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Pressure-test your AI initiative before you hire the wrong partner
Get multiple perspectives from experienced AI strategists and builders — anonymized, fast, and free — so you can move forward with confidence.
Most AI initiatives fail before the work even starts
Not because the idea was wrong, but because the partner was.
PE teams and operators are under pressure to move quickly on AI. Too often, that means defaulting to existing partners or engaging firms that weren’t built to design, test, and scale AI in production.
An expensive “pilot” that never reaches production
A single recommended path with hidden tradeoffs
Mis-scoped work that burns budget and political capital
Weeks of vendor meetings that create more confusion than clarity
The result: stalled initiatives, wasted spend, and AI programs that quietly lose momentum.
A smarter way to choose
Just Curious runs a blinded mini-RFP for AI initiatives.
You share a short description of the problem or opportunity you’re exploring. We anonymize it and share it with a curated group of experienced AI strategists and builders.
You receive multiple independent perspectives on how they’d approach it — including solution paths, tradeoffs, and budget ranges — before committing to any one partner.
This isn’t a vendor pitch or a consulting engagement. It’s decision support, designed to give you clarity early, when it matters most.
How it works
A lightweight process designed for real decisions
Submit a short brief
Describe the problem you’re trying to solve or the opportunity you’re exploring. No technical detail required.
We anonymize and distribute it
Your brief is anonymized and shared with a curated set of relevant AI strategists and builders from our network.
You get multiple credible paths forward
You receive distinct approaches, timelines, and budget ranges. Without committing to any partner.
You stay in control throughout. No one contacts you unless you choose to engage.
Clarity before commitment
We help facilitate better decisions
Within a short window, you’ll receive a set of written responses designed to help you make a confident decision — even if you don’t move forward with any one partner.
• 5–10 written perspectives from experienced AI strategists and builders
• Distinct approaches to the same problem — not a single “recommended” answer
• Clear descriptions of solution paths, tradeoffs, and risks
• High-level budget ranges and timelines
• Practical next steps if you choose to proceed
Some teams use this to select an implementation partner. Others use it to pressure-test internal plans or reset a project that’s already underway.
Illustrative MiniRFP brief (anonymized - insurance claims)
Below is a real mini-RFP and a condensed view of what came back.
Submit a Focused Brief. Not a full RFP.
Example Mini-RFP Brief (Anonymized)
Context
• Global insurance carrier focused on employee benefits
• Dental claims and prior authorization workflow
• Highly regulated environment
The problem
• Dental prior authorizations rely heavily on manual review of X-rays and supporting documentation
• Decisions can take weeks, creating delays for providers and patients
• Existing processes are operationally intensive and costly
What we’re exploring
• Whether AI can meaningfully accelerate dental claims review and prior authorization
• Specifically, the use of computer vision and automation to interpret X-rays and documentation
• Maintaining compliance, accuracy, and auditability is critical
What we want back
• How you would approach this problem
• What an initial prototype or pilot might look like
• Key tradeoffs or risks to consider
Get Practitioner Perspectives. Independent perspectives from experienced strategists and builders.
RESPONSES
6
experienced AI strategists + builders
recommended from 18 submissions
BUDGET RANGE
$50-100K
based on implementation path
TIMELINE RANGE
6-10 weeks
depending on scope
FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS
3
to pressure-test fit
Have Informed Conversations. How perspectives translate into viable approaches.
Each reflects a different philosophy on how to tackle the same problem — from rapid validation to production-grade implementation.
Approach
CV-first rapid validation
Professional Background
Team with deep full-stack software and computer-vision expertise, including experience building complex, production-grade systems...
Approach rationale
Starts with rapid prototyping of computer-vision models to validate feasibility early, then expands into deeper full-stack system ...
Representative project experience
Built custom computer-vision systems to extract structured information from complex technical documents, including OCR and ...
Indicative scope
$50k–$75k · 5–8 weeks
Approach
Decision-centric claims automation
Professional Background
Product development and applied AI partner with extensive experience helping helping enterprise and mid-market organizations modernize complex, ...
Approach rationale
Focuses on accelerating claims and prior-authorization decisions by combining vision models, structured logic, and human review to maintain ...
Representative project experience
Developed end-to-end automation pipelines for large insurance organizations, combining document ingestion, classification, and policy-...
Indicative scope
$60k–$100k · ~6–8 weeks
Approach
PoC-to-production bridge
Professional Background
AI solutions team with deep experience delivering transformation initiatives inside large insurance organizations, including claims and ...
Approach rationale
Emphasizes bridging proof-of-concept work to production, with attention to integration, testing, and operational controls required for AI ...
Representative project experience
Has delivered applied AI solutions across payroll, benefits, and healthcare software platforms, with publicly available case studies ...
Indicative scope
Scoped based on project needs
Details have been condensed for clarity. Full responses are shared privately.
Who this is built for
Private equity investment, operating, and transformation teams
Middle-market & portfolio company CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CIOs, and Heads of Ops
Leaders accountable for AI, data, or automation initiatives
Teams evaluating AI partners and unsure which approach to trust
This is probably not for you if…
You’re looking for a single “recommended” vendor
You already know exactly how you want to build this
You’re early and just starting to explore AI conceptually
You want generic AI education or off-the-shelf tools
If you’re weighing real tradeoffs and want clarity before committing time, budget, or political capital, this is designed for you.
Informed by practitioners building AI in production
Signal from the people actually shipping AI
Our network includes senior AI strategists and hands-on builders who’ve designed, deployed, and operated production systems inside complex organizations. They are official Solutions Partners to OpenAI, backed by firms such as a16z and General Catalyst, and expert in helping organizatins deliver real outcomes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Just Curious helps private equity firms and middle-market teams pressure-test AI initiatives before committing to a partner, budget, or roadmap.
We surface multiple independent perspectives from experienced AI builders so you can see real options, tradeoffs, and risks—early.
Most AI projects fail before the work starts, because teams are forced to choose a path with limited visibility into real alternatives.
Just Curious exists to give teams decision clarity before momentum locks them in.
Traditional processes push you toward a single recommended solution.
Just Curious shows you multiple credible ways forward, independently sourced, without selling implementation or steering you toward a preferred vendor.
No slideware.
No sales pressure. No lock-in.
A Mini-RFP is a short, structured brief describing a business problem, diligence question, or AI opportunity.
We anonymize it and share it with relevant AI practitioners, who respond with:
Distinct approaches
Tradeoffs and risks
High-level timelines and budget ranges
You keep full control over what happens next.
No.
Many teams use Just Curious only to pressure-test ideas, validate internal plans, or reset projects already underway.
Engaging a partner is optional, and always your choice.
No.
Your brief is anonymized, and no one contacts you unless you choose to engage.
This is designed to reduce noise, not create it.
If one or more approaches stand out, we can facilitate direct conversations with the teams behind them.
You’re free to explore further, or walk away with better context than you started with.
Yes.
Submitting a Mini-RFP and receiving perspectives is free for operators and investors.
If you later engage a partner, commercial terms are discussed directly with them.
Private equity funds evaluating AI for diligence or value creation.
Portfolio company leadership teams under pressure to “do something with AI.”
Operators who want clarity before committing budget or political capital.
If the decision feels expensive, visible, or hard to unwind—this is for you.
We don’t sell software.
We don’t push preferred partners.
We don’t run implementation projects.
We don’t optimize for deal volume.
Our only job is decision quality.