Integrations2 min read
Zapier vs a custom integration: when to switch
No-code automation is the right answer surprisingly often. Here are the specific signs that you have outgrown it, and what a custom integration actually changes.
[Notes from the shop]
Blog
Plain-English writing about the unglamorous parts of running a business on software: what to automate, how integrations break, and how to buy custom work without regretting it.
Latest · Automation2 min read
What your manual work is really costing you
A simple way to put a dollar figure on the copying, pasting and re-typing your team does every week, and how to decide what to automate first.
Read →Operations2 min read
Why Shopify and QuickBooks never quite reconcile
Payouts, fees, refunds and timing differences make Shopify-to-accounting reconciliation painful. Here is where the gaps come from and how to close them.
Operations2 min read
The spreadsheet is not the problem. The fourth copy is.
Spreadsheets get blamed for a lot of operational mess. The real issue is duplicate sources of truth, and fixing that does not always mean replacing the sheet.
Integrations2 min read
Your integrations should fail loudly
The most expensive integration failure is the one nobody notices. A plain-English guide to alerting, idempotency and replayable syncs for business owners.
Buying software2 min read
Nine questions to ask before hiring someone to build your internal tools
How to hire a developer, agency or freelancer for automation and internal software without ending up with something nobody can maintain.
Tell me what is slow.
A 30-minute call, no charge. You will leave with a clearer picture of the problem whether or not we work together.
● Booking projects for Q4 2026