METHOD-LED EXPERT · BARCELONA
Vladyslav Rovnianskyi — vAEO method-led expert.
I help brands and agencies understand, measure and fix how AI systems see, cite and recommend them.
LinkedIn ↗ANSWER · AEO-EXTRACTABLE
vAEO is led by Vladyslav Rovnianskyi · Barcelona-based · method-led expert in Verifiable Answer Engine Optimization.
Method-led positioning (LOCKED DEC-2026-05-02-001): «I help brands and agencies understand, measure and fix how AI systems see, cite and recommend them.»
Background: 25 years operating in technology, growth, and AI. Engineering education. Systems thinker. Serial operator since 2001 across e-commerce, real estate development, crypto, and now AI systems. The vAEO methodology emerged from the same operational lens I bring to every domain: build the measurement infrastructure first, fix the contract second, defend the gains third.
Why vAEO exists: most «AI SEO» work is recipe-trading — vendors selling tactical fixes without measurement infrastructure underneath. The category needs a verifiable discipline: cross-engine probing, Citation Stack 4-layer audit, BOX-graded evidence, Proof Ladder framing for what's deterministic versus probabilistic. That discipline is vAEO — Verifiable Answer Engine Optimization.
I publish what we measure. Field Notes are operator memos from real audit work, not thought-leadership performance. The dogfood case (/cases/vaeo-applied-to-self) is the methodology applied to vaeo.ai itself — mandatory at launch, complete with seven first-pass misses we caught and disclosed (three in initial audit · four caught while writing the page). Cobbler's son has shoes.
Where I work: Barcelona-based · async-first · serving brands and agencies worldwide. Languages: English (primary), Russian (working), Spanish (functional), Ukrainian (native). Discovery calls via Cal.com.
What I won't promise: guaranteed Share of Model thresholds (Proof Ladder P3 is probabilistic by design). Causation between AI Visibility uplift and downstream business outcome (P4 unsolved by any honest vendor). Faster timeline than the methodology supports (5-day D2 Snapshot · 5-10 day Optimize · 60-180 day entity graph maturity). Naming the boundary is the credibility signal.
Where to go next: read the Methodology for the framework, the BBR case for client work in flight, or the Dogfood case for methodology applied to the methodology owner.
Method-led expert · not consultant.
«I help brands and agencies understand, measure and fix how AI systems see, cite and recommend them.»
Locked positioning per DEC-2026-05-02-001. Method-led expert framing — the «understand · measure · fix» triad is the operational discipline. Not «AEO consultant.» Not «AI Visibility coach.» Method-led expert who built the discipline you're being audited against.
- The understand verb = Methodology depth (Citation Stack 4-layer · 5 industry framework attribution · Triangle Model · BOX evidence scale · Proof Ladder).
- The measure verb = D2 Full Snapshot baseline · cross-engine probing · 5 engines · Citation Stack health score.
- The fix verb = O1/O2/O3 Optimize SKUs · atomic deliverables · scope-locked · artifact-verifiable.
«Method-led expert · not consultant. The methodology is the work · the work is the methodology.»
25 years operating · vAEO is the latest discipline.
Serial operator since 2001. Background sequence: e-commerce (early Eastern European market entries · 2001-2008) · real estate development (mid-2000s · operational + investment) · crypto and DeFi (2017-2022 · architecture and infrastructure builds) · AI systems and methodology (2023-present).
Engineering education. Systems thinker. Architect-philosopher operating mode — same operational lens applied across very different domains.
The recurring pattern across every domain: build the measurement infrastructure first, fix the contract second, defend the gains third. SEO discipline did this for Google's PageRank-derived signal — twenty years of build-measure-defend cycles produced the SEO operator class. AEO is the same pattern applied к a new measurement surface (cross-engine AI Visibility) with new signal weighting (entity graph · Citation Stack · BOX-graded claims).
vAEO emerged from the same operator instinct: when a category lacks verifiable discipline · build the discipline. When the discipline lacks evidence grading · grade it. When the methodology lacks measurement transparency · publish it.
