Field Notes
More notes on AI search, AI agents, automation, web, client portals, platforms and growth, from the people who build them. This is page 5 of 5.
Why your first build should do less
The strongest first version does the smallest useful thing well and teaches you the rest. The everything trap and how doing less de risks the build.
How long custom software takes to build
A focused build moves through clear phases over weeks to a few months. What drives the timeline and why fixed scope keeps it honest.
Is SEO still worth it in the age of AI answers?
Yes, more than ever. The pages that rank are the ones AI answers quote, and most discovery still starts in a search box.
What makes content actually rank, in search and AI
Content ranks when it answers a real question better than the rest, is easy for machines to lift, and is backed by real authority.
Where to spend a small marketing budget for return
Do one channel well, favour owned assets that keep working, fix the leaks on your site, and measure what actually brings customers.
Turning website visitors into actual leads
Most sites get visitors and lose them. Turn visits into leads with a clear offer, an easy way to raise a hand, trust, and fast follow up.
Brand or performance marketing: which you need now
Performance captures demand that exists, brand creates it and makes performance cheaper. Most need both, sequenced to their stage.
Why your email list is the asset you actually own
Platform reach is rented and can vanish. An email list is an audience you own, can reach directly, and that compounds over time.
What a client portal costs to build and run
A portal has a one time build cost and a small monthly run cost. What drives each, and how to tell if it pays back.
Client portal or just better email? How to decide
A portal is not always better than email. The repetition and visibility test that tells you which one your client work needs.
Rather talk it through than read about it?
Tell us the problem in a couple of sentences. You will get an honest answer on where to start, or whether we are even the right team for it.