Insights on building a clever business

Multiple yellow notes with lightbulb illustrations clipped on a string, symbolising ideas and innovation for business validation.

How to validate a business idea before you build it

AI will write a business case for anything you ask it to, which makes a bad idea much harder to spot than it used to be. Here are the four checks I run before I build anything.

Centaur or reverse centaur: where AI belongs in business

Cory Doctorow’s centaur test is a quick way to work out which parts of your business AI should be helping with, and which parts it will make worse without you noticing.

Digital illustration of email icons representing email security, delivery, and authentication for WordPress email setup.

Fix WordPress emails not arriving: SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup

The rules for sending emails from your website have changed. Here’s what’s going on and how to fix it.

WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace: choosing a website platform

This guide will help you understand which platform best fits your business needs, with a particular focus on when WordPress makes sense for scaling businesses and when simpler alternatives are the right choice.

On AI: I’m all in (with caveats!)

My amplify with AI project is about to launch. Here’s why I’m all in!

Cost-effective marketing automation—the real cost of HubSpot

Before investing in HubSpot, consider if alternatives might better fit your needs and budget. I’ve used it for over a decade—it’s powerful, but many businesses overspend when other tools could achieve the same goals more affordably.

How to generate AI content without tanking your authority

How to leverage AI without sacrificing your unique voice and professional credibility.

Increase Google ranking thanks to the algorithm leak

There was a massive Google algorithm leak in 2024. I trawled through the analysis to convey the biggest tactics for ranking up or down, and have thrown in my opinion and assumptions on where this leaves businesses in the search rank game.

My story

I’ve built a career around designing systems that make getting stuff done easier. That means content systems that make it easier for both you and your users to navigate your content, automation and workflows that take busy work off your desk, and websites that look and feel like magic.