Practical thinking on business systems, automation, AI and software built around the way SMEs actually work, from Sheffield consultant Josh Thackeray.https://thackr.co.uk/en-gbhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-agent-assumptions-business-automation/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-agent-assumptions-business-automation/AI agents are good at filling in gaps quietly, which is exactly the problem. Here's why business automation needs to be built to ask rather than assume, with real examples.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:27:50 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/undocumented-legacy-system-inherited/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/undocumented-legacy-system-inherited/When you inherit software with no documentation and no developer to ask, the temptation is to rewrite it fast. Here's a safer way to work out what it actually does first.Mon, 07 Sep 2026 05:02:42 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-coding-assistant-memory-codebase-consistency/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-coding-assistant-memory-codebase-consistency/AI coding agents don't carry memory of past decisions between sessions the way a human developer does. That gap shows up as inconsistency in your codebase, and it matters more than most people realise.Sun, 06 Sep 2026 06:41:02 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/patch-speed-bespoke-software-security/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/patch-speed-bespoke-software-security/A patched vulnerability was exploited within hours on a government site. That gap between 'patch released' and 'patch applied' is where most bespoke software gets caught out, and it's worth knowing who owns that gap in yours.Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:03:52 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/mcp-in-production-business-systems/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/mcp-in-production-business-systems/MCP servers let AI agents talk to your business systems directly. Here's a plain-language look at what that means, and the questions worth asking before you connect one to anything that matters.Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:03:32 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/opt-out-ai-training-business-data/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/opt-out-ai-training-business-data/The training opt-out toggle in your AI tool's settings is only part of the picture. Here's what business owners should actually check before feeding customer data into AI.Thu, 03 Sep 2026 05:11:02 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/technical-debt-when-code-is-cheap/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/technical-debt-when-code-is-cheap/Technical debt used to come from cutting corners under time pressure. Now that AI makes code almost free to produce, it builds up for a different reason entirely: volume.Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:45:59 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/what-to-include-in-a-software-development-brief/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/what-to-include-in-a-software-development-brief/Most briefs I'm sent are either a one-line email or a bloated spec copied from a template. Here's what actually needs to be in one to get an accurate quote.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:45:53 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/bespoke-software-cost-uk/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/bespoke-software-cost-uk/Bespoke software quotes in the UK range from a few thousand pounds to well over six figures. Here's what actually drives that number, with real ranges by project type.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:39:11 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/lovable-vs-hiring-a-developer/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/lovable-vs-hiring-a-developer/Lovable and hiring a developer aren't really competing for the same job. Here's how to work out which one fits what you're actually trying to build.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:33:54 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/saas-mvp-checklist-what-to-build-first/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/saas-mvp-checklist-what-to-build-first/Generic MVP checklists tell you to build auth, billing and a dashboard. The real question is which one thing your business needs to prove first, and what you can fake or skip until it does.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:31:32 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/cost-to-build-saas-mvp-uk/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/cost-to-build-saas-mvp-uk/A breakdown of what a SaaS MVP really costs to build in the UK in 2026, what pushes the price up, and how to keep a first version small enough to launch and learn from.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:28:06 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/lovable-app-pre-launch-checklist/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/lovable-app-pre-launch-checklist/A working Lovable prototype and a launch-ready app aren't the same thing. Here's the specific, practical checklist to work through before you put real customers behind it.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:23:24 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/software-brief-generator-launch/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/software-brief-generator-launch/I've built a free tool that turns a vague software idea into a proper written brief, the kind that gets you accurate quotes instead of guesses.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:34:38 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-code-speed-vs-custom-build-timeline/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-code-speed-vs-custom-build-timeline/AI can produce a working demo in seconds, but a real, reliable piece of business software still takes weeks to build properly. Here's why, and what that time is actually spent on.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 06:29:09 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/dependency-chain-business-automation/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/dependency-chain-business-automation/A single 'simple' business process can quietly depend on five or six different tools stitched together. Here's why that matters and how to find out how exposed you are.Mon, 31 Aug 2026 06:36:14 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/algorithmic-pricing-legal-risk-bespoke-software/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/algorithmic-pricing-legal-risk-bespoke-software/Litigation against algorithmic rent-pricing tools is expanding into other industries. If your business uses any automated pricing software, here's why ownership and transparency now matter more than convenience.Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:44:42 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-memory-business-automation-verification/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/ai-memory-business-automation-verification/AI tools that remember past conversations feel impressive, but memory without a way to verify it against the current facts is a liability, not a feature. Here's how to build it properly.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 06:48:12 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/you-dont-need-the-biggest-ai-model/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/you-dont-need-the-biggest-ai-model/Bigger AI models aren't always better for business automation. Here's how I think about picking the right-sized tool for the job, with real examples.Fri, 28 Aug 2026 05:43:13 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackerayhttps://thackr.co.uk/insights/who-owns-the-code-bespoke-software-checklist/https://thackr.co.uk/insights/who-owns-the-code-bespoke-software-checklist/Before you sign off on a bespoke software project, there are a handful of ownership and continuity questions worth asking, whatever size the developer is. Here's what I'd check.Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:30:41 GMTUncategorisedJosh Thackeray