Ex-Palantir designer opens AI transformation practice to select companies

Jacopo Spina, a former Palantir founding product designer, is now taking on a limited number of new clients for an AI transformation practice focused on redesigning operations around AI agents. The pitch: stop layering AI onto broken processes and rebuild the work to reduce costs, speed operations and unlock revenue without adding headcount.

Why it matters: - Spina is targeting a common AI failure mode: companies buying tools but leaving core workflows unchanged. - The practice is built to help digital-native companies cut operating costs and grow revenue without adding headcount. - The shift matters because the work centers on redesigning business processes, not just adding software.

What happened: - Jacopo Spina, a former Palantir founding product designer and applied AI product engineer, opened his AI transformation practice to a limited number of new companies on September 29, 2026. - The practice had previously worked only by referral, mainly with founders and leaders from the Palantir network. - Spina is based in London and is taking on only a few full-time engagements at a time in Europe and the United States. - Companies can reach Spina through his portfolio or LinkedIn.

The details: - Spina starts by mapping how a company really works across processes, finances and teams. - He then identifies the area where change will create the biggest payoff. - The next step is to design and build a new version of that process with a shared data layer, collaborative workflows between people and AI, and AI agents that handle repetitive work. - Every engagement is measured by whether the business moves faster, spends less or earns more. - Spina said many companies are running “AI theatre,” with disconnected data systems, email handoffs and AI tools that only watch from the side. - Spina described his approach as being like an architect who is also the engineer, designing the experience and building the structure underneath it. - He has 15 years of experience designing software across iOS, Android, web, desktop and spatial platforms. - His past design work includes Palantir, Citi, Google, Vodafone and Lloyds Bank, along with venture-backed AI startups.

Between the lines: - The practice is aligned with research showing that workflow redesign, not tool adoption alone, is what drives measurable AI impact. - MIT's 2025 GenAI Divide report found that 95% of organizations saw no measurable profit-and-loss return from generative AI. - McKinsey's 2025 State of AI survey found that redesigning workflows had the strongest link to bottom-line impact, but only 21% of companies using generative AI had redesigned any workflows. - Gartner expects more than 40% of agentic AI projects to be cancelled by the end of 2027. - Spina's positioning suggests a consultative, hands-on model aimed at companies that want operational change, not AI experimentation.

What's next: - Spina is working through a new company in stealth with top-tier UK hospitals on operations transformation using AI agents. - His previous work shows a pattern of turning early concepts into production systems quickly, which may be part of the draw for future clients. - He is still limiting availability, so the practice is likely to remain selective rather than high-volume.

The bottom line: - Spina is selling a more radical AI message than most consultants: redesign the work first, then deploy the agents.