Independent AI project review — serving clients nationwide Mon–Fri 9am–5pm CST  |  +1 (414) 635-2154
Independent AI Project Review

We tell you what your AI project is actually worth.

DirectSourceAI is an independent advisory firm for companies who spent real money on AI and need an honest answer, not a sales pitch. No implementation. No vendor referral fees. Just the verdict.

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Why This Exists Now

The math on enterprise AI is not close.

95%
of enterprise generative AI pilots deliver no measurable P&L impact — MIT NANDA, 2025
40%+
of agentic AI projects will be cancelled by end of 2027 — Gartner
$2.52T
global AI spending forecast for 2026, a 44% increase — Gartner
What We Do

Four ways to get an honest answer about your AI spend.

$2,700 · 5 days

The AI Reality Check

An independent, written verdict on one stalled or underperforming AI project. Continue, restructure, replace, or terminate.

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$9,500–$15,000

AI Capability Verification

For acquirers and investors: is the AI real, or is it agent-washed automation? A diligence-grade answer before you close.

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$12,000–$20,000

The Board AI Review

Independent AI governance review for boards and directors carrying personal exposure on AI oversight.

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Retained & Referral

Advisory & Deal Flow

Buy-side mandates and stranded-asset brokerage for operators and funds who'd rather acquire than build.

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The Position

An old discipline applied to a new category of spending.

DirectSourceAI is not an agency, not a development shop, and not a software marketplace. It is the outside adult a company calls when an AI project has stalled, when a vendor has overpromised, or when a board wants assurance before the next check gets signed.

Burt Steingraeber spent three decades as a CFO — signing the checks, defending the budgets, and asking the questions vendors don't want asked. That is the credential behind every DirectSourceAI opinion.

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A printed AI project report marked up with a pen during an independent review.
Every engagement ends in a written opinion — not a slide deck.
From the Blog

Notes from the field.

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The Kind of Companies We Work With
NORTHGATE HOLDINGS MERIDIAN & CO. HARLOW INDUSTRIES BRACKEN CAPITAL VESTRY GROUP OAKFIELD PARTNERS CASTLETON MFG. DUNMORE & SONS PILLAR ROW CO. ASHWORTH TRUST