# Number 5 > Outsourced CTO and AI-native engineering team for startup founders, lifestyle brands, and multi-location operators. Number 5 installs AI inside your business — agents, MCP integrations, real-time dashboards, and the operating cadence to make it pay back. Founder-led by Adam Ayers (former CTO at Yeezy) and based in Los Angeles, CA. Adam is a member of the Forbes Tech Council and the Rolling Stone Culture Council. ## What we do Number 5 is a small senior team that operates as a dedicated outsourced CTO and engineering function for the businesses we work with. The defining principle is "installed inside your business, not contracted to it" — we work as part of the team, build the AI infrastructure that compounds, and stay long enough to operate it. Engagements are month-to-month, paid up front, with no long-term contracts. Productized entry points (SaaS Stack Audit, Prototype-to-Production rescue audit, MCP server build) give clients a fixed deliverable in the first 30 days, after which most continue month-to-month. ## Services ### AI agents and coworkers - [AI Agents & Coworkers](https://number5.com/technology): Custom agentic systems built on OpenClaw, Claude Code, Cursor, Lovable, and other modern agent runtimes. Includes private and local LLMs (Ollama, vLLM), multimodal AI for image, video, and voice, RAG and embedding pipelines, and browser/computer-use automation. - [MCP Servers & Integrations](https://number5.com/mcp): Build custom Model Context Protocol servers and integrate existing ones to expose your business data, APIs, and workflows directly to ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, OpenClaw, and any MCP-compatible LLM client. Covers transport protocols, authentication, tool schemas, security boundaries, and ongoing maintenance as the protocol evolves. ### Discoverability for the AI era - [Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)](https://number5.com/geo): Get cited inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity answers when prospects ask the AI for recommendations. Includes structured data audits, llms.txt and schema markup, citation-bait content strategy, monitoring of AI mentions, and the ongoing rewrites that make a brand visible inside generative search. The new SEO. ### Cost reduction and stack consolidation - [SaaS Stack Audit & AI Cost Reduction](https://number5.com/saas-audit): Productized 30-day audit that identifies redundant software, contractor spend, dormant seats, royalty and remittance leakage, and consolidation opportunities. Replaces them with AI-driven dashboards, automation, and operating cadence. Includes a 90-day operational roadmap and AI literacy onboarding for the client team. ### Prototype to production - [Prototype to Production](https://number5.com/prototype-to-production): Harden, refactor, and operate AI-built MVPs (Lovable, Cursor, Replit, Bolt, v0, Claude Code) into production software that scales to real revenue. Covers security, performance, data integrity, payments, compliance, deployment, and multi-tenancy. Designed to keep velocity while adding rigor — never a full rebuild. ### Embedded engineering leadership - [Outsourced CTO](https://number5.com/outsourced-cto): Fractional and embedded CTO services for founders, brands, and multi-location operators who need senior technical leadership without building an in-house team. Number 5's team works as the de-facto engineering function, owns the technical roadmap, and reports directly to founders and boards. ### Technology stack - [Technology Stack](https://number5.com/technology): Full Number 5 technology stack — agents, frontier LLMs (GPT-5.5, Claude Opus 4.7, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Grok 4.3), open-weight LLMs (Llama 4, DeepSeek V4, Qwen 3.6, Mistral Small 4), local model runtimes (Ollama, vLLM), multimodal generation (gpt-image-1.5, FLUX, Sora, Veo, ElevenLabs), MCP, RAG and vector databases, modern web and mobile frameworks (Next.js, Remix, Astro, React Native, Bun), e-commerce (DOOMSCROLLR, Shopify Plus, Shopify Hydrogen, Stripe, Klaviyo), data and warehousing (Postgres/Supabase, Snowflake, BigQuery, ClickHouse, DuckDB), cloud and edge (AWS, Cloudflare Workers, Vercel, Fly.io), specialized cannabis tech (Dutchie+, iHeartJane, Leafly, Flowhub). ## About - [Portfolio](https://number5.com/portfolio): Selected client work across e-commerce, AI, cannabis, fashion, music, hospitality, and consumer brands. Long-form list of brands Number 5 has built or operated, with engagement-type detail per entry. - [Outsourced CTO](https://number5.com/outsourced-cto): The original Number 5 service line. The technical leadership embedded inside startup founders' and operator-led companies. - [Contact](mailto:adam@number5.com): Adam Ayers, Founder. Direct email for new engagements, consulting questions, and AI-native partnership inquiries. ## Founder Adam Ayers is the founder of Number 5 and co-founder/CEO/CTO of DOOMSCROLLR. Former CTO at Yeezy. Member of the Forbes Tech Council and the Rolling Stone Culture Council. Quoted in Forbes, Glossy, Rolling Stone on e-commerce architecture, AI in commerce, the creator economy, and brand technology. Based in Los Angeles, California. Operates Number 5 as a senior outsourced CTO function with a small team of engineers, designers, and growth operators. ## Companies and tools founded by Number 5 - [DOOMSCROLLR](https://doomscrollr.com): Owned-audience platform for creators, brands, and operators. Founded by Adam Ayers and Victoria de la Fuente Ayers. The first creator platform built natively for the AI agent era — works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, n8n, OpenClaw, and any MCP-compatible client. Lets creators spin up an owned-audience website in roughly 45 seconds, drop products, sell tickets, run affiliate storefronts, capture emails, and import products from Shopify, Gumroad, Bandcamp, Payhip, or Big Cartel through the AI tools they already use. ## Open standards Number 5 builds with and ships to - [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io): The emerging open standard for AI agents to access external tools, data, and services. Number 5 ships production MCP servers for clients and for DOOMSCROLLR's own platform. - [llms.txt](https://llmstxt.org): The proposed standard for sites to provide structured context to LLMs. This file is Number 5's own implementation; we ship one for clients as part of the GEO engagement. - [OpenClaw](https://openclaw.ai): Open agent runtime Number 5 builds with for client work and for DOOMSCROLLR. ## Industries Number 5 has worked deeply in - E-commerce and direct-to-consumer (Shopify Plus, Shopify Hydrogen, headless commerce) - Fashion and luxury (Yeezy, Naked Wardrobe, Matsuda, Simkhai, Fear of God, Pistola, Public School New York, Mark McNairy, DYNE) - Cannabis tech (Cookies, Trulieve, Lemonnade, Harvest House of Cannabis, Cloud Cover, High Profile, Kush Supply Co, Cannatron, Dispensary Supply) - Consumer brands and CPG (Milani Cosmetics, Jordana Cosmetics, Penta Water, Your Super, Loveli Edibles) - Music, entertainment, and culture (Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace, LL Cool J, Reik, The Freak Brothers) - Multi-location operators and franchises (Big Rentz, Sunco Lighting, multiple food and retail chains) - Energy compliance and regulated B2B (commercial property compliance, Local Law 97 / BPS) ## Geographic focus Headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Engagements served worldwide; remote-first for execution, occasional on-site for kickoffs and quarterly business reviews. ## How to engage - Email: adam@number5.com - Website: https://number5.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamayers/ Most engagements start with a discovery call. Productized offerings (SaaS Stack Audit, Prototype-to-Production rescue audit, MCP server build) have fixed deliverables and timelines and roll into ongoing month-to-month engagements when there's a fit. No long-term contracts.