I Want to Click It Before I Build It
A clickable prototype, specific annotations, and an approved plan give AI a clearer direction before implementation starts.
Notes from
the trail
Practical notes on designing, building, and shipping small software.
How We Built Pest-Control Software With AI
A practical look at the prompts behind our pest-control software: building complete workflows, protecting service history, and simplifying an MVP after using it.
→
The App Is Easier to Build. The Business Still Needs to Run.
Personal tools can be disposable. The software a team relies on every morning has a different promise to keep.
Why Software Is Dead
Some everyday software is becoming easier to replace. B2B operational software still has a strong reason to exist.
Why I Consider the Doppel and Cloudflare Takedown Process Abusive
A disputed phishing report disrupted my work at Bear Trail Works. Days after Doppel said it was working with Cloudflare toward reinstatement, I still have no substantive update, clear case owner, or restoration timeline.
Custom Software or an Existing App: Which Does Your Business Need?
Compare the workflow, the ongoing work, and the cost of changing tools before you commit to a custom build.
Building Is Easier. Making a Profit Is Still Hard.
You can ship a product and still have no business. Selling, marketing, and networking deserve a place beside building.
How We Built Pest-Control Software With AI
A practical look at the prompts behind our pest-control software: building complete workflows, protecting service history, and simplifying an MVP after using it.
How Powerful Is GPT-6 Astra?
Astra’s biggest gains are in carrying difficult work through to a usable result. Here is what the benchmarks, developer docs, and early customer reports actually show.
Vibe Coding vs. Coding Today: The Difference Is Accountability
AI can turn a prompt into a prototype. Turning it into software people can depend on is still engineering.
Not Making Money With AI Yet? Get More From Your Codex Subscription
Check your real usage, use reset forecasts as clues, and turn fresh Codex capacity into something worth shipping.
How Much Does It Cost to Build an MVP?
A practical way to estimate an MVP by identifying the real work, exposing cost drivers, and turning a budget into better product decisions.
MVP Requirements Document Template for Founders
A practical one-page brief for turning an MVP idea into observable behavior, firm boundaries, and evidence a builder can verify before release.
Prototype vs. Proof of Concept vs. MVP: What Should You Build First?
Choose the smallest artifact that answers your riskiest product question before you spend time building the wrong thing.
Can AI Build Your MVP? What AI Coding Tools Can—and Can’t—Do
AI can accelerate the path from a clear brief to working software. It cannot choose the right problem, verify demand, or own what you ship.
How I’m Building a Flutter POS MVP With DeepSeek and OpenCode
A field report on using specifications and coding agents to move a Flutter POS MVP toward a real beta user—while keeping judgment where it matters.
How I give Sol room to work in Codex
Describe the outcome, set clear approval boundaries, and require evidence without prescribing every implementation step.
A calmer Claude Code workflow: /plan, then /goal
Use /plan to agree on a change before editing, then /goal to keep Claude Code working until a clear, testable outcome is met.
How I use Sol as an orchestrator in Cursor
Create a clear brief, delegate bounded work, and verify the integrated result when an AI agent coordinates multiple assignments.
How to plan the first version of a software product
A practical way to turn an early idea into a clear, buildable first release—without confusing scope for progress.
How to decide what not to build in an MVP
Use constraints to protect the core experience, make faster decisions, and give a first version a real chance to teach you something.
How to choose an independent software partner
Look for a partner who can clarify the work, make tradeoffs visible, and help a project move from a promising idea to a useful product.
José Salcido
I help founders and teams design and build thoughtful software. If you are looking for a partner for your next project, let’s start a conversation.