Notes on building software that moves you forward
Practical thinking on rapid development, AI, and where custom software pays off.
These are the questions business owners ask before commissioning software: what it costs, whether to build or buy, when AI genuinely adds something, where to start automating, how to choose a software partner, and what an MVP actually is. Written to answer, not to sell.
- Budget
What does custom software cost?
Where the money in a custom build actually goes, which choices move the price most, and how to judge a quote.
Read the article → - Decision
Build or buy: when custom software pays off
A practical way to weigh off-the-shelf tools against a custom build, including the cases where buying clearly wins.
Read the article → - AI
When AI genuinely adds value (and when it is hype)
A practical lens for deciding where AI belongs in your process, and where a plain rule does the job better.
Read the article → - Automation
Where to start automating
How to find the one process worth automating first, and why the biggest annoyance is usually the wrong starting point.
Read the article → - Decision
How to choose a software partner
What to look for, which questions separate the serious from the salesy, and the warning signs worth walking away from.
Read the article → - Product
What an MVP is, and when you need one
The term is used for everything from a sketch to a half-finished product. What it actually means, and when it is the wrong approach.
Read the article → - Comparison
Custom software, a package, or low-code: which one?
The three routes compared on cost, speed, ownership, and where each one breaks down, including when the honest answer is the cheapest option.
Read the article →
Why are there no figures from studies here?
- Because we did not measure them ourselves. Plenty of percentages circulate in this field whose source cannot be traced, and a number you cannot stand behind casts doubt on everything around it. What is written here is what we see in practice. Once we have our own figures, they will appear, with the method alongside them.
Who are these written for?
- Business owners and managers who have to make a decision without being technical. No jargon, no code, but the trade-offs that drive cost and outcome. If you are a developer yourself, there is probably little new here.