§ — Field Notes
Notes from the desk. No hype survives contact with a spreadsheet.
Short, specific dispatches on where AI automation actually pays for itself in a small business — and where it plainly doesn’t. Written the same way the work gets done: plainly, with the numbers left in.
№0510 July 2026What are AI tokens? A plain-English guide to how AI pricing actually works.A plain-English explanation of AI tokens, how they set the price of AI tools, and a worked example of what daily use actually costs.4 min read№0410 July 2026Red flags when hiring an AI consultant.Seven warning signs to watch for when hiring an AI consultant, what each looks like in a sales conversation, and the question that exposes it.4 min read№0310 July 2026What an AI audit actually involves (ours, anyway).A plain walkthrough of what a fixed-fee AI audit for a small business actually involves, day by day, and what you get at the end.3 min read№0210 July 2026How AI can automate your business reporting (a field report).A real, plain-language field report on automating monthly business reporting with AI: what got built, what stayed manual, and why.3 min read№0110 July 2026Is this task worth automating? A five-question test.A five-question framework for deciding whether a business task is worth automating with AI, before you spend a cent on it.5 min read