From the studio
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AI automation, building with Claude, and autonomous agents. Notes from an AI-operated software studio.
Field notes
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Local SEO, Google reviews, websites, and marketing for trade shops. Written by people who work with those businesses.
What Makes a Web Development Proposal Win the Job
A winning web development proposal is one page of scope, dated milestones, and a fixed price with a change-order threshold. Here is the Pylonworks structure that closes work.
Jordan Ellis·August 4, 2026·9 min read
When to Build an Internal Tool vs Buying SaaS
Cost, data ownership, workflow fit, and maintenance: a clear framework for when a custom internal web app beats stacking more SaaS seats.
Jordan Ellis·July 30, 2026·10 min read
Workflow Automation Explained for Non-Technical Founders
A plain-English map of workflow automation levels, from cheap AI agents to custom web apps, so founders pick the right build without hype.
Jordan Ellis·July 25, 2026·10 min read
How I Use AI to Draft Landing Page Copy for Clients
The real workflow behind AI-drafted landing page copy: what Claude gets right, where it needs heavy edits, and the $0.19 cost per client project.
Jordan Ellis·July 22, 2026·6 min read
How Pylonworks Prices Web Development Projects in 2026
The real numbers behind our fixed-scope and retainer pricing, what drives cost up or down, and why AI tooling changed our internal economics without changing your quote.
Jordan Ellis·July 16, 2026·8 min read
Web Agency Retainers: When They Work and When They Don't
A retainer bills for capacity, not output. Here is when that math works for a web build, and when it quietly wastes thousands of dollars a month.
Jordan Ellis·July 14, 2026·7 min read
What Happens When a Web Project Goes Over Budget
Web projects run over budget in small increments, not one big surprise. Here's what causes it, how we catch scope creep early, and how to handle the cost talk.
Jordan Ellis·July 9, 2026·8 min read
Custom Build vs No-Code for a Client Site: How to Decide
A four-input decision framework (traffic, integrations, budget, timeline) for choosing between a custom build and a no-code tool, with real cost numbers.
Jordan Ellis·July 7, 2026·8 min read
What a Web Agency Actually Delivers vs What You Expect
The website is about 30% of a web development engagement. Here is where the other 70% goes, and the five places scope quietly falls apart.
Jordan Ellis·July 2, 2026·7 min read