Our Story
Why we started needevals.
In 2023, we watched dozens of SaaS companies rush to ship AI features. The pressure was intense—boards wanted AI, customers expected it, competitors were launching.
But we also saw the aftermath: hallucinations in production, safety concerns, customer churn from broken AI features. Teams were shipping fast but not shipping safe.
That's when we realized the industry needed a different approach. Not just "move fast and break things," but "move fast and build things right." AI evaluation and safety couldn't be an afterthought.
So we built needevals—the evaluation and guardrails service we wished we'd had when we were shipping AI features at scale.
Our Mission
"Help SaaS companies ship AI features that customers trust and regulators approve— without sacrificing speed or innovation."
Leadership
Operators who've shipped AI at scale.
We've been in your shoes—building AI features under board pressure, dealing with safety requirements, and ensuring customer trust.
Cole spent 6 years at Amazon building machine learning systems that serve customers at scale. After Amazon, he co-founded and served as CTO at Empiric, an ML-powered IoT startup.
Through his consulting practice, Cole helps SaaS companies ship AI features that customers trust and pass safety evaluations. He specializes in evaluation-first design and production-grade ML systems.
Cole works with a network of specialized AI safety engineers and compliance experts to deliver comprehensive evaluation solutions for enterprise SaaS teams.
Our Values
How we work with your team.
Operator-first mindset
We understand the pressure to ship fast. Our frameworks are built for real-world constraints, not academic perfection.
Evidence-driven approach
Every recommendation is backed by data from production deployments. No theoretical frameworks—just what works.
Transparent communication
We tell you what we see, not what you want to hear. Honest feedback helps you build better AI features.
Long-term partnership
We are not just consultants—we are partners in your AI journey. Your success is our success.
Ready to work with operators who get it?
Book a 15-minute sanity check to see if we're a good fit for your team. No slide decks—just honest operator advice.