The journal

Notes from the studio floor

Plain-English writing on what we're building, what we're seeing, and what actually works in 2026 for AI-first software companies. No recycled listicles.

Featured · 25 June 2026

How to Contract a Software Agency in Australia: What the Agreement Should Actually Say

Most founders sign agency contracts without understanding what they're giving up. Here's what the agreement should cover before you commit a dollar.

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More from the journal

24 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Audit Your Existing SaaS for AI Readiness Before You Build Anything New

Before you bolt AI onto your SaaS, you need to know what's actually broken underneath — here's how to run that audit… Read ›

23 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Structure Equity and Ownership When You’re Building Software With a Co-Founder Who Can’t Code

When a technical co-founder joins a non-technical one, the equity conversation usually happens too late — here's how to structure it before… Read ›

22 June 2026 · Uncategorized

What Happens to Your Codebase When the Agency Relationship Ends

Most founders only discover the gaps in their code handover when they try to do something with it. Here's what to actually… Read ›

21 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Hand Off Your AI Agent to a Non-Technical Team Without It Falling Apart

Shipping an AI agent is the easy part — handing it to a team who didn't build it and expecting it to… Read ›

20 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Scope and Cost a Custom Dashboard Build Without Guessing

Custom dashboards are where scope creep loves to hide. Here's how to define what you actually need, what it costs in AUD,… Read ›

19 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Run a Structured Discovery Sprint Before You Commit to a Build

Most software projects fail before a line of code is written. Here's how a structured discovery sprint de-risks your build and what… Read ›

18 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Brief a Software Agency: What to Send Before You Sign Anything

Most founders hand agencies a vague idea and wonder why quotes vary by $80K. Here's exactly what to prepare before you brief… Read ›

17 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Price a Custom Software Project as a Buyer: What Agencies Won’t Tell You Up Front

Most founders overpay or get burned not because agencies are dishonest, but because they don't know how estimates are built — here's… Read ›

16 June 2026 · Uncategorized

How to Scope a Custom Integration Without It Blowing Out Your Budget

Custom integrations are where SaaS builds quietly die. Here's how to scope them honestly, price them correctly, and avoid the traps that… Read ›

Free · Take it to every pitch

The AI SaaS Buyer's Checklist

17 questions to ask before signing any AI SaaS quote. We wrote it after watching too many founders pay for what was essentially a GPT wrapper and a maintenance bill.

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