Where I'm based: Barcelona, Spain. Where I work: globally, async-first, serving brands and agencies through structured engagement (Diagnose → Optimize → Dominate ladder) and through agency partnership track (white-label · open wholesale · WL Identity Protocol). Co-located when needed: Bali (extended Q1-Q2 stays · APAC client overlap) · occasional EU + US travel.
«Operator since 2001. The pattern doesn't change · only the measurement surface does. AEO is the surface now.»
Why vAEO exists.
Most «AI SEO» work is recipe-trading. Vendors sell tactical fixes without measurement infrastructure underneath. «Optimize for ChatGPT» becomes a checkbox without naming which Citation Stack layer the fix addresses · without measurement against multiple AI engines · without distinguishing what's deterministic from what's probabilistic.
The category needs verifiable discipline. That's the V in vAEO — Verifiable Answer Engine Optimization.
Three principles · operational not aspirational:
- Evidence over claim. Every statement on a vAEO-managed page anchored to citation · measurement · expert quote · or dataset. BOX evidence scale (Bronze · Silver · Gold · Platinum) per claim. No opinion without proof.
- Cross-engine measurement. Single-engine measurement is anecdote. Five-engine probing (ChatGPT · Perplexity · Gemini · Google AI Overviews · Claude) on 20+ category queries is signal. Same query set · same engines · monthly cadence · drift detection.
- Honest boundary naming. Proof Ladder framing (P1 audit · P2 mechanical fix · P3 30/60/90 measurement · P4 downstream attribution). Each rung has different epistemic status. P1+P2 deterministic. P3 probabilistic. P4 unsolved by any honest vendor. We don't conflate the rungs · we name them.
The dogfood case (/cases/vaeo-applied-to-self) applies all three principles к vaeo.ai itself. Mandatory at launch. Seven first-pass misses disclosed honestly — three in initial self-audit · four caught while writing the page. Methodology proven against the methodology owner.
«Evidence over claim. Cross-engine measurement. Honest boundary naming. Three principles · operational not aspirational.»
Where I am · how I work.
| Primary location | Barcelona, Spain (addressLocality only · no streetAddress declared per canonical) |
|---|---|
| Co-located periods | Bali, Indonesia (extended Q1-Q2 stays · APAC client overlap) |
| Time zones served | EU + US primary · APAC async · global async via Cal.com |
| Languages | English (primary · 95% of client engagement) · Russian (working) · Spanish (functional) · Ukrainian (native) |
| Engagement format | Cal.com discovery (30-min) · Cal.com Partnership Fit Call (45-min agency-only) · structured engagement contracts (D/O/Dm SKUs · MSA Partner) |
| Communication cadence | Async-first by default (email · Slack Connect for partners · Linear for delivery work) · scheduled calls on demand |
| Working hours | Flexible · async-first means deep-work time-windows respected · meeting time-windows compacted к 4-6 hours/day max |
«Barcelona-based · async-first · global reach. Cal.com is the front door · the engagement contract is the relationship.»
Where to go next.
Three soft paths from About — explicitly NOT «book a call now» pressure (Contact is the primary conversion surface · About is the trust-anchor surface).
Path 1 — Read the methodology.
The vAEO Methodology page walks the Citation Stack 4-layer model · 5 industry frameworks we synthesize · Proof Ladder framing for what's deterministic versus probabilistic · BOX evidence scale. Most readers spend 15-20 minutes on Methodology.
Read the methodology →Path 2 — See the work.
Two published cases at launch — Barcelona Boat Rental (D2 Snapshot delivered 2026-04-23 · L1+L2 fix cycle complete · L3 in flight) and vAEO applied to itself (dogfood · mandatory at launch · seven first-pass misses disclosed).
See the work →Path 3 — Engage.
Most engagements start with $500 D2 Full Snapshot. 5-engine probe · 20 queries · 5-day delivery · decision-ready audit artifact. Or book a 30-minute discovery call to scope tier fit.
If you're an agency bringing vAEO to your own clients · the Partnership Track has open wholesale pricing + 18-month firewall + WL Identity Protocol.
«Method-led expert · evidence-anchored · honest about the boundary. The page named the operator · the work names the method.»