Mission
To bring independent AI research and responsible technical guidance to organizations building with AI—so the tools they ship make people more capable, not more dependent.
Removing obstacles so people can move under their own power.
Independent AI research and responsible technical guidance for organizations building with AI. We help you ship tools that make people more capable, not more dependent.
Vision
A technology landscape where AI is designed to increase human capacity and independence—not to create new dependencies on the tools themselves or the people who sell them.
What We Do
Focused expertise where it counts.
🔬 AI Research
Narrative compression, cognitive architecture, and published work bridging theory and practice. Research that moves from insight to implementation.
🏗️ Architecture Advisory
Technical evaluation, model selection, prompt engineering, and pipeline architecture. For teams that are shipping responsibly and need expert guidance on the hard decisions.
🧭 Responsible AI Strategy
Prosthetic-vs-therapeutic framework, bias auditing, AI governance, and product strategy. Build AI that expands what people can do alone.
Our Values
How we work. What we won’t compromise. Why it matters.
✊ Dignity
Every engagement starts from respect for what you and your team already know. We’re not here to replace your judgment—we’re here to sharpen it.
🤝 Inclusion
The AI industry has a representation problem. Who builds the tools determines who they serve. We work with and for organizations that take this seriously.
♿ Accessibility
Knowledge locked behind jargon isn’t knowledge. We explain clearly, build accessibly, and design for the people who actually use the tools—not just the people who buy them.
⚖️ Equity
AI doesn’t distribute its benefits evenly. We prioritize work that widens access, and we’re honest about where the technology concentrates power instead of distributing it.
🚀 Agency
We build our clients’ capacity, not their reliance on us. If you need us forever, we’ve failed. The goal is to leave you more capable than we found you.
💬 Honesty
We tell you what the evidence supports, not what the hype cycle promises. If AI isn’t the right tool for your problem, we’ll say so—even when that’s not what you called to hear.
🔓 Liberation Through Technology
Tools should expand what someone can do alone, not what they can do with us. Autonomy is the metric. Every recommendation we make is tested against this standard.
About
David Drake is an AI researcher, former YC-backed CTO, and author of I Will Not Drink With You Today. His current research focuses on narrative compression—how large language models reshape the way stories are told and understood. He writes about it on Narrative Compression, his Substack.
Before founding RedDep, David built and led engineering teams shipping AI-powered products. That experience—seeing firsthand how AI can either expand or constrain what people can do—is what drives this practice.
🎯 Former YC CTO· Background
🧠 Narrative Compression· Research
📚 Published, 3 Languages· Author
📍 Portland, OR· Location
Writing
The name isn’t just a tech metaphor. David writes about reducing dependencies of every kind—in systems, in organizations, and in life.
📖 Book
I Will Not Drink With You Today
A personal account of sobriety, identity, and clearing the path forward. The values behind RedDep—agency, dignity, honesty—aren’t abstractions. They’re lived experience.
Available on Amazon →✉️ Newsletter
Narrative Compression
David’s research in public. Free essays on AI, narrative, neurodivergence, and the systems that shape how we think.
Read on Substack →Book a Session 📅
All sessions available as 30-minute or 1-hour formats. Remote, coffee, or lunch.
Advisory
💡 General AI guidance, strategy discussion, and initial assessment.
$500/hr
Remote · Coffee · Lunch
Most Popular
Technical Deep Dive
⚙️ Architecture review, prompt engineering, and code-level guidance.
$1,000/hr
Remote · Coffee · Lunch
Executive Strategy
🏛️ C-suite AI strategy, governance, competitive positioning, and prosthetic-vs-therapeutic framework.
$2,000/hr
Remote · Coffee · Lunch
Get in Touch 👋
Not sure which session is right? Have a question before booking? Reach out directly to David—no forms, no friction, no gatekeepers.
david@reddep.comAll conversations are confidential. Need a formal NDA? We have one ready via DocuSign.
Want to follow David’s thinking before reaching out? Subscribe to Narrative Compression — free essays on AI, narrative, and reducing dependencies of every kind.