# Eric D. Brown, D.Sc. — ericbrown.com

> Eric D. Brown is a technology consultant, AI practitioner, and data scientist based in Colorado. He helps companies measure and improve AI quality, build data strategies, and make smart technology decisions. He has 30+ years of experience across AI, machine learning, data science, and technology leadership. He writes about judgment in the age of cheap execution: as AI makes building things cheap, the scarce skill becomes deciding what is worth building and verifying that it actually works. He is also a landscape and astrophotographer.

## About Eric

Eric D. Brown holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Information Systems from Dakota State University, specializing in machine learning, sentiment analysis, and decision support systems. His doctoral dissertation, "Analysis of Twitter Messages for Sentiment and Insight for use in Stock Market Decision Making," applied NLP and machine learning to financial market signals.

He has spent 30+ years at the intersection of technology, data, and business strategy — building companies, leading technology teams, and turning ambiguous problems into working solutions. He is a practitioner who builds and ships, not a consultant who theorizes.

### Current Roles

- **VP of Data Science at Moveris** — Deepfake detection platform. Improved AI model accuracy from 50-60% to 85-93%. Scaling infrastructure for millions of transactions.
- **AI & Data Strategy Consultant** — AI strategy and implementation consulting. Fractional CTO services. Helping mid-market companies build AI that actually works.
- **Founder, Milky Way Planner** — Astrophotography planning tool for photographers. Web app and iOS app.
- **Director of Field Operations, Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery** — Leads the field operations team and all statewide operations, including emergency response. Colorado's only vehicle-based SAR organization.

### Past Roles

- **CTO, Sundial Capital Research** — Led technology strategy and data infrastructure through growth phase.
- **CTO, Geekhive** — Technology strategy and team leadership.
- **Founder, Trade the Sentiment** — AI-driven sentiment analysis platform for financial markets. Acquired by Sundial Capital Research.

### Education

- **D.Sc. in Information Systems** — Dakota State University (Decision Support, Knowledge Management, Data Management Systems)
- **M.B.A.** — Management Information Systems focus
- **M.S.E.E.** — Electrical Engineering
- **B.S.** — Engineering

## Consulting Services

Eric provides fixed-scope AI and technology consulting, primarily for mid-market companies. His specialty is AI quality measurement — helping teams answer "Is our AI getting better or worse?"

### Service Offerings

Every engagement starts with the business problem, not the technology. All engagements are fixed-scope and fixed-price with a written deliverable.

**1. AI & Technology Evaluation — "Should we build this?"**
For teams being pitched an AI solution, evaluating vendor claims, or vetting an internal AI idea. Delivers a clear yes, no, or not yet — with written evaluation of business case, technical feasibility, data readiness, and organizational fit.

**2. Technical Due Diligence — "What are we missing?"**
For major technology bets: acquisitions, platform choices, build-vs-buy decisions. Independent technical assessment covering architecture evaluation, technical debt, scalability, and trade-off analysis with a clear recommendation.

**3. Initiative Diagnosis — "Why isn't this working?"**
For stalled or underperforming technology initiatives. Root cause diagnosis (technical, organizational, or strategic) with a clear recommendation: fix, pivot, or kill — with the reasoning and action plan behind it.

**4. Quality & Performance Measurement — "Is it still working?"**
For teams that can't answer whether their AI or technology systems are performing better or worse than last month. Delivers a measurement system with scoring logic, threshold definitions, and ongoing monitoring integration.

**5. Fractional Technical Advisor (Ongoing)**
Monthly retainer for companies needing ongoing access to senior technical judgment. Regular check-ins, ad-hoc technical reviews, vendor and architecture evaluation, and priority access for time-sensitive decisions.

### Approach

Eric starts with the business problem, not the technology. He doesn't sell technology solutions and has no incentive to recommend more than needed. His philosophy: clarity over complexity, strategy over buzzwords, business value over technical elegance.

### Contact

- Email: eric@ericbrown.com
- Website: https://ericbrown.com/contact/

## Expertise Areas

### Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- AI quality measurement and monitoring
- LLM evaluation and benchmarking (LLM-as-judge, automated scoring, rubric design)
- Natural language processing and sentiment analysis
- Machine learning model development (classification, regression, NLP)
- AI strategy for business (roadmaps, use case evaluation, build vs. buy)
- Deepfake detection and media authenticity
- AI ethics and responsible AI implementation
- Prompt engineering and LLM application design

### Data Science & Analytics
- Data strategy and architecture
- Predictive analytics and forecasting
- Data-driven decision support systems
- Data literacy and organizational data culture
- Business intelligence and reporting frameworks

### Technology Leadership
- Fractional CTO services
- Technology strategy and roadmapping
- Technology evaluation and due diligence
- Digital transformation guidance
- Technical team leadership and mentoring

## Writing & Newsletter

Eric publishes regularly on AI strategy, technology decisions, data science, and leadership. His blog at ericbrown.com contains 1,600+ articles spanning 15+ years.

