← The stack
FROM THE BOOK · WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR BUSINESS

First Builds by Business Type

Find the business closest to yours, then read a couple of the others too, because the best idea for your business is often hiding in someone else's list. The shape of the job repeats far more than the industry does. Don't pick the most impressive one. Pick the most painful one.

01

Trades

plumbers, electricians, builders, heating engineers

Starter pick
The quote-from-a-voice-note tool
Replaces
the unpaid evening shift writing up quotes
First-version risk
Low (internal, you check every quote before it sends)
Data needed
your rate card, supplier prices, a few past quotes done your way
Likely win
quotes out same-day, more jobs won

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I'm a [trade]. I want a tool where I talk through a job after a site visit (materials, hours, access problems) and it prices the ramble against my rate card and supplier prices, then produces an itemised quote on my letterhead ready to send. I check every quote before it goes. Here's my rate card and two past quotes done my way. Build the first version to take a pasted transcript and output the quote as a document.
02

E-commerce

online shops, marketplace sellers, DTC brands

Starter pick
The supplier-to-shop pipeline
Replaces
weeks of manual catalogue entry per stock drop
First-version risk
Low to medium (test on a handful of products, you approve before they go live)
Data needed
the supplier feeds and data you're permitted to resell from, your category structure, your brand voice
Likely win
a month of work down to a day

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I run an online shop. My suppliers give me reseller feeds (data and images I'm licensed to use). I want a tool that takes a feed, formats products to fit my shop, files each into the right category, writes descriptions in my brand voice, and queues everything for my approval before anything goes live. It must never publish without a human approving. Start with this sample feed and these three example products done by hand.
03

Accountancy and professional services

accountants, bookkeepers, solicitors, consultants

Starter pick
The document-into-data tool
Replaces
hours of manual re-keying off PDFs and statements
First-version risk
Medium (client data; keep the human check on the gate)
Data needed
sample documents, your system's fields, a few worked examples
Likely win
chargeable hours freed from data entry

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I run a professional practice. I want a tool that reads the documents clients send (PDFs, statements, receipts), extracts the figures into the exact fields my system needs, and queues each one for a human check before anything is filed. Client data stays inside tiers that don't train on inputs. Here are three sample documents and the field list. Build the extraction and the checking queue first.
04

Clinic and health

dental, physio, aesthetics, veterinary, private GP

Starter pick
The no-show reducer
Replaces
empty chairs and reception ringing round to fill them
First-version risk
Low if it runs inside your existing compliant booking system; higher the moment patient data moves into new tools
Data needed
your diary, your waiting list, appointment types and timings
Likely win
fewer empty slots, more booked clinical time held

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I run a clinic. My booking system is the system of record and stays put. I want a tool that works around it: well-timed friendly reminders, effortless rebooking for missed slots, and gap-filling from a waiting list. Patient data stays inside the compliant system; the tool touches names and appointment times only, nothing clinical. Walk me through what you'd need from my booking system's export or API to do this safely.
05

Hospitality

restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels, takeaways

Starter pick
The booking and enquiry handler
Replaces
covers lost to slow replies mid-service
First-version risk
Low to medium (customer-facing; start with it drafting, you confirm)
Data needed
your table plan, opening hours, booking rules, common questions
Likely win
fewer missed covers, the phone off one person's back

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I run a restaurant. I want a tool that answers booking enquiries across email and social instantly: takes the reservation, handles 'table for six on Friday', and confirms it. First version drafts replies for a person to send; it goes fully automatic only after a fortnight of us checking its drafts. Here are our booking rules, table plan and the ten questions we get asked most.
06

Agency

marketing, creative, web, recruitment, client services

Starter pick
The scoping and audit tool
Replaces
the fortnight of unbillable scoping behind every pitch
First-version risk
Low (internal, on public prospect data, you review the deck)
Data needed
prospect and competitor URLs, your audit checklist, your deck template
Likely win
a fortnight's audit down to an afternoon

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I run an agency. I want a tool that takes a prospect's URL plus two competitors, audits the public pages (content, errors, page speed, positioning), respecting each site's terms, no logins bypassed, no server hammered, and produces a clear deck in my template that I walk through on the call. Here's my audit checklist and an example deck. Build the audit-and-report pipeline first.
07

Manufacturer and maker

small-batch production, workshops, craft producers

Starter pick
The production-planning tool
Replaces
hours of daily planning and software costing hundreds a month
First-version risk
Low (internal list; worst case is a quick correction)
Data needed
your orders, recipes or bills of materials, make times
Likely win
about ten hours a week back, built in a day

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I make products to order. I want a tool that takes the day's orders and works out exactly what to make, in what order, and how much of each material that needs, consolidated across every order, then prints the list and any labels the law requires. Here are yesterday's orders and my recipes/bill of materials. Build the consolidation first and show me the maths before anything prints.
08

Local service

cleaners, landscapers, salons, tutors, removals

Starter pick
The booking and reminder system
Replaces
you glued to the phone managing the diary between jobs
First-version risk
Low to medium (customer-facing; keep reminders simple to start)
Data needed
your diary, services and durations, deposit and cancellation rules
Likely win
fuller diary, fewer no-shows, more from the same week

The starter prompt (adapt the specifics, keep the shape)

I run a local service business. I want a booking tool: customers pick a slot, it sends reminders, handles rescheduling and chases deposits, with my rules on durations and cancellations. Reminders only go to people who booked; proper consent and easy opt-out on every message. Here's my service list and diary rules. Build booking and reminders first, referrals later.

Two questions before you commit

Do I know this job cold, well enough to explain every exception to a new starter? And if the first version is a bit rough, will it sink me? One painful job you know inside out, low enough stakes to experiment on. That's your first build. Keep it internal for your first go.