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AI works.
You just need the right guide.

We find the opportunity, we build it together — usually in a single session. Already built something with AI? I'll take it the rest of the way.

30 years building software. Two published books. I work alongside you, not around you.

Not ready to talk? Get Trail Notes — weekly AI notes for business owners, every Friday.

Session snapshot

What you leave with

  • A working tool built around your actual day-to-day
  • A short walkthrough so your team can use it immediately
  • A clear next-steps list for the next 1–2 builds
Typical build session: 90 minutes. If it needs more, I tell you before we start.
Alan Bradburne
Alan Bradburne
Fukuoka, Japan

I've been building software for 30 years — two published books, dozens of production apps. For the past two years I've been helping business owners find and capture their AI opportunities.

30 yrs
building software
2
published books
20+
production apps
The Problem

AI is everywhere.
But is it working for your business?

Every business has processes that could be faster, smoother, or completely automated. The problem isn't whether AI can help — it's knowing where to start.

Generic tools get you generic results. The real wins come from tools shaped around how your business actually works — your data, your process, your people.

Maybe you've already experimented — built a prototype with an AI tool that works mostly, but you're not sure how to make it reliable, or where to go from here. That's exactly where I come in.

You need a guide who knows the landscape — someone who can spot the opportunities and help you act on them.

The difference
What you've tried

ChatGPT for brainstorming. Copy-paste automations. A prototype that works in demos but breaks with real data.

Generic tools Fragile prototypes Manual workarounds
What I do

Find the specific bottleneck costing you time and money, then build a tool that eliminates it — something your team uses every day

Custom-built Fits your workflow Working on Day 1
Is this