What does AI really cost when I start?+
The audit is EUR 2,490. The implementation depends on scope and is quoted as a fixed price after the audit. On top come roughly EUR 50 to 200 per month for API costs (Claude, OpenAI), hosting (Vercel, Supabase) and optional n8n cloud. No hidden license kickbacks.
How fast can I see results?+
Audit report after 2 weeks. First productive implementation after 4 to 8 weeks. Honest Mittelstand realism, not "PoC in 3 days" marketing.
Who does the work? You or a team in Asia?+
Me. Manuel Heider, personally. No subcontracting to low-cost countries, no junior consultants behind a senior logo. On larger projects I pull in one or two named DACH freelancers I know. You hear about that first.
What about data protection and GDPR?+
Mandatory in every audit. I work with EU hosting (Hetzner, Supabase EU, Vercel EU), Anthropic zero-retention setups where possible and write the DPA in plain language. When in doubt I say "this is not GDPR compliant" even when you want it.
Why not just hire a bigger agency?+
Because big agencies often sell AI without running an AI platform themselves. I am building Vecura (AI property management) and Aria (agentic AI operating system) in the open. The same patterns land in your solution. You get hands-on experience, not "we do AI now too".
What if I do not have a use case yet?+
That is what the audit is for. 80 percent of my customers start without a clear use case. Together we find the three that save you money or give you time back.
Can I just buy sparring time?+
Yes. 15 minutes intro call free, then sparring by arrangement. But the audit is almost always the better entry point.