Insights
Notes from the studio.
Opinions, how-tos, and the occasional rant. Things we've learned modernizing platforms, automating work with AI, and shipping software, written for the people who use it every day.
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Modernize without rebuilding
The strangler fig pattern is the safest way to move off a legacy stack, without a year-long replatform. Here's how it works in practice.
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The smallest useful AI integration
Most failed AI projects scoped too broadly. Here's the smallest, most useful first pilot we recommend, and why it almost always works.
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How we think about pricing
Fixed scope, retainer, or hourly? We default to fixed-price projects because the incentives line up, but the right model depends on the engagement. Here's how we choose.
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How to pilot AI in your business without betting the company
Most failed AI initiatives failed because they were too big to learn from. Here's how to run a first AI pilot that's small enough to be safe and real enough to matter.
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Fixed scope, explained: how we price and why it works
For most projects we default to a fixed price for a written scope. Here's exactly how that works, what it asks of both sides, and why it's the right call for defined work.
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Choosing an LLM for real work: Claude, GPT, and open models
Claude, GPT, Gemini, Llama, Mistral, which model should you build on? A practical look at how we choose, and why brand loyalty is the wrong lens.
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What 'you own it' means in practice when we build your site
Plenty of vendors build things you don't fully control, the code, the hosting, the accounts stay theirs. Here's what real ownership means and why we insist on it.
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Astro vs Next.js vs WordPress: choosing the right tool
Three popular ways to build a site, three different jobs they're good at. An honest comparison to help you pick the right tool instead of the trendy one.
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Core Web Vitals, explained for non-engineers
LCP, INP, CLS, Google's page-experience metrics sound like alphabet soup. Here's what each one measures, in plain English, and what to do about it.
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RAG for small businesses: what it is and when it's worth it
Retrieval-augmented generation is the most useful AI pattern most small businesses have never heard of. Here's what it is in plain terms, and when it pays off.
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Headless CMS, explained without the jargon
Everyone in web says 'headless' like you should already know what it means. Here's what it is, why it matters for content sites, and when you don't need it.
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AI without the hype: what helps a small business
Cutting through the AI noise. A grounded look at where AI genuinely helps a small business today, where it doesn't, and how to tell the difference before you spend.
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Why your marketing site should ship zero JavaScript by default
Most marketing sites ship megabytes of JavaScript to render what is fundamentally text and images. Here's the case for starting at zero and adding only what you need.
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PWA vs native app: an honest decision tree
Should you build a native app or a progressive web app? The trade-offs are real and the marketing is loud. Here's a clear-eyed framework for choosing.
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Migrating off WordPress without losing your SEO
The single biggest fear in any replatform is torching years of search rankings. Here's the field-tested process we use to migrate off WordPress with rankings intact.
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What a slow website costs you
Speed isn't a vanity metric. Here's the concrete, measurable way a slow site costs you traffic, conversions, and ad budget, and what 'fast enough' really means.
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Replatform or rebuild? How to decide
Two paths off a legacy system: migrate it onto a new platform, or rebuild it from scratch. Here's the honest framework we use to pick the cheaper one.
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Why we're a studio, not an agency
The difference between a studio and an agency isn't branding, it's structure, incentives, and who does the work. Here's why the distinction matters to you.
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Do you need a mobile app?
Before you spend on a mobile app, a skeptic's checklist. Most businesses that want an app would be better served by a fast mobile website, here's how to tell.