Notes from the studio

Field notes.

Practical writing on hiring agencies, building websites and software, integrating AI, hosting, and SEO. No hot takes, no buzzwords.

How to Choose a Digital Agency in 2026 (A Founder's Checklist)

The 9-question checklist we'd use ourselves if we were on the buying side. Red flags, green flags, and what good pricing actually looks like.

Real ranges, real drivers, no "it depends" cop-outs. What you'll pay DIY, freelancer, and agency in 2026, and what you actually get for the money.

Marketing site: 3 to 6 weeks. E-commerce: 6 to 12. Web app: 8 to 20. Here's what happens in each phase and the things that quietly blow timelines up.

Boutique studios and big firms both ship great work, just for different problems. A pragmatic comparison from someone who has worked in both.

Where AI actually moves the needle for small businesses (and where it's still hype). A pragmatic playbook to get value in 30 days, not 30 months.

Most teams should buy. A few should build. Here's the four-question test we use with clients to figure out which side of the line they're on.

The 7 sentences that turn a vague "we need a website" into a tight quote in 24 hours. Copy-paste template included.

VPS, managed PaaS, serverless: each is the right answer for someone, the wrong answer for most. A clear map of when to use what.

The 80/20 of SEO for SaaS in 2026: what to do in the first 30, 60, and 90 days, and what to ignore until you've got product-market fit.

Freelancers win on cost and speed. Agencies win on continuity and breadth. The decision tree for figuring out which one fits your problem.