A different kind of firm
It's hard to fight upstream in a world filled with AI sensationalism and slop. Our purpose is to help businesses digest what is relevant to them and deploy real-world applications that help them grow.
We're a boutique team of engineers, strategists, and operators who left larger organizations to build something leaner and more honest. We don't sell what we can't build ourselves.
How we operate
Founders on every project
You work directly with the people who architect and build your solution. No handoffs. No account managers.
Outcomes over output
We measure success by what changes in your business, not by deliverables shipped or hours logged.
No lock-in
We build on open standards, document everything, and ensure you own your systems fully. If you outgrow us, you keep everything.
The team
David Erichsen
Co-Founder — Engineering
Full-stack engineer with over a decade building production systems. Leads hoopless.ai's technical architecture — from custom LLM pipelines to the infrastructure that keeps them running at scale.
Jeff Hooton
Co-Founder — Engineering
Systems engineer specializing in autonomous agents and intelligent automation. Previously built distributed systems at scale before co-founding hoopless.ai.
Sam Knight
SMB Strategy
Google Business Profile Platinum Product Expert and one of 47 leading voices in Whitespark's 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors Report. Helps SMBs build AI-augmented growth strategies.
Ryan Leddy
SaaS Strategy
SaaS strategist with deep experience in product-led growth, go-to-market, and revenue architecture. Helps AI-native companies find their wedge and scale it.
Based in Boulder, Colorado and Columbus, Ohio.
Have questions?
We keep things straightforward. If you don't find what you're looking for, reach out directly.
Working with us
We start with a conversation — no pitch decks, no sales process. We listen to what you're trying to solve, assess whether AI is the right tool, and scope a focused engagement that delivers value quickly.
From funded startups to established enterprises. We work best with teams who know they need AI but want a partner who can both advise and build.
Both. Consulting is typically project-based with clear deliverables. Engineering often starts as a project and transitions to retainer for ongoing development and support.
Technical
We're model-agnostic — OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source, fine-tuned. We recommend the right tool for your requirements, not the trendy one.
Yes, fully. Code, models, pipelines, documentation — it all belongs to you. No lock-in, no proprietary wrappers.
That's what we do best. We meet you where you are — legacy systems, modern cloud, or something in between. No rip-and-replace required.