Connecting mid-market CEOs to boutique AI consultancies

Every mid-market CEO in the US has an AI budget approved and no idea where to spend it. Boutique AI firms have the expertise and no way to cut through the noise. The warm introduction is the trade.

01The two sides

Demand side. CEOs and CFOs of US companies with 100 to 2,000 employees, who have publicly signalled AI intent through 10-K language, LinkedIn posts, podcast interviews, or hiring for a Head of AI. They have a six-figure budget approved and a fear of picking the wrong vendor.

Supply side. Boutique AI implementation firms of five to fifty people. Not the big four. Real domain expertise, small sales teams, and $100,000 to $500,000 engagement values. They pay $5,000 to $15,000 per warm introduction that closes.

02Why they cannot find each other

The CEO’s inbox is buried in identical cold emails from every AI vendor on the planet. Nothing gets through. LinkedIn is worse. They ask their board and get pointed at the same three brand-name firms.

The boutique firm has real capability but no brand recognition and no budget to compete on outbound. Its founders came from engineering, not sales. A warm intro to a CEO who is genuinely evaluating is the difference between a good quarter and no quarter.

03What Falah does

1. Build the signal list. LinkedIn posts, 10-K excerpts, and job listings from mid-market US companies actively talking about AI. Filter for companies with a real budget signal, not aspirational chatter.
2. Match to the consultancy’s book. Cross-reference the signal list against the AI firm’s specialties (industry, use case, tech stack). Only surface CEOs whose stated need matches what the firm actually delivers.
3. Warm the CEO. Reach out with a specific, non-generic message referencing the CEO’s own words on AI. Offer to introduce two or three vetted specialists, no obligation.
4. Deliver the introduction. A written intro to the AI firm’s founder with the CEO’s name, company, stated AI focus, and confirmed availability window.
5. Replace anything invalid. If a delivered CEO turns out to be a false-positive or already committed to a vendor, Falah replaces the intro at no extra cost.

04Timeline

Fee is set per engagement. Depending on the market and the specifics, Falah may charge the demand side, the supply side, or both. The amount and the party paying it are agreed in writing before payment.

05What success looks like

The AI firm gets on a discovery call with a CEO who already respects them, understands the offer, and is not comparing against big four proposals. One in three intros typically turns into a paid engagement. Falah does not share in the engagement fee. The introduction fee is the whole compensation.