Field Notes
Practical AI for
people who build things
No hype. No vendor pitches. Just what I've learned auditing and building AI systems for trades and field service businesses — written for operators, not technologists.
Featured
Why Most AI Projects Fail — And What to Do Instead
The failure rate for AI implementation in small businesses is high. After seeing it firsthand, here's my honest diagnosis of what goes wrong and how to avoid it.
Read article →
How We Reduced Estimate Turnaround from Two Days to Ten Minutes
A specialty contractor was losing jobs because estimates took too long. Here's the exact system we built to change that — and what it took to get there.
Read article →
What Is an AI Operations Audit — And Do You Actually Need One?
Before you spend a dollar on AI implementation, you need to know what to build. An operations audit maps your workflows, scores the opportunities, and tells you exactly where to start.
Read article →
Why Field Service Businesses Lose Jobs to Slow Response Times (And How to Fix It)
The average field service business takes 4+ hours to respond to a new lead. By then, the customer has already hired someone else. Here's what's actually happening — and how AI closes the gap.
Read article →
All Articles — 12 posts
Why Most AI Projects Fail — And What to Do Instead
The failure rate for AI implementation in small businesses is high. After seeing it firsthand, here's my honest diagnosis of what goes wrong and how to avoid it.
What Is an AI Operations Audit — And Is It Right for Your Business?
The phrase 'AI operations audit' gets thrown around a lot. Here's a plain-English explanation of what it actually involves, what you get out of it, and how to know if you need one.
Dispatching Smarter: How AI Scheduling Works for Field Service Crews
Manual dispatch is a people problem masquerading as a scheduling problem. Here's how AI scheduling actually works — and what it takes to implement it without disrupting your operation.
The Case for Starting with an Audit, Not a Tool
Everyone wants to jump straight to implementation. Here's why the businesses that start with an audit get better results — and why the ones that skip it usually end up starting over.
Building AI Systems That Actually Stick
Most AI implementations fail — not because the technology doesn't work, but because they were built without understanding how the business actually operates. Here's how to do it differently.
Stop Chasing Invoices: How AI Payment Follow-Up Works
Unpaid invoices are the most uncomfortable part of running a service business. Here's how to automate the follow-up so you get paid faster without the awkward calls.
How We Reduced Estimate Turnaround from Two Days to Ten Minutes
A specialty contractor was losing jobs because estimates took too long. Here's the exact system we built to change that — and what it took to get there.
Five Automations Every HVAC Business Should Have (But Most Don't)
After auditing dozens of field service operations, these are the five automations that show up as high-impact opportunities again and again — especially for HVAC companies.
What Is an AI Operations Audit — And Do You Actually Need One?
Before you spend a dollar on AI implementation, you need to know what to build. An operations audit maps your workflows, scores the opportunities, and tells you exactly where to start.
The Real Cost of Manual Scheduling for Trades Businesses
Most trades business owners don't know what manual scheduling is actually costing them. We broke it down — and the number is bigger than you think.
How to Automate Lead Follow-Up Without Hiring Anyone
Manual lead follow-up is a full-time job nobody signed up for. Here's how to build a system that follows up automatically — in your voice, at the right times, without a virtual assistant.
Why Field Service Businesses Lose Jobs to Slow Response Times (And How to Fix It)
The average field service business takes 4+ hours to respond to a new lead. By then, the customer has already hired someone else. Here's what's actually happening — and how AI closes the gap.
Ready to stop reading
and start building?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll find out exactly where AI can move the needle in your operation.
Book a Discovery Call →