A new joint venture called Ode with Anthropic is betting that a small team of specialized engineers can outperform the sprawling consultant armies that enterprises traditionally hire for AI projects. The venture combines Anthropic's AI expertise with financial backing from Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs. Main Developments Ode with Anthropic embeds forward-deployed engineers directly into enterprise firms to build and deploy AI services. The venture recently acquired Fractional AI, an applied AI services startup, whose founders Chris Taylor and Eddie Siegel now lead Ode's core operations. On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Taylor and Siegel discussed why so many enterprise AI pilots fail to reach production. They argue that AI-native services, rather than traditional consulting models, are poised to become one of tech's largest categories. Read also: Why Spotify's free-tier parent controls signal a shift in tech regulation Background Taylor and Siegel originally founded Fractional AI to bridge the gap between AI capabilities and enterprise implementation. Ode's acquisition of Fractional AI earlier this year provided the new venture with its core team and operational expertise. Why It Matters Many enterprises struggle to move AI pilots into production, wasting significant investment. If Ode's model succeeds, it could reshape how companies approach AI adoption, shifting from large consulting contracts to smaller, specialized engineering teams. What's Next Ode will deploy its engineers into enterprise clients, testing whether a lean team can deliver production-ready AI solutions. The venture's performance will determine if AI-native services truly become a dominant category in enterprise tech.