Writing. One question at a time.
One question per post, answered completely. That includes when the answer is "you don't need this."
- One question per postThe ones shop owners actually type.
- Answered all the wayCosts, trade-offs, what can go wrong.
- Sometimes the answer is noIf you don't need software, I'll say so.
Pick a question.
Airtable or Google Sheets for running a shop floor?
Sheets is the right place to start and a bad place to stay. The moment more than one person is typing into it during a shift, you want a real database underneath. Here is how a coatings shop I work with made that move, and the question that decides it for you.
How much does it cost to replace a spreadsheet with a simple app?
With me, replacing a spreadsheet with an internal app runs about $5,600 – $10,400, after a free call and an optional $400 written plan. Whether it is worth it depends on one number only you have: how many hours a week the spreadsheet costs your team.
Why does our app say "check your wifi" when the wifi is fine?
Usually because the app is guessing. A request that never comes back looks exactly like a dead connection. Here is how I found the real cause for a shop whose tablets kept 'losing wifi', and the three questions to ask your own developer.
Own it or subscribe to it: the real five-year math
SaaS versus custom software over five years, done properly with per-seat pricing that scales and one-time build costs that don't — including the cases, more common than you'd think, where subscribing wins.
When you should not build custom software
The direct answer, from someone whose business is building it: most of the time you shouldn't yet. Five concrete conditions that mean don't build, with what to do instead.
Should a 15-person shop build software or fix its spreadsheets?
The honest answer, most of the time: fix the spreadsheets. What actually justifies a custom build instead, with real numbers from a shop that did both.
What a 15-person business should actually use AI for — and what it shouldn't
Real evidence from a 15-person shop, most of it pointing away from AI: where a language model earns its keep and where structured data and plain software win instead.
What does it cost to connect two business apps?
Real numbers for connecting the tools a small business already runs — not "it depends, contact us."
Tell me what's slowing you down. I'll tell you straight if it's worth fixing.
There's no pitch. If you don't need software, I'll say so, and you'll still leave with an idea or two.
Not ready to talk? Ask the chat a question. It's on every page.
