Advisors who build
John Walden: AI Strategy & Operations Advisor
Helping organizations make clear and grounded decisions about AI adoption
I help organizations make practical sense of AI, turning uncertainty into clear paths to adoption—grounded in hands-on experience and the applied research at Moth Labs.
How I work
I don’t sell hype, shortcuts, or “AI transformation” theater. I don’t take on execution work that should be owned by internal teams or vendors. My role is to clarify direction, reduce risk, and support sound decisions—focusing on what actually works in real organizations.
About Me
I’ve spent 25+ years working across advertising, digital media, robotics, and business consulting—often in moments where new technology outpaced clear understanding. I’m the former CEO of MSB Agency and serve as a mentor with the Telluride Venture Network.
That experience shapes a measured approach to AI: pragmatic about its potential, realistic about its limits, and focused on how it actually shows up inside organizations. My advisory work is informed by applied research at Moth Labs, where we pursue the development of reliable execution architectures for AI-driven systems.
Focused Conversations, Practical Outcomes
AI Strategic Counseling Call — $250 / 60 minutes
(Includes a free 15-minute assessment call)
This is a focused, one-time working session for situations where the available published guidance found on LinkedIn Medium or Reddit doesn’t meet the need.
If you’re navigating how to apply AI in your strategy, workflows, services, or product—and you’re facing real uncertainty, conflicting advice, or internal bottlenecks—this call is designed for that moment.
No ongoing engagements. No upsells.
Just straight answers from someone in the middle of the work, not just writing about it.
How it works
You’ll schedule two calls up front, with payment for the second collected at signup.
15-minute assessment call (free)
We’ll use this time to determine whether your situation is a good fit. If it’s not, we cancel the second call and refund your payment—no harm, no follow-up.
60-minute working session ($250)
A focused, one-time strategy session designed to address your specific questions and provide clarity.
If you’ve already found what you need in published materials, great! If you need something sharper, let’s talk.
Where This Can Lead (When There’s a Fit)
Some organizations use an initial counseling session as a one-off clarity exercise. Others find it useful as a starting point for deeper advisory work, which might look like:
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Short-term embedded advisory (3–6 months)
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AI readiness and opportunity assessment
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Guided discovery and validation loops
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Ongoing strategic counsel during AI adoption
Again the initial call is not a pitch. Any follow-on work is scoped collaboratively and only pursued when it makes sense.
Fit Check
This is a fit if you’re:
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A leadership team with unclear AI direction
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Facing conflicting advice or internal bottlenecks
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Seeking clarity before investing in execution
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Not a fit if you’re:
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Looking for technical build services
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Seeking turnkey automation solutions