Our advice is independent, and it answers only to you.
Creative Ground’s independence pledge is four promises that keep our advice about you and not about a vendor. Each one is stated in writing, word for word, in every proposal we send.
The pledge, word for word
Four promises, and what each one means for you.
- 1
No referral fees, resale margins or incentives from any AI vendor or developer, ever.
Nobody pays us to point you at their product, so there is nothing in our advice to discount.
We are paid one way: the fixed fee you agree to in writing.
- 2
One clear recommendation, with the alternatives we weighed. “Not yet” or “don’t buy” is always one of them.
You get a straight answer and the reasoning behind it, not a menu of products to sort through.
Every report shows what else we considered and why we ruled it out.
- 3
Whoever built a system gets a written right of reply before our findings are final.
Findings about someone’s work should be fair, and checked by the people who know the build best.
With your OK, the builder has 5 business days to respond in writing before anything is final.
- 4
If a referral partner introduced us, or we’ve worked with an agency whose work is on the table, we tell you. If we pay a referral partner a fee for an introduction, we tell you that too.
You should know about any tie that could shape how you read our advice.
We tell you before you decide, not after.
How we stay independent
The rules we run on, every engagement.
We are paid one way
A fixed fee, scope and dates, in writing after a briefing. No hourly billing, no commissions, no success fees tied to a product.
We sell and build nothing
We do not resell AI, and we do not build for clients. Our plan goes to any developer you choose, so we have no stake in who wins the work.
We stay independent
We stay independent. We accept no vendor money and have no bias toward any vendor. Our duty is to our clients.
We disclose ties
A referral partner, an agency we have worked with, or anyone else who could shape how you read our advice: you hear about it first.
What you can hold us to
In writing
The pledge is stated word for word in every proposal we send, so you can hold us to it.
A fair hearing
Whoever built your system gets a written right of reply, within 5 business days, before our findings are final.
An honest no
“Not yet,” “don’t buy” and “stop” are real answers, and we give them when they are the right ones.
Nothing hidden
If we have a tie that matters, we tell you before you decide.
What independence does not mean
So you know exactly what you are getting.
- Independent does not mean neutral about the outcome. We give you one clear recommendation and we stand behind our reasoning.
- We can say which kind of solution fits, such as configure, buy, build or wait. When a vendor or developer is the answer, we explain what to look for, and you choose who to hire.
- Defects in the original build stay with the builder. We agree the targets and how to measure them before we look at results.
Questions we hear
Do you take referral fees from AI vendors?
No. We take no referral fees, resale margins or incentives from any AI vendor or developer, ever. Our fixed fee is how we are paid.
Can you recommend a specific vendor?
We can describe what to look for and weigh the options with you. We take nothing from any of them, and you choose who to hire.
What if someone introduced you to us?
If a referral partner introduced us, we tell you, and we tell you if we pay them a fee for the introduction. No AI vendor or developer pays us for any introduction.
What if you have worked with an agency whose build you are reviewing?
We tell you about the tie and the agency gets a written right of reply. You can decide whether you are comfortable before we go ahead.
How do I know you keep this pledge?
It is stated in writing, word for word, in every proposal we send. If you ever think we have missed it, tell Gaurav Malhotra directly.
A free 15 minute intro call with Gaurav Malhotra, our managing director.
Get one clear answer
about your AI
Start with a free 15 minute intro call with our managing director. If it’s a fit, we book a 60 minute briefing with your leadership for another day. Within 7 business days of it, you get up to three fixed fee options, ours marked, and ‘not yet’ if that’s the honest answer.