The gap between knowing and doing

You already know AI can help your business. Maybe you've done the research, read the assessments, bookmarked the tools. You might even have a list of exactly what you should be doing.

But knowing which tools to use and actually getting them running in your day-to-day are two completely different things. The setup takes time you don't have. Connecting tools to your actual systems feels like a second job. And without someone who's done it before, every step takes three times longer than it should.

In Anthropic's 80,000-person survey—the largest qualitative AI study ever conducted—81% of users said AI was already working toward their goals. But 19% said it hasn't delivered. The difference isn't the tools. It's the implementation. That's the gap the Jumpstart closes.

Stuck in the gap?

You're past the "should we use AI?" question. You're stuck on the "how do we actually get this running?" question.

You know what to automate but can't find the time to set it up.

The ideas are there. The tools probably exist. But between running your business and keeping clients happy, "set up AI workflows" keeps sliding to next week. And next week never comes.

Your team needs to see it work before they'll trust it.

You can't ask people to change how they work based on a recommendation. They need to see AI handling their actual tasks, with their actual data, producing results they can verify. A live workflow beats a slide deck every time.

You need to justify the investment to partners or stakeholders.

You believe in AI. But the people who approve budgets want numbers, not enthusiasm. They want to know: how many hours does this save? What does it cost? What's the payback period? You need something concrete to put in front of them.

You tried once, it didn't stick, and you don't want to waste more time.

Last time you set aside a weekend to "get AI going." It half-worked. Nobody on the team adopted it. You're not alone—the research shows that the people most excited about AI are simultaneously the most frustrated by it. That's not confusion, that's the gap between seeing the potential and having someone who's done it before get it right the first time.

The Offer

The AI Jumpstart

In two weeks, I take your highest-impact AI opportunities from idea to running workflow. You get working tools, a trained team, and documentation that proves the value.

Here's how it works:

Free

15-Minute Intro Call

We talk about your business, where your time goes, and what you've already tried. I'll tell you honestly whether the Jumpstart is the right fit or if a different approach makes more sense.

If we're a good fit, the Jumpstart begins:

Discovery

I learn how your business actually runs—not the org chart version, the real version. Where time gets lost, what decisions bottleneck on you, which processes your team dreads.

Based on what we find, I identify 2–4 high-impact workflows and map out exactly which tools and integrations will address them. We align on priorities before any setup begins.

Implementation

I set up the tools, configure the integrations, and build the workflows in your actual environment. Not a demo account—your real systems, your real data, your real processes.

Your team works alongside me so they understand what's being built and why. By the end of the first week, you'll have at least one workflow running and saving time.

Training & Handoff

I train your team on every tool and workflow we've built. Not a generic tutorial—hands-on practice with their actual tasks until they're confident running it without me.

Everyone who touches the workflow gets trained. No single point of failure, no "only Sarah knows how this works."

ROI Documentation

You get a clear document showing what was implemented, the estimated hours saved per week, what those hours mean for your bottom line, cost comparisons, and before/after workflow maps.

This isn't fluff—it's the kind of document you hand to a partner, a board member, or a CFO. Concrete numbers tied to the work that's already running.

What you walk away with

✓

2–4 AI-powered workflows running in your actual business

✓

A trained team that can operate and maintain the workflows without outside help

✓

ROI documentation with estimated hours saved, dollar impact, cost analysis, and before/after workflow maps

✓

A prioritized list of next opportunities so you know where to go after the Jumpstart

Where we see the strongest results

Professional Services

Legal, finance, consulting. You sell time. Every hour AI saves drops straight to the bottom line. Client intake, document preparation, reporting, follow-ups—these are the workflows that respond fastest to automation.

Manufacturing & Operations

Order and invoice tracking, supplier pricing, inventory and communication, scheduling, inventory, quality reporting. All complex workflows with high volume and clear rules—exactly the kind of work AI handles well.

Local Government & Regulatory Intelligence

Developers, builders, energy companies, law firms. You need to track zoning changes, permit filings, planning board agendas, and environmental filings—or automate your own submissions. AI turns hours of manual monitoring into real-time alerts and structured data you can act on.

These are the industries where we've seen the fastest wins, but the Jumpstart works for any business with repetitive, time-consuming workflows. If you're not sure whether your industry is a fit, that's what the intro call is for.

The guarantee

If you're not satisfied at the end of the two weeks—if the workflows aren't saving you time, if the tools aren't working as promised, if the team isn't comfortable using them—you get a full refund.

I offer this because implementation is where most AI initiatives die. Anthropic's research found that independent workers who actively implemented AI saw 47% economic benefits—compared to just 14% for those in institutional settings who got tools without hands-on support. The difference is someone who's done it before making sure it actually works.

Questions you might be asking

"How is this different from the AI Tools Assessment?"

The Assessment gives you a plan—which tools to use, where to start, estimated impact. The Jumpstart gives you the plan and the implementation. I don't just tell you what to do, I set it up with you and make sure it's running before I leave.

"Do I need to do the Assessment first?"

No. The Jumpstart includes its own discovery process. On the intro call, we'll figure out the right depth of discovery for your situation—some businesses need a quick review, others benefit from a deeper analysis before we start building.

"How much of my team's time does this take?"

I do the heavy lifting—tool setup, integration, configuration. Your team participates in discovery (so I understand the real workflows) and training (so they can run things independently). Plan for a few hours per person over the two weeks, not days.

"What if I need to convince my partners or board first?"

That's one of the reasons the Jumpstart includes ROI documentation. But even before we start, I can help you frame the business case. On the intro call, we'll talk through the likely impact in terms your stakeholders care about: hours saved, costs reduced, capacity freed up.

"We tried AI tools before and they didn't stick."

That usually happens when tools get set up in isolation without connecting to real workflows, or when the team doesn't get enough hands-on training to feel confident. The Jumpstart addresses both: I build on your actual processes and I don't leave until the team is running it independently.

"What happens after the two weeks?"

You keep everything we built. The workflows are yours, the tools are in your accounts, and your team knows how to run them. If you want ongoing support or want to tackle the next set of opportunities, we can discuss a follow-up engagement. No pressure, no retainer baked in.

Julio Barros, AI consultant and founder of E-String

Who's running the Jumpstart

I'm Julio Barros. I've spent 30+ years helping businesses use technology effectively—building apps, leading teams, and figuring out what actually works versus what just sounds good in a pitch.

I run the AI in Production conference and the Agentic Cafe working group—communities where people share what's actually working with AI, not what looks good in a demo.

The Jumpstart exists because I kept seeing the same pattern: smart business owners who knew AI could help, had the budget, but couldn't close the gap between "I should do this" and "this is running." That gap is what I close.

Not quite what you're looking for?

Not sure which tools are right yet? Start with clarity.

AI Tools Assessment →

A personalized report with 3–7 tool recommendations matched to your workflows and a clear starting plan.

Leading a dev team that needs to ship with AI?

The Agentic Shift →

Four weeks. Your team ships their first agentic workflow and learns to build the next one.

You don't need another report. You need AI actually working in your business.