Advisory: a second opinion on compute numbers
Contract review, unit economics and briefings for the people signing capacity deals. Fixed fees, written scope, no vendor affiliations.
Most compute decisions fail on arithmetic rather than technology: a take-or-pay floor nobody modelled, a utilization assumption borrowed from a vendor deck, a revenue-per-gigawatt figure that omits the denominator. I review the numbers before they become a commitment, and say which line is doing work it cannot support.
Advisory call
One decision, argued through on a call, with a written summary afterwards.
- 60 minutes, video, recorded on request
- One page of written conclusions
- Follow-up questions by email for 7 days
- Booked and paid online
Second-opinion memo
A contract, a model, or a board deck stress-tested against public data.
- Written memo, 6–10 pages
- Delivered in 5 business days
- Line-by-line review of the assumptions
- One call to walk through the findings
- 50% on scope, 50% on delivery
Monthly retainer
Standing access while a decision is live; cancel with 30 days' notice.
- Up to four calls a month
- Email access between calls
- Contract and model review as they arise
- Billed monthly in advance
What a review actually covers
Contract structure. Take-or-pay terms and how “take” is defined, escalation, measurement point, shortfall carry-forward, termination for convenience, and the downside case those clauses produce.
Unit economics. Revenue per gigawatt-year, the utilization assumption behind it, the training share of the fleet, and the realized price per token after discounts — not the list price.
Comparisons. Where the deal sits against the public ladder: build cost, long-contract rent, spot rent, and the return an owner needs. If a number in the model is outside the range that public disclosures support, that is the finding.
How it runs
1. Scope
A short call or email exchange to define the question and the deliverable. You get a fixed fee and a date in writing before anything starts.
2. Review
Documents, models and public sources, worked through in the order that matters: what the contract obliges, what the model assumes, what the market supports.
3. Deliver
A memo or a call, written for the person who has to sign. Findings first, arithmetic second, sources at the end.
Questions before you book
Who typically books this?
Operators signing capacity contracts, investors underwriting AI infrastructure, and teams whose board has started quoting revenue-per-gigawatt figures without a source. Individuals and small teams are welcome on the same terms as companies.
What do you need from me?
The contract or model in whatever state it is in, the question you are actually trying to answer, and the date the decision has to be made. Redacted documents are fine; I only need the economics.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes, yours or a mutual one. Nothing from a client engagement is published, quoted, or used as an example without written permission.
Do you have vendor or investor affiliations?
No. No referral fees, no sponsored research, no advisory board seats at companies covered on this site. If that ever changes it will be disclosed on the page where it applies.
Is this investment advice?
No. It is analysis of disclosed numbers and contract terms. Decisions and their consequences remain yours.
How do I pay?
Card through Stripe, or bank transfer against an invoice carrying the company's Wyoming registration details. Retainers are billed monthly in advance; memos are 50% on scope and 50% on delivery.
Not sure which format fits? Describe the decision in two sentences and I will tell you — including if the answer is that you do not need this.
Send the question