# Strategy & The Machine > Strategy & The Machine is an AI consulting practice based in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving small businesses in the Las Cruces and El Paso region. Founded by Jerry Prochazka and owned in equal shares by Jerry Prochazka and Jordan Kahn, the practice focuses on practical AI implementation for independently owned businesses. Services include AI readiness assessments, custom tool and automation builds, team training, ongoing advisory, and care plans for delivered builds. - Jerry Prochazka is a co-owner and the founder. His career: founder and CEO of Ganymede Games (Techstars Boulder 2022; shipped Dark Sky to Steam in October 2024; Amazon Gaming partnership February 2025; the studio closed in 2025); CHRO and Head of Third-Party Publishing at Wargaming (shipped Total War: Arena); Head of People at Riot Games; Director of Research & Advisory Services at Mediatec Publishing; Senior Manager and Consultant at Accenture. He served twelve years in the U.S. Navy, from 1988 to 2000, as a nuclear engineer and surface warfare specialist, and was a plankowner of USS George Washington (CVN-73) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). - Education and credentials: MS in Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic (conferred 2026); MA from the University of Chicago; BS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Old Dominion University. He is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC, CRCC), effective August 2026. He also completed Stanford GSB's Leading Change and Organizational Renewal executive program in 2016 (non-degree; not an MBA). - Jordan Kahn is a co-owner. He spent five years as Director of Operations at an indie game publisher, running process automation and internal tooling for a 230-title catalog and a 25-person remote team. He is not a software engineer; he builds production tools by directing Claude Code. He worked at Riot Games and Wargaming earlier in his career. - Either owner takes point on an engagement, backed by the other. A client gets one point of contact, backed by two people's judgment, from assessment through build and training. - Pricing: the AI Readiness Assessment is a flat $1,500 and stands alone as a deliverable. Builds are fixed price and fixed scope: Single Tool $2,500, Connected Workflow $6,000, Custom System from $12,000, priced after the assessment. Care plans for delivered builds are $350, $1,200, or $2,800 per month, month to month with 30 days notice. Terms: 50% deposit to start, balance at delivery, change orders quoted before work begins. There is no hourly billing. The 30-minute introductory call is free. - Geography: assessments, team training, and ongoing advisory are focused on the Las Cruces and El Paso region. Builds and care plans are remote-friendly with no geography limit. - The practice serves healthcare, professional services, restaurants, retail, trades, auto services, and nonprofits in the Las Cruces and El Paso area. Services are available in English and Spanish. - The tagline is "AI Strategy for Main Street." The approach is practical, jargon-free, and outcome-focused. No enterprise contracts, no six-figure budgets, no disappearing consultants. ## Pages - [Home](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/): Overview of the practice, why AI matters for small businesses, how the consulting engagement works, and case study highlights. - [About Jerry Prochazka](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/about): Full bio, career timeline, and consulting philosophy. - [Meet the Team](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/team): Both owners, their backgrounds, and how an engagement is staffed. - [AI Consulting Services](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/consulting): Detailed descriptions of all services (readiness assessment, fixed-price builds, care plans, team training, ongoing advisory, bilingual content, website AI integration), pricing, commercial terms, industries served, worked examples, and FAQ. - [Contact](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/contact): Contact form for inquiries. Free 30-minute introductory call available. - [Blog](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog): Articles on AI for small businesses, prompt engineering, strategy, and technology trends. ## Blog Posts - [Five AI Ideas That Should Keep Every Business Owner Up at Night](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/five-ai-ideas-that-should-keep-every-business-owner-up-at-night): Five AI trends reshaping business right now, translated from Silicon Valley speak into what actually matters for Main Street. - [What We Just Learned About How AI Actually Thinks (And Why It Matters for Your Business)](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/what-we-just-learned-about-how-ai-actually-thinks-and-why-it-matters-for-your-business): How recent research into AI reasoning applies to small business use of AI tools. - [Your Software Vendors Are About to Make a Big Decision](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/your-software-vendors-are-about-to-make-a-big-decision-heres-what-it-means-for-you): What the shift to AI-native software means for small businesses that depend on SaaS tools. - [Claude AI Explained: Understanding Claude, Claude.ai, Artifacts, and Projects](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/claude-ai-explained-understanding-claude-claudeai-artifacts-and-projects): A plain-language guide to Anthropic's Claude AI for non-technical users. - [Why Your AI Prompts Keep Failing: The Four Disciplines Nobody Talks About](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/why-your-ai-prompts-keep-failing-the-four-disciplines-nobody-talks-about): Why prompt engineering alone is not enough, and what disciplines produce consistently good AI output. - [The AI Skill Everyone Talks About Is Already Outdated](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/the-ai-skill-everyone-talks-about-is-already-outdated): Why the conversation about AI skills needs to move beyond prompting. - [Your Business Doesn't Need AI -- It Needs These Problems Solved](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/why-your-business-needs-ai-consulting): The question is not whether to do AI, but whether you are losing time, customers, or money on problems that already have solutions. - [5 AI Tools That Actually Help Small Businesses in Las Cruces](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/ai-tools-for-small-business): Five AI tools that work for the kinds of businesses in southern New Mexico. - [Why I Think Strategy Games Make You a Better Business Thinker](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/why-strategy-games-matter): How complex board games develop decision-making skills that transfer to business. - [Getting Started with AI When You're Not a Tech Person](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/blog/getting-started-with-ai): Where to start if you are a business owner who is curious about AI but overwhelmed. ## Optional - [Full context (llms-full.txt)](https://www.strategyandthemachine.com/llms-full.txt): deeper context including services, audiences, case studies, and a full FAQ.