Field notes

Notes from the groundwork.

What we're learning as we plant production-grade AI workflows inside agencies and small businesses. Practical, occasionally opinionated, always grounded.

How AI Took Root in a Team Without a Big Rollout: A Client Story
December 8, 2026
/
6
min read

How AI Took Root in a Team Without a Big Rollout: A Client Story

No kickoff party, no culture campaign, no new way of working. Here's how we planted new AI processes inside a client's existing team, and why they spread on their own: people could see the time they got back.

Read the note
How to choose the right AI solution for your small business (without buying hype)
October 20, 2026
/
6
min read

How to choose the right AI solution for your small business (without buying hype)

Everyone's selling an AI solution. Few are selling a plan you can actually run. Here's how to tell the difference, what a good implementation partner does in the first month, and the questions worth asking before you sign anything.

Read the note
How to Choose an AI Consulting Firm (What to Ask Before You Hire One)
October 15, 2026
/
5
min read

How to Choose an AI Consulting Firm (What to Ask Before You Hire One)

Every AI consultancy says they'll transform your business. Few will tell you what you'll actually have in your hands by week two. Here's how to tell a real AI consulting firm from a slide deck, and the five questions worth asking before you sign.

Read the note
An AI acceptable use policy template for small businesses (one page, no legal department required)
October 13, 2026
/
5
min read

An AI acceptable use policy template for small businesses (one page, no legal department required)

Most AI acceptable use policy templates are written for companies with an IT department. This one fits on a page, explains why each clause exists, and comes with a plan for introducing it so people bring their AI use into the open instead of hiding it.

Read the note
The Rule of Two: the one AI safety rule a small business owner needs to know
October 10, 2026
/
5
min read

The Rule of Two: the one AI safety rule a small business owner needs to know

You would never give a first-week temp the client files, the company card, and the keys to the mailroom all at once. Meta's Rule of Two says the same thing about AI. Here it is without the security degree, with four workflows to try it on.

Read the note
AI readiness assessment for a small business: 12 questions to answer before you buy seats
October 6, 2026
/
4
min read

AI readiness assessment for a small business: 12 questions to answer before you buy seats

An ungated AI readiness assessment built for firms under 50 people: 12 questions across your work, your data, your people, and who owns the result, with a plain reading of what each no means and what to fix before the seats arrive.

Read the note
Claude Team plan explained: pricing, what you get over Pro, and when Enterprise makes sense
October 2, 2026
/
4
min read

Claude Team plan explained: pricing, what you get over Pro, and when Enterprise makes sense

A plain-English look at the Claude Team plan for small businesses and agencies: what it costs, how the seat math compares to a pile of Pro accounts, what you get for it, and the short list of reasons you'd need Enterprise instead.

Read the note
OpenAI Dots for small business: the case for 50% capacity
September 30, 2026
/
9
min read

OpenAI Dots for small business: the case for 50% capacity

What if reliable automation let a small business deliver more while booking only half its people's week? A practical Dots guide and a case for paid learning, better judgment, and human connection.

Read the note
How to use Claude Cowork in a small business: five workflows worth starting with
September 30, 2026
/
5
min read

How to use Claude Cowork in a small business: five workflows worth starting with

An owner's guide to Claude Cowork: what it actually does, what it costs, five workflows a small team can hand it in the first month, and the handful of tasks Anthropic says to keep away from it for now.

Read the note
Claude connectors for small teams: what to turn on first, and what to leave off
September 28, 2026
/
6
min read

Claude connectors for small teams: what to turn on first, and what to leave off

A plain-English guide to Claude connectors for small businesses and agencies: what data Claude can actually reach, the four or five connectors worth enabling first, and how to roll them out on a Team plan so nobody is surprised.

Read the note