The rough phases
Configuration against your specific services/pricing logic, integration with your CRM/channels, and testing against realistic conversations — see How to Test an AI Agent Before Launch for what that last phase actually involves.
What makes it faster
Existing, well-organized documentation of your services and pricing logic, a small number of channels (just email, say, vs. email+WhatsApp+CRM), and simple qualification criteria all shorten the timeline meaningfully.
What makes it slower
No existing documentation (requires building the knowledge base from conversations — see How to Prepare a Knowledge Base for an AI Agent), multiple channels needing separate configuration, and CRM systems with non-standard field structures.
As part of a full Revenue System
If the agent is one piece of a full Revenue System, the build runs inside that project's overall 6–10 week timeline rather than as a separate standalone project.
Questions
Is there a fixed number of weeks?+
No universal number — it depends on documentation readiness, channel count and qualification complexity, confirmed during scoping.
Does testing add significant time?+
It's built into the timeline, not an afterthought — skipping it is exactly how the mistakes in Common AI Lead Qualification Mistakes happen.
Can I launch with a narrower scope first and expand later?+
Yes — starting with one channel and expanding is a common, sensible path rather than trying to launch everything at once.