Field notes on AI, automation, and the software underneath it
Practical writing from the engineering team, on where automation earns its keep, how we benchmark and review AI in production, and what it takes to build past the CRM.
Benchmark AI Models on Your Own Data, Not a Leaderboard
Vendor leaderboards measure capability on someone else's data. What changes when you benchmark models against your own workflow, and what it costs.
Open-Source CRM Email Marketing: Fixing It With Mautic
SuiteCRM and Odoo handle sales well, but their built-in email marketing has real limits. Here's what they miss, and how a two-way Mautic sync fixes it.
Where Human-in-the-Loop Review Belongs, and Where It Doesn't
Human review isn't a safety blanket you apply everywhere. How to decide which automated outputs need a human, and which are worse for having one.
What CRM Customization Can't Do, and Operational Management Can
A CRM manages sales and marketing. But what runs the customer after the sale? When one system does both, that's operational management, not just a CRM.
Every AI Is Automation. Not Every Automation Is AI.
Every AI system is automation, but most automation isn't AI. The technical difference, why it changes your architecture, and how to tell which you need.
When to Extend, Replace, or Build Alongside Your CRM
Your CRM is hitting its limits. Should you extend it, replace it, or build a separate system alongside it? A decision framework for the choice that's expensive to get wrong.
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