Why Asserto

Every AI team goes through the same evolution. We built Asserto because we lived it.

The Universal AI Team Journey

Most teams building AI products follow a predictable path - and hit the same bottlenecks.

Current State

Phase 1: Developer Does Everything

Developers build the AI system, write the prompts, handle testing, and manage deployments. Domain experts watch from the sidelines, frustrated they can't contribute effectively.

  • Developer becomes the prompt iteration bottleneck
  • Domain experts know what prompts should do but can't implement changes
  • Every prompt tweak requires developer time and deployment
  • Testing is ad-hoc and breaks when one change affects another
What Teams Want

Phase 2: Proper Role Separation

Developers focus on technical architecture and integration. Domain experts own prompt logic and business requirements. Everyone works within their expertise.

  • Developers build infrastructure once, enable iteration
  • Domain experts iterate on prompts without breaking systems
  • Faster feedback loops between technical and business requirements
  • Systematic testing prevents whack-a-mole development

Why This Problem Is Universal

It's not about team skills - it's about tool limitations.

Technical Complexity Meets Business Logic

AI systems require both deep technical integration AND nuanced business understanding. Rarely does one person excel at both.

Current Tools Force Wrong Roles

Most AI tools are either too technical (developers only) or too simple (can't handle real applications). There's no middle ground.

The Deployment Bottleneck Reality

Every prompt change becomes a deployment event. Developers become gatekeepers for business logic iterations they shouldn't need to understand.

Testing Infrastructure Complexity

Building proper LLM testing requires understanding JSONPath, multi-provider APIs, evaluation frameworks. Most teams punt on this until it's too late.

Our Origin Story

This isn't a theoretical problem for us. We lived it.

1

The 30-Minute Deployment Cycle

I was updating production every 30 minutes because our domain expert couldn't deploy prompt changes herself. She knew exactly what the prompts should do, but couldn't safely make changes without breaking other parts of the system.

2

The Whack-a-Mole Pattern

She was playing whack-a-mole - fixing one prompt issue broke others because there was no systematic testing. Every change was a gamble that required my immediate attention to validate and deploy.

3

UI-Based Testing Within Guardrails

I built a UI-based testing system so she could iterate within safe boundaries I set up. Developers handle the technical framework, domain experts own the prompt logic - proper separation of concerns.

4

Focus on What Matters

Now domain experts iterate independently while developers focus on architecture. Both teams work on what they're best at, and the product moves faster.

How Asserto Maps to Your Team's Journey

We meet you where you are, and grow with you.

What Asserto provides today

Phase 1: Immediate Technical Relief

  • Systematic testing infrastructure without building it yourself
  • JSONPath assertions and structured output validation
  • Multi-provider comparison for informed decisions
  • Faster iteration cycles with automated regression detection
  • Enable domain experts to contribute through UI-based testing
Where we're heading together

Phase 2: Full Team Collaboration

  • No-code test creation for domain experts
  • Approval workflows for prompt changes
  • Business-oriented dashboards and reporting
  • Advanced collaboration features for team workflows
  • Complete role separation between technical and business logic

Why Not Just Use Alternatives?

We evaluated every option before building Asserto.

Build Testing Infrastructure Ourselves

"I can build this, but I don't want to"

  • Takes 2-3 months of developer time away from core AI product
  • Requires expertise in LLM evaluation, multi-provider APIs, JSONPath
  • Ongoing maintenance burden as models and requirements evolve
  • Still doesn't solve the domain expert collaboration problem

Use Observability/Monitoring Tools

Wrong timing - they monitor after deployment

  • Observability shows what's broken in production, not during development
  • No support for systematic testing during the design phase
  • Can't prevent issues, only detect them after users are affected
  • Doesn't enable domain expert participation in testing

Chat Playground Tools

Too simple for real applications

  • Built for simple chat interfaces, not agentic workflows
  • No support for function calling, structured outputs, or complex assertions
  • Can't handle multi-step workflows or API integrations
  • No systematic testing or version control capabilities

Model Evaluation Platforms

Test models, not your application

  • Focus on model capabilities (MMLU, HellaSwag), not your system behavior
  • Use standard datasets, not your business requirements
  • Don't validate that YOUR application works correctly
  • No support for application-level testing with your data

The Bottom Line

Every AI team faces the same evolution. We're here to accelerate your journey.

Phase 1 teams need immediate relief from developer bottlenecks and testing complexity
Phase 2 teams need collaboration tools that enable proper role separation
Asserto grows with your team technical foundation now, collaboration features next
Focus on your AI product not building testing infrastructure