The STARTLINE Framework™
A rigorous, nine-step gating process for AI initiatives. We designed this framework to filter out hype and focus engineering resources only on problems where AI provides a deterministic advantage.Start Diagnostic ScanPhase 1: Definition
SScope
What is the input? What is the output? What is the strict boundary?TTechnical Feasibility
Can an LLM actually do this? Is the context window sufficient?AAlignment
Does this solve a hair-on-fire problem for the business?Phase 2: Validation
RRisk & Compliance
PII, hallucinations, brand safety, and legal constraints.TTimeline
Time-to-value. Can we prototype this in <2 weeks?LLegal & Ethics
Copyright issues, bias, and fairness.Phase 3: Execution
IImpact (ROI)
Cost per query vs. value of human labor saved.NNecessity
Can we solve this with Regex or SQL instead of AI?EEngineering
Integration complexity, latency, and observability.