Start it, run it, get found.
Plain advice for people who are good at what they do, from barbers and sparkies to accountants and developers: starting a business on the side, running it, building with AI and getting found.
Looking for the founder's longer pieces on AI and software? Read the essays.
Why NZ Service Businesses Lose Good Clients to Missed Calls
Clients who can't book when it suits them go elsewhere. Here's why online booking matters for NZ service businesses, and how to set it up without a developer.
Booking or Quote? How Cleaners Should Take New Jobs Online
Should you let clients book cleans online or ask for a quote first? Here is how cleaning businesses handle regular cleans versus one-off deep cleans.
I Spent 25 Years Failing So You Don't Have To
A flour mill, a branding agency, telecom towers and a corner store. Why 9horsemen's founder hit the same walls for 25 years, and what Gallop removes.
No-Show Fees and Appointment Reminders: How Barbers Cut No-Shows
Reminders, a clear shop policy and easy rebooking cut no-shows at a barbershop. Here is what works for a small shop and what to try first this week.
SEO, AEO and GEO Explained: How to Show Up in Google and AI Search
What SEO, AIO, GEO and AEO mean, why they're really one discipline, and a 30-day plan to help your business show up on Google and in AI answers like ChatGPT.
Wellington Electricians: Stop Losing Jobs to Voicemail
Up a ladder when the phone rings? How Wellington electricians can take quote requests and bookings online, and keep the week under control across town.
Why AI Automation Fails Small Businesses: The Assembly-Line Fallacy
Why AI suites built for office workers fail small business owners, and why simple, single-purpose tools beat an AI workforce that needs constant babysitting.
How Much Does It Cost to Build an App? The Duct-Tape Defence
How much does it cost to build an app? The four ways to build one in 2026, from vibe coding to agencies, and how to test your idea before you spend big.
Auckland Painters: Win Bigger Quotes With Photos of Your Work
Homeowners can't judge prep and finish from a quote. Photos of past jobs can. How Auckland painters can show their work online and make quote requests easy.
The Best AI Tools for Small Business (and How to Actually Use Them)
Most owners use Claude or ChatGPT to write emails and stop there. How to use AI tools like Claude, Whisper and Cursor to automate real work in your business.
How to Automate Invoices With AI: Build Your Own Tool in Cursor
Stop dragging PDFs into a chat window. How to automate invoices with AI by building a small invoice-reading tool in Cursor, and what breaks with real paperwork.
How to Build a Booking App With AI (and When Not To)
You can build a booking app with AI in an afternoon. How a barber or stylist would do it, what breaks after the demo, and when a ready-made app is better.
How to Build a Custom PWA With Google AI Studio
Turn a notebook app idea into a working prototype in an afternoon. How to build a progressive web app with Google AI Studio, and what it takes to go live.
How to Launch an App as a Non-Technical Founder: Lessons From Floga
How the Floga app reportedly made $120K in 24 hours on a simple Flutter and Firebase stack, and how non-technical founders can launch an app with AI tools.
How to Build and Monetise Simple Utility Websites With AI
Skip the SaaS. How to build simple utility websites with AI, meet Google AdSense rules, and earn from display ads and lead generation without a big build.