Chris Taylor - Fractional AI | 84% Cost Savings & 30-Second Turnarounds: The PE Playbook for Production-Grade AI

Chris Taylor, Co-founder & CEO of Fractional AI, explains how private equity–backed companies are using applied AI to drive measurable operational impact—not experiments. Drawing from deep experience building AI-native services and deploying production systems across dozens of portcos, Chris breaks down how incumbents can move fast, automate real workflows, and turn AI into cost savings, productivity, and defensibility.You’ll Learn:How to identify the workflows where AI can actually deliver value—not wishful “AI ideas.”Why incumbents, not AI-first startups, are often best positioned to win with generative AI.How to evaluate feasibility, scope, and ROI so projects move quickly from idea to production.Why PE-owned companies are ideal AI adopters and how to navigate partnership with SMEs and engineering.How one portco achieved an 84% cost reduction by automating product-taxonomy mapping with an AI-first workflow.Chapters:00:00 Intro00:32 What Fractional AI does04:29 How companies identify real AI opportunities06:37 Why PE-backed companies adopt AI differently09:15 Partnering with SMEs and engineers11:50 Common misconceptions and early mistakes20:35 Case study: automating product-taxonomy mapping26:30 Deployment and internal reaction29:03 Cost savings and impact31:02 What AI means in PE diligence34:41 First 30-day steps for CEOs36:54 Who Fractional AI works best withLinks:Explore more interviews and Chris Taylor's expert profile: https://www.justcurious.io/experts/chris-taylorConnect with Chris Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorcd/Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sVb3QmqucEg Proof of Work is the podcast of Pluris, a platform connecting investors and operators with the world's leading applied AI experts. Each episode features the builders, operators, and investors who've actually put AI into production, turning it from buzzword to bottom line through sharp case studies and practical conversations. We explore how AI is used to grow revenue, expand margins, improve operations, and create measurable value inside real businesses.Learn more at checkpluris.comExplore more interviews and connect with experts at https://www.checkpluris.com Subscribe to our newsletter at https://proof-of-work-ai.beehiiv.com/