Boutique senior partner, Big Four operating model.
Side-by-side on the five dimensions that decide whether a fractional CAIO retainer or a Big Four AI consulting engagement fits. Same exact comparison the operating partners use internally during the working session.
This page is for you.
If you're comparing operating models, the three retainer shapes and what each ships live on the pricing page — including a candid fit read after a 30-minute working session.
Five dimensions, two operating models.
Every row mirrors something we already promise on the home page — the model, the price shape, the cadence, and whether governance stays live after the engagement ends.
| Dimension | Our modelPivotmark fCAIO | Big Four AI consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Subscription (month-to-month retainer) | Project (fixed-fee engagement) |
| Cost | Boutique ($3,500–$20,000+/mo published) | Enterprise ($300k–$2M+ project fee) |
| Time to value | Working tool in production in week one; written 90-day ROI target | Strategy deck in 4–8 weeks; ROI measured at engagement end |
| Deliverable frequency | Weekly working artifact + monthly written QBR | Quarterly steering committee + end-of-engagement report |
| Governance continuity | Live discipline: PII guardrails, audit log, kill switch, monthly written review | Left as a deliverable; stops at engagement end unless renewed |
One structural difference the table can't carry on its own — Big Four engagement letters are designed to end. Pivotmark's are designed not to.
See retainer tiers and what's in each.
The next step in the funnel — three retainer shapes, a written 90-day ROI target from week one, and a 30-minute working session that ends with a candid fit read regardless of whether you hire us.
The first row of the table above — subscription vs project — is the real test. If you're comparing brochures, this page is for you. If you're comparing operating models, the next step is /pricing — and after that, a 30-minute working session with a senior operator.