AI for the Rest of Us
No Hype. No Jargon. Just What You Actually Need to Know.
Practical advice on AI, automation, and software — written for business owners, not developers.
Written by Steve Denney — 30-year software veteran and co-founder of the first AI agent 311 platform in govtech.
The Real Difference Between a $3,000 App and a $30,000 App
People assume a $30,000 app is just a $3,000 app with nicer buttons. It almost never is. After 30 years building software, here's what you're actually paying for as that number climbs — and how to tell which one your business needs.
How to Brief a Developer So You Actually Get What You Want
Most software projects don't fail because the developer was bad. They fail because the brief was. After 30 years on both sides of that conversation, here's how to brief a developer so you actually get what you want.
What I Look At First When a Client Says They Need a New System
A client called me last spring convinced he needed to rip out his whole CRM and start over. We never replaced it. Here's what I look at first when someone tells me they need a new system — and why the new system is almost never the real problem.
How to Know If a Repetitive Task Is Worth Automating — A Simple Test
A client called me last month asking how much it would cost to automate his quarterly board reports. I told him not to do it. Here's the four-question test I use before recommending any automation work.
AI Myths Small Business Owners Should Stop Believing
I have the same conversation about AI almost every week. Most of what small business owners have been told is wrong — or so out of context it might as well be.
What I Learned Running Product at Travelocity That Still Applies to Small Business
I once ran the product for a platform that served millions of travelers. Here's what surprised me: the lessons that mattered most had nothing to do with scale.
What '30% Time Saved' Actually Looks Like for a Small Business
A business running since 1989 finally went digital. Here is exactly what changed — and how they got there.
The Biggest Mistake Small Businesses Make With Technology — And It's Not What You Think
It's not buying the wrong tool. It's buying any tool before understanding the problem.
You Don't Need a $50,000 Custom App. You Might Need This Instead.
A client came to me after burning $25,000 with an offshore dev shop and nothing to show for it. What they actually needed cost less than $15,000. Here's how to avoid that mistake.
Is AI Actually Right for Your Business? Here's an Honest Framework.
Everyone's telling you to get into AI. Nobody's telling you whether it actually makes sense for your specific situation.
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