Notes from the studio
Notes on building software for a growing business: what to build, what to buy, and what to leave alone.
AI coding agents: what they change when you commission software
AI coding agents now read code, plan changes and run tests. What the research actually says about speed, trust and security, how the main tools work, and what stays the same however your software gets written.
Client portal software vs a custom client portal
Customers want to help themselves, but most portals go unused because the information in them is out of date. How the main client portal software compares, and how a portal connected to your tools keeps itself current.
Custom CRM vs off-the-shelf: when building your own makes sense
The real question isn't custom or off-the-shelf. It's which parts of your customer process a standard CRM should handle, and which parts it keeps getting wrong. How HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho and Salesforce compare, and the option most businesses miss.
How to stop double data entry between your systems
Typing the same customer, order or hours into several systems costs more than time. How to find double data entry in your business, the tools that reduce it, and how to remove it for good by connecting what you already use.
ERP for small business: do you need one, or a few connected tools?
ERP projects are large, disruptive and often disappointing. What an ERP does, how NetSuite, Business Central and Odoo compare, what the research says about ERP projects, and when connecting your existing tools is the better route.
Field service management software vs custom: a guide for trade businesses
Field service software runs the work that happens away from the office. How Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan and simPRO compare, where they stop, and how trade businesses connect the pieces around them.
Fixed price vs time and materials: which is right for your project?
The pricing model decides who carries the risk if software takes longer than expected. How fixed price and time and materials work, the models in between, and how to protect yourself under each.
Google Sheets as a database: when it works and when it breaks
A shared sheet can run a business process for years, until it doesn't. When a spreadsheet is a fine database, the warning signs it has stopped being one, and how to move off it without losing what your team likes.
How to hire a software developer: freelancer, agency or in-house
Hiring the right builder is the decision that matters most when you need software and aren't technical yourself. The four routes compared honestly, where to find each, and how to assess them without reading code.
Internal tools: the apps you already use, and how to connect them into one system
Most growing businesses have plenty of tools. The problem is the gaps between them. A research-backed guide to internal tools, the products that build them, and how to connect what you already pay for.
Invoice and bank reconciliation: what to automate first
Reconciliation is how you know you've been paid and haven't paid twice, and it's the most repetitive work of the month. The main types, how the tools compare, why matches fail, and what to automate first.
How to build a KPI dashboard your team actually uses
Most KPI dashboards fail because the numbers arrive late, disagree with the accounts, or measure things nobody acts on. How to choose KPIs, how Power BI, Data Studio and Metabase compare, and why the data layer matters most.
Month-end close checklist for small finance teams
Half of finance teams take six business days or more to close. A practical month-end close checklist, the tools that help and how each works, and which steps to automate first by connecting your systems.
Purchase approval workflows: from email chains to a system
A purchase approval workflow protects the business and stops people chasing each other for a yes. What a good one looks like, what the fraud research says about weak controls, how the tools compare, and how to connect approvals to your accounting.
Software development contract checklist: IP, source code and escrow
If you pay for software, you don't automatically own it. A plain-language checklist of the clauses that matter when you commission custom software, from code ownership to escrow.
How to write a software requirements document (with a template)
Requirements are the most common reason software projects miss their goals. What a good requirements document does, the tools people use to write one, and a section-by-section template you can copy.
Staffing agency software: what to buy and what to build
Most staffing agencies run several products, and the work between them is where coordinators spend their days. How Bullhorn, JobAdder, TempWorks and scheduling apps compare, and how to connect the pieces.
System integration for small businesses: how to connect your tools
How business systems connect, the integration tools and how each works, why a web of point-to-point automations becomes a problem, and what a well-integrated small business looks like.
Vendor lock-in in software: what it is and how to avoid it
Lock-in rarely feels like a problem at the start. The five kinds of software lock-in, how common tools compare, what the evidence shows, and practical ways to keep your options open while still connecting your tools.
What is an admin panel, and when do you need a custom one?
An admin panel is the private screen where your team manages the data behind your business. Here is what a good one does, the admin panels you already have, and when a custom one that spans your tools makes sense.
AI agents for business: real examples, and when you actually need one
An AI agent is software that uses AI to take steps towards a goal, such as reading a request, looking something up and updating a system. Here are practical examples, how agents differ from chatbots, and when a simpler option is better.
AI integration for small businesses: what it is and where to start
AI integration means connecting AI to the systems and data your business already runs on, so it can do real work instead of sitting in a separate chat window. Here is what that looks like, and how to pick your first workflow.
Airtable alternatives, and how to know you've outgrown no-code
People look for Airtable alternatives for three reasons: per-seat costs, wanting to host their own data, or needing more than a database can give. Here are the main options, and the signs you've outgrown no-code altogether.
The best AI for a small business is the one connected to your work
Lists of the best AI tools are everywhere. For a small business, the better question is which kind of AI fits which job, and when a general tool stops being enough.
How much does custom software cost? What really drives the price
Custom software costs vary widely because the work varies widely. Instead of a meaningless average, here are the things that actually drive the price, and how to get a fixed price you can trust.
What does an AI consultant do, and do you need one?
An AI consultant helps a business decide where AI will genuinely help and how to put it in place. Here is what the work involves, the different kinds of AI consulting, and questions to ask before hiring one.
What is an MVP in software? A founder's guide to the first version
An MVP, or minimum viable product, is the smallest version of a product that real users can get value from, so you can learn what works before building more. Here is what belongs in one, examples, and the mistakes founders make with AI products.
Zapier vs n8n: which fits your business, and when you've outgrown both
Zapier and n8n both connect your apps so work moves between them on its own. They differ in who hosts them, how technical they are, and how they charge. Here is how to choose, and the signs a workflow needs more than either.