Compare · Choosing a firmChecked 28 September 2026
How do you choose an AI automation agency?
Ask five things before you sign: how the work starts, whether the price is fixed before the build, who owns the code and data, what the system is built on, and who runs it after launch. The answers separate a firm that sells workflows from one that builds and runs a system your company can rely on.
Five questions, and what a good answer sounds like
| Dimension | A weak answer | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| How does the work start? | A call about your needs, then a proposal | A mapping of how the work runs today, with a baseline measured before anything is built |
| Is the price fixed before the build? | An estimate, by the hour or per project | One fixed price in writing, and it changes only if the scope does |
| Who owns the code and data? | Nothing said, or only the outputs | Your data, specs, configuration and code, in writing, with the documentation to run it |
| What is it built on? | A workflow vendor whose limits become yours | Code written for the job, on your accounts where the work calls for it |
| Who runs it after launch? | Support for a set number of days | The people who built it, for as long as you want, re-setting it as you change |
Why these five
Which models a firm uses tells you little: the models change every few months. These five are where firms actually differ, and each one decides what the system costs you a year from now, not on launch day.
Ask for it in writing
A good answer to any of the five is one a firm will put in the agreement. If the answer changes when you ask for it in writing, that was the answer.
OCTYN's answers
A paid mapping that measures a baseline. One fixed price in writing. Your data, specs, configuration and code, with the documentation to run it. Code written for your company. Run by the people who built it, for as long as you want.
Bring the version of this question that is about your company.
The first conversation is with the people who would build it. If there is a fit, the Consult comes next.