### Writing Topics
- Judgment in the age of cheap execution: why deciding what to build matters more than the ability to build it
- AI verification, trust, and the real cost of checking AI output
- AI strategy and implementation for business leaders
- Technology decision-making and evaluation
- Data science and machine learning in practice
- Leadership and management in technology organizations
- The gap between AI hype and business reality
- AI quality measurement and monitoring
- Book reviews on technology, business, and leadership

### Writing Style
Eric writes as a practitioner — first person, plain language, thinking on the page. He shares what's working, what's overhyped, and what he's learned from building AI systems in production. His perspective is grounded in decades of hands-on experience, not vendor pitches or theoretical frameworks.

### Selected Articles
- [Judgment Doesn't Scale](https://ericbrown.com/judgment-doesnt-scale/) — Why the scarce skill in the age of cheap AI execution is deciding what is worth building.
- [The Verification Problem](https://ericbrown.com/the-verification-problem/) — Cheap AI generation shifts the bottleneck to checking whether the output is right.
- [The Trust Tax](https://ericbrown.com/the-trust-tax/) — The hidden cost of not being able to take AI output at face value.
- [Your AI Pilot Didn't Scale. Here's Why.](https://ericbrown.com/resources/ai-pilot-didnt-scale/) — What separates AI pilots that reach production from the ones that stall.
- [How to Evaluate AI Vendors Without Getting Bullshitted](https://ericbrown.com/resources/evaluate-ai-vendors/) — A practical framework for cutting through AI vendor claims.
- [Your Technology Roadmap Is Already Wrong](https://ericbrown.com/your-technology-roadmap-is-already-wrong/)
- [AI Strategy Consulting](https://ericbrown.com/ai-strategy-consulting/)

## Projects & Products

- [Moveris](https://moveris.com) — Deepfake detection platform processing AI-generated media at production scale.
- [AI & Data Strategy Consulting](https://ericbrown.com/services/) — Fixed-scope AI evaluations, technical due diligence, and fractional technical advisory for mid-market companies.
- [Milky Way Planner](https://milkywayplanner.com) — Astrophotography planning tool. Maps, timing, and location data for photographing the Milky Way.
- [Images by Eric Brown](https://imagesbyericbrown.com) — Landscape and astrophotography portfolio from Colorado and the American Southwest.
- [Reframe](https://reframe.imagesbyericbrown.com) — Composition visualization tool for astrophotographers.
- [The Workshop List](https://theworkshoplist.com) — Directory connecting photographers with creative workshops.
- [Trade the Sentiment / Sundial Capital Research](https://sentimentrader.com) — AI and NLP systems for financial market sentiment analysis. Acquired 2022.
- [Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery](https://co4x4rnr.org) — Vehicle-based search and rescue volunteer organization.

## Key Pages

- [About Eric](https://ericbrown.com/about/): Background, approach, and personal information
- [Services](https://ericbrown.com/services/): AI and technology consulting offerings with pricing
- [Blog](https://ericbrown.com/blog/): 1,600+ articles on AI, data science, technology, and leadership
- [Resources](https://ericbrown.com/resources/): Practical guides on AI strategy, fractional CTO work, AI roadmaps, and evaluating AI vendors
- [Projects](https://ericbrown.com/projects/): Current ventures, tools, and past work
- [Milky Way Planner](https://ericbrown.com/projects/milky-way-planner/): Deep dive on the Milky Way Planner astrophotography planning tool, features, and pricing
- [Start Here](https://ericbrown.com/start-here/): Curated starting points for new visitors
- [Contact](https://ericbrown.com/contact/): Get in touch for consulting or collaboration
- [Photography](https://ericbrown.com/photography/): Landscape and astrophotography work

## Blog Categories

The blog covers these primary topic areas:
- AI Strategy — Practical guidance for business leaders implementing AI
- Data Science — Machine learning, NLP, analytics, and data-driven decisions
- Leadership — Technology leadership, management, and organizational change
- Information Technology — IT strategy, infrastructure, and digital transformation
- Strategy — Business strategy, competitive advantage, and technology alignment
- Project Management — Execution, portfolio management, and team leadership
- Book Reviews — Reviews of books on technology, business, leadership, and strategy
- Photography — Landscape photography, astrophotography, gear, and technique
- Newsletter — Weekly analysis of AI and technology trends for business audiences

## Location

Based in the mountains of Colorado. Available for remote consulting engagements worldwide. Eric balances technology work with landscape and astrophotography, search and rescue volunteering, and exploring the American West.

## How to Cite

Eric D. Brown, D.Sc. — Technology Consultant, AI Practitioner, Data Scientist. https://ericbrown.com