Writing on Software.
6 posts on Software — practical notes from building modern websites and software for real businesses.
API-First Business: Why Your Systems Should Talk to Each Other
What data silos actually cost, REST vs webhooks vs events, picking integration platforms, master data management basics, and avoiding vendor lock-in.
Building an Internal Dashboard for Your Business: The Honest Tradeoffs
Retool vs Metabase vs Looker vs custom — query performance, role-based access, and the moment when canned reports stop being enough for your team.
How to Handle Recurring Payments and Subscriptions on Your Website
Stripe Billing vs Chargebee vs custom, dunning logic, proration, churn handling, and tax automation — what actually matters when you charge customers monthly.
Automating Quotes and Estimates for Trade Businesses
Structured pricing data, configurator UX, PDF generation, e-signature, and CRM/Stripe integration — how trade businesses turn quotes into closed jobs faster.
Client Onboarding Portal: Build vs Buy for Service Businesses
When HoneyBook or Dubsado is enough, when a custom onboarding portal pays back, and what a tailored portal actually includes for service businesses.
Custom Client Portal for Service Businesses: What to Build Before You Buy Software
A practical guide for service businesses deciding whether they need a custom client portal, an off-the-shelf portal, or a simpler client workflow first.