“Teach someone at the business to have their agent fix what breaks.” What AI support after the build should look like.

Why do agency owners worry about what happens after the build?

Agency owners worry about what happens after the build because they’ve been left holding software before. A consultant builds something and moves on. Then a carrier changes its download page, a password expires, or a report comes out wrong, and nobody at the agency knows how the thing works.

So the owner’s real question is who fixes it when it breaks. An answer of “call me” only works as long as the builder picks up.

What do most agencies try first?

Most agencies look for a fractional CTO or a managed IT company on a monthly contract. A fractional CTO is a part time technology executive, usually hired by software companies for engineering plans, developer hires, and vendor contracts. A managed IT company keeps the laptops, passwords, and email running.

Both are useful jobs. Neither one usually knows how a renewal moves through a benefits agency or why the census file matters. A fractional AI officer is a newer title for the same idea, aimed at AI tools, and it can mean anything from strategy decks to hands on building.

Wanna fix it?

Worry about what breaks after an AI build gets fixed with ongoing support: a builder on retainer, one person at your agency trained to fix things with their own agent, and builds simple enough to repair. Here’s how I set it up.

1. Keep the builder on call. Depending on how long and to what degree I’m retained, I’m always available to fix anything if something breaks. That actually happens rarely.
2. Train one person to fix things with their agent. The agent reads the files, finds what changed, and proposes the fix. The person tells it what broke and checks the result. That’s how I keep my own systems running: I’m a salesman who builds with agents, and my agents do the fixing while I check their work.
3. Build the simple version first. I put the steps of a process in order before any software gets built, and I use a simple script that does the same thing every time before live AI. Simple things break less and are easier to fix.
4. Get told when something stops. My CRM gets checked every five minutes, and I get a notice if it stops answering. Nobody should have to remember to look.
5. Add one build at a time. New work gets scoped and priced after discovery, once we both know what’s worth building.

What does it look like once support is running?

Once support is running, most breaks are small and handled inside the agency. When a carrier changes a page, the trained person tells the agent what changed and checks the fix. When something is bigger, they call me.

The rest of the time goes to building the next thing. That’s the same way I run my own setup: about 30 projects, with about a dozen in daily or recent use, kept running by one salesman and his agents.

Can you support AI tools yourself?

Yes, you can support AI tools yourself if the tools are simple and one person owns them. Keep a one page note for every automation: what it does, where it runs, who owns the login, and what to check when it stops. Hand that note to your agent when something breaks, along with the error.

Supporting it alone stops working when nobody owns the note, or when the automations touch each other and one fix breaks another. One automation, one owner with a note. Several automations touching client work, keep a builder on call.

Quick answers

What is a fractional AI officer?

A part time person responsible for a company’s AI tools, from picking them to keeping them running.

What is a fractional CTO?

A part time technology executive, usually hired by software companies to lead engineering and technology decisions.

How often do custom AI systems break?

Rarely, in Chris Cordon’s experience with the systems he’s built.

Who fixes a DoBetter build when it breaks?

Chris Cordon, when he’s retained. The goal is a trained person at the agency whose agent fixes most problems.

Do I need a developer on staff to support AI tools?

No. One trained person with an agent and a written note for each automation can handle most fixes.

How is ongoing support priced?

After a $1,500 discovery session, once the work is scoped.