Automation and AI insights for UK SMBs

Insights, tutorials, and updates on software development, AI, and building products for real-world problems.

Your Prompts Aren't the Problem. Your Context Is.

After fifteen years of writing development tickets, the craft of distilling requirements turns out to be exactly what AI needs to work on real, legacy codebases.

Andy Hoare 16 Feb 26 · 8 min read
aiopinionengineeringcontext-engineeringproduct-management

Your SaaS Product Isn't the Destination Anymore

I ditched my CMS, replaced it with an AI coding tool, and accidentally stumbled into an argument about the future of software.

Andy Hoare 8 Feb 26 · 7 min read
opinionaisaasstrategy

Human in the Loop: Safety Net or Ticking Time Bomb?

It's the answer everyone gives to 'how do you keep AI safe?' But what happens when the safety net becomes the single point of failure?

Andy Hoare 6 Feb 26 · 10 min read
opinionaigovernanceagentsautomation

The Real Cost of Running a Business: A 20-Year Tool Explosion

We hear that running a business is getting more expensive. But strip away rates and tax, and the real story is hiding in your subscriptions tab.

Andy Hoare 6 Feb 26 · 8 min read
opinionaismall-businesssaasestate-agency

The Age of Made-to-Order Software

Enterprise platforms promise scale. DIY tools promise freedom. Neither tells the whole story.

Andy Hoare 4 Feb 26 · 7 min read
opinionenterprisecustom-softwarebuild-vs-buy

When AI Does the Thinking: Are We Trading Skills for Speed?

New research confirms what many of us suspected: AI assistance comes at a cost. The question is whether that cost matters.

Andy Hoare 30 Jan 26 · 6 min read
aiopinionresearchskillsproductivity

Automating Value-Share Billing: Because We Refuse to Spend Time on Invoices

Building billing automation into our services from day one, so we never have to think about it.

Andy Hoare 28 Jan 26 · 5 min read
engineeringautomationbillingbusiness

Automating Global Retail Marketing Delivery: 5,000 Assets in 7 Days

Automating the allocation and delivery of in-store marketing materials across 4,000+ locations worldwide for a global fashion brand.

Andy Hoare 26 Jan 26 · 7 min read
engineeringautomationretailmarketingoperations

Building a School Holiday Planner: The Hidden Complexity of Family Logistics

A personal project: How I tackled the chaos of coordinating childcare across working parents, grandparents, and paid carers.

Andy Hoare 22 Jan 26 · 8 min read
personal-projectengineeringproductaifamily-tech

Planning a House Renovation: Why I'm Building My Own Project Management Tool

A personal project: After years of managing complex business programmes, I'm applying the same discipline to our home renovation. Here's why off-the-shelf tools aren't cutting it.

Andy Hoare 19 Jan 26 · 5 min read
personal-projectengineeringproductproject-management

Voice-Controlled Grocery Shopping: Because Life's Too Short to Search for Bread

A personal project: How I built an Alexa skill that actually adds items to my Tesco basket, instead of just making a list I have to process later.

Andy Hoare 14 Jan 26 · 7 min read
personal-projectengineeringaialexavoice-assistant

Building an AI-Powered Lead Generation Newsletter: Finding Signals in the Noise

Spotting buying signals buried in hundreds of news articles each week, without reading any of them.

Andy Hoare 2 Jan 26 · 6 min read
engineeringaiautomationn8nlead-generation