Three options. Only one works for small and mid-sized teams.
Every board is asking about AI. Most small and mid-sized organizations are stuck choosing between two bad answers, when a third option quietly outperforms both.
Option 1: Hire a full-time Chief AI Officer.
$250,000 to $400,000 a year, plus benefits and equity, plus a six to nine month recruit. Out of reach for most organizations, and overkill for most workloads.
Option 2: Do nothing and hope.
Tools get purchased without a strategy. Pilots stall. Budget burns on software nobody adopts. That is a gamble, not an investment.
Option 3: Fractional AI leadership.
Around ten percent of the cost of a full-time hire, measurable wins in 30 to 45 days instead of six to nine months, and strategic AI leadership that scales to what your organization can actually absorb.
You don't need a $250,000 hire. You need a plan.
Most small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofits can't justify a full-time Chief AI Officer, and most don't need one. What you actually need is the strategic thinking, the governance, and a roadmap you can act on. The real risk isn't what you spend on a fractional CAIO. It's what you'll waste without one when AI tools get purchased, pilots stall, and nothing meaningful ships.
91% / 34%
of mid-market organizations use AI, but only 34% feel transformed by it. (Deloitte, 2026)
70%
of executives say they need outside help to extract real value from AI. (RSM, 2026)
30 to 45 days
time to first measurable impact with a fractional CAIO, versus six to nine months for a full-time hire.
~10%
of the cost of a full-time CAIO, with leadership in the room for the right decisions and async work in between.
Not sure yet? Start with one conversation.
If the numbers above feel relevant to your situation but a six-month retainer feels like a big first step, coaching is the right entry point. Book one session, bring your team, and we'll figure out together whether fractional leadership is what you actually need.
Book a Free Discovery CallOr start with coaching: $300/session, no commitment.
My philosophy: one process at a time, humans at the center
Start small, prove the win, build from there
I don't try to overhaul a company with AI. We find one process that can be improved, give your team meaningful time back, and build confidence before moving to the next thing.
Human expertise comes first
I only work with companies that value human work. If the goal is to automate your people out of a job, I'm not the right partner. If the goal is to amplify what your team already does well, let's talk.
You're probably here because one of these is true
Your board is asking about AI and you don't have a clean answer.
Directors assume you have a strategy in place. You don't, or it's scattered across teams with no alignment.
Your team is experimenting with tools and it's starting to get messy.
Shadow AI is creating risk. Compliance questions aren't being asked. Duplicate tools are being purchased.
Your competitors are moving and you can feel the gap opening.
They're shipping AI-powered workflows. You're still in discovery mode while the market is accelerating.
Who you're actually working with
I'm Joel Salinas. I'm an MBA-trained business leader and investor, and I run three AI-powered businesses where I ship real AI tools, not slide decks. My background is in change management from the humanitarian sector, where I learned that technology projects fail because of people, not software.
I write Leadership in Change, a newsletter followed by tens of thousands of leaders (including 6,000+ CEOs, execs, and founders) on the intersection of leadership and AI. That work keeps me in front of the latest tools, research, and real-world patterns every single week, which is exactly the perspective a small or mid-sized business needs from its AI leader.
Most fractional AI execs are either strategists who can't build or engineers who can't lead. I do both, and I always start with the people side of the transformation.
Learn more about meTwo ways we can work together
All remote via Google Meet. English or Spanish. Six-month initial commitment, then month-to-month available for an additional $500/month.
Advisor
$1,750 /month
For small businesses getting serious about AI.
Operator
$3,500 /month
For small to mid-sized businesses ready to execute.
Need something built?
Strategy is the core of this service. When a client needs a custom AI tool, agent, or workflow built alongside the strategy, we scope it as a separate project. Typically $2,000 to $5,000 per build.
See custom AI build servicesFractional vs full-time, by the numbers
| Full-time CAIO | Fractional Advisor | Fractional Operator | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $27,000+ | $1,750 | $3,500 |
| Recruit time | 3 to 6 months | None | None |
| Monthly strategy hours | 160+ | Up to 2 | Up to 4 |
| Risk of wrong hire | High | Low | Low |
| Commitment | Permanent | 6 months | 6 months |
What the first 90 days look like
Days 1 to 30: Discovery and alignment
We map your current AI activity, identify shadow AI, review governance gaps, and find the first process worth tackling. You get clarity on where you stand and a plan for what to do about it.
Days 31 to 60: Design and roadmap
We draft your governance framework, design the change management plan for your first priority process, and get your team aligned before anything touches production.
Days 61 to 90: First pilot in motion
We move your first priority process forward together. What we deliver by day 90 depends on the scope and your team's capacity, and we define that together during discovery.
How to evaluate a fractional CAIO
The fractional AI leadership market is new, and the quality spread is wide. Before you hire anyone (including me), make sure they clear these five bars.
1. Leads with strategy, not tools
A real fractional CAIO starts with your business outcomes and works backward to the tools. If the first conversation is about a specific vendor, it's the wrong conversation.
2. Deep change management expertise
AI projects fail on adoption, not on technology. Your fractional leader needs real experience leading people through change, not just slides about it.
3. Recent hands-on shipping experience
The person advising you should have shipped real AI work in the last twelve months. The landscape moves too fast for someone who hasn't touched a model since 2023.
4. A reasonable client cap
If they have forty clients, you're getting a fraction of a fraction. Ask how many active engagements they carry. Mine is capped at fourteen.
5. Amplification, not replacement
The right partner is focused on making your team more valuable, not on automating them out. If the pitch is headcount reduction, find someone else.
Frequently asked questions
The Advisor tier ($1,750/mo) is built for small businesses with 10 to 100 employees. The Operator tier ($3,500/mo) is designed for small to mid-sized businesses with 50 to 500 employees. If you're larger and need more hours, we can discuss a custom retainer.
Consultants drop in, deliver a report, and leave. A fractional CAIO is embedded in your strategy. You get continuity, accountability, and someone who knows your business over time. I also build alongside you when it makes sense, not just advise.
A CTO owns technical architecture. A fractional CAIO owns AI strategy and governance. These are complementary roles. Many of my clients have both, and I work directly with their CTO to align on priorities and execution.
Both. Strategy is the core of this service, and I also ship custom AI tools, agents, workflows, and integrations. Builds are scoped separately at $2,000 to $5,000 each.
One process at a time. I don't try to overhaul a company with AI. We find the single process where AI can give your team back meaningful time, prove the win, and build on it. My philosophy is human-first, so I only work with companies that value human work and aren't trying to automate their people out of a job.
See all frequently asked questions
Let's talk about your AI plan
This is a free 30-minute call. No pitch. You tell me where you are, what keeps your board up at night, and what success looks like. I'll tell you if a fractional CAIO is the right fit and what it would look like to work together.
Book a Free Discovery Call