Days Looks Like
A clear process from first conversation to embedded execution.
Discovery Call
45-minute call to understand your AI initiative, team, and goals. No pitch, just diagnosis.
Situation Audit
Week 1: I get into your stack, your roadmap, your team's current capabilities, and your competitive position.
Strategy + Roadmap
A clear, actionable AI roadmap built for your specific situation-not a generic framework.
Embedded Execution
Weekly involvement in sprints, architecture reviews, vendor evaluations, and team development. Ongoing for the duration of the engagement.
What the Engagement Covers
Scope adapts to what your company needs. These are the areas I work across.
AI Strategy & Roadmap
Building a clear, executable AI roadmap aligned with your business model, team capabilities, and competitive landscape.
Implementation Oversight
Staying embedded through the build-not just advising from the outside. Weekly involvement in sprint reviews, architecture decisions, and vendor selection.
Team Building & Enablement
Helping you hire the right AI engineers, structure your team, and build internal competency so you're not dependent on me forever.
Vendor Evaluation
Cutting through the noise of AI tools and vendors to identify what actually fits your use case, constraints, and data residency requirements -- including GDPR and UK GDPR considerations.
AI Product Strategy
Defining AI features that create real moats-not gimmicks. Focused on differentiation, retention, and defensibility.
Board-Level Advisory
Translating AI strategy into terms that matter to investors and boards: risk, competitive position, and growth potential. Experienced working with US, UK, and Irish board structures and regulatory expectations.
Taking a Small Number of Engagements in 2026
If you're building something serious with AI and need a co-founder-level partner, let's talk.
Apply for an EngagementWhy Casey Meraz
I founded Juris Digital and built it into the leading law firm marketing agency in the country - a real business with a real P&L, not a consulting practice. I know what it takes to build teams, navigate technology shifts, and make decisions under pressure.
"I'm not a keynote speaker who discovered AI last year. I'm an operator who's been building with it."
Compensation
Compensation is structured as a paid retainer or equity arrangement. Reach out to discuss what makes sense for your situation.
Common Questions
What makes this different from hiring a consultant?
Consultants deliver a report and exit. A fractional co-founder stays embedded-attending your strategy meetings, holding accountability for outcomes, and adjusting the plan as reality unfolds. The relationship is ongoing, not transactional.
How many engagements do you take on at once?
I keep a deliberately small number of active engagements to ensure I can show up meaningfully for each one. If my capacity is full, I'll tell you directly and we can discuss timing.
Do you work with companies outside the legal industry?
Yes. My background is in legal marketing, but the AI strategy and implementation work is industry-agnostic. I've worked with SaaS companies, e-commerce, and professional services firms across the US, UK, and Ireland.
What does the application process look like?
After you submit the form, I personally review your situation. If it looks like a potential fit, I'll reach out to schedule a call. No hard sell-just a direct conversation to see if it makes sense.
Is equity-based engagement an option?
Yes, for early-stage companies where that structure makes more sense than a retainer. We can discuss what works for your situation on the call.
Start a Conversation
Tell me about your situation. I personally review every submission and respond to ones that look like a genuine fit-usually within a few business days.