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?+
I develop Vecura, a property management product in beta, and Agent: Aria, a team of AI agents in development. That technical experience informs client projects. You discuss requirements directly with the developer.
What if I do not have a use case yet?+
That is what the audit is for. We review your processes together and prioritise suitable use cases by benefit, effort and available data.
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.