Mobile AI Launch Readiness Audit · 3 weeks · $25,000–$35,000 fixed · Remote

Get an honest read on whether your iOS app is ready to ship AI features — and what'll burn you in App Store review if it isn't.

Most teams shipping AI iOS features are flying blind on three intersecting risks: on-device performance under MLX/Core ML inference, App Store review policies on AI content, and the architectural debt that surfaces when you try to bolt agents onto an app that wasn't built for them. I run a structured 3-week audit that gives you a written report, a prioritized fix list, and a 60-minute readout — with the actual fixes in your control.

Engagement length

3 weeks

Price (fixed)

$25K – $35K

Format

Async + 4 sessions

Deliverable

Report + readout

Inquire about availability → or mail@joemattiello.com

How it works

The 3-week audit, step by step

No discovery-call scope creep. No mystery hours. Three weeks, four sessions, one report.

WEEK 1 · DAYS 1–5

Codebase + architecture review

Async access to your repo, profiling builds, and AI integration points. Focus areas: build system, dependency graph, native vs JS-bridge boundaries, AI/ML pipeline architecture, model loading patterns, observability gaps. One 60-minute kickoff.

WEEK 2 · DAYS 6–10

Performance + on-device inference

Cold start, hot path profiling (Instruments, Datadog RUM if available), bootup time, memory pressure under inference. MLX / Core ML model performance on real devices. SwiftUI hot-path identification. Two 30-minute working sessions.

WEEK 3 · DAYS 11–15

App Store review + report delivery

Audit AI feature surfaces against App Store Review Guidelines (sections 4.7, 5.1.5, 5.5), App Privacy disclosures, ATT compliance, and on-device-vs-server inference policy implications. Final written report (typically 25–40 pages) and 60-minute readout.

What you walk away with

Every deliverable, named

Written audit report (25–40 pages PDF) — every finding, with severity, code references, and a recommended fix path.
Prioritized fix list — top 10 items by impact-to-effort, with size estimates so your team can plan.
Architecture diagram of your current AI integration surface and a proposed target state.
App Store review risk register — every AI feature surface mapped to relevant Apple review guidelines, with concrete language to use in your privacy declarations and review notes.
Performance baseline — cold-start, time-to-interactive, inference latency, memory ceiling on your top 3 supported devices.
60-minute live readout — Q&A with engineering and product leadership, recorded for your team.
Two follow-up sessions within 30 days post-delivery, for clarifying questions as your team executes.

Fit check

Be honest about what you need

If you're outside this fit, I'll tell you upfront and recommend someone else. The work is too specific to fake a match.

This works if

You're shipping (or about to ship) AI features in a native iOS / iPadOS / tvOS app
You have a real codebase — not greenfield, not a prototype
You have at least 2 mobile engineers on staff to execute the fixes
You're past Series A; budget for a fixed-fee audit isn't a stretch
You want a written deliverable you can share with leadership / board

Not a fit if

You want me to write the code (this is an audit, not a build engagement — see below for those)
You're pre-product / pre-launch with no AI features yet planned
Your stack is fully React Native or web-only (the audit specifically covers native iOS depth)
You need an open-ended fractional CTO arrangement (also see below)
You're looking for the cheapest possible quote — this is a premium specialist engagement

Why me

The track record this audit draws from

Every conclusion in the audit comes from work I've actually shipped. Specifics — not pitch-deck claims.

~$300k

/year bandwidth savings shipped at Wayfair via MP4 compression + caching strategy. Couple-day project, recurring savings.

388k+

Provenance EMU downloads. 6.3k stars, 79 contributors, App Store launch Jan 2025. Created and led from 2013–present.

Autonomous AI agents orchestrated in production CI. Claude (Sonnet+Opus auto-routed), Cursor, Kimi — sharing one dispatch vocabulary.

Regions led as Director of iOS Platform at NewsCorp. Took iOS from trailing Android to surpassing on every metric.

US patents as named inventor (Sense Networks). Portfolio acquired twice — by YP, then by Verve.

17+

Years iOS experience. Started before Apple released the SDK. iOS, tvOS, macOS, watchOS — every layer.

→ Full case studies on the main site

Beyond the audit

Other engagements I take on

If the audit isn't the right shape — these are. All include a free 30-minute scoping call before any commitment.

2–4 weeks · $25–60K

AI tooling / SDLC audit

Cursor / Claude Code / Copilot rollout review for engineering teams. Workflow design, MCP server integration, eval harness scaffolding. For organizations with 20+ engineers adopting AI-assisted development.

4–8 weeks · $40–120K

MCP server build-out

Custom MCP servers wrapping internal tooling, data sources, or APIs. Includes auth, audit logging, rate limiting, and gateway patterns (LiteLLM / MintMCP-style). Production-grade, not a prototype.

3–6 weeks · $15–50K

iOS performance rescue

Cold-start, hot-path, memory, and battery-drain remediation for shipping iOS apps. Datadog RUM setup, Instruments deep-dive, prioritized fix plan. Best for apps in App Store review purgatory or post-launch perf complaints.

4–6 weeks · $30–80K

Agent eval harness build

For teams shipping agents to production: build the eval harness, dataset curation pipeline, regression CI, and observability layer. The infrastructure your model evals should have had from day one.

monthly retainer

Fractional advisory

For founders and CTOs who want a senior mobile / AI architect on call — code review, hiring sanity checks, architectural sounding board, escalation contact. 5–10 hours / month, capped engagement.

day rate $1,500–4,500

Strategy days

Single-day on-site or remote engagements. Architecture review, hiring panel, technical due-diligence for VCs / acquirers. Best for “we need a senior outside read in the next two weeks” situations.

Common questions

Answers to the questions every prospect asks

How is this priced? Fixed-fee, paid 50% upfront, 50% on delivery. Standard MSA + SOW. No hidden hours, no surprises.
What if my codebase is huge? The $25K–$35K range covers up to ~250k LoC of in-scope code. Above that we scope a custom engagement; happy to talk on a 30-minute call.
Do you sign NDAs? Yes — standard mutual NDA before any code access. I can sign yours or send mine.
Will you sub-contract? No. I do the work personally. The only deliverable is mine.
Can you work in our timezone? Based in NYC (UTC-5/-4). Comfortable across US, EU, and APAC; have led 8-region teams across all three.
Can you give a discount? No. Fixed fees mean fixed fees — that's the value of the engagement structure.
What happens after the audit? Most clients implement findings themselves with quarterly check-ins. A handful retain me for the build-out (separate engagement). I don't push you toward more work — only if it's actually useful.
Are you available right now? Currently considering 1–2 engagements for Q3 2026. Reach out and I'll tell you my next opening honestly.

Want to talk?

Send a short note about your team and what you're shipping. I'll reply within 48 hours with whether the audit's a fit, whether something else makes more sense, or where to look elsewhere.

Email mail@joemattiello.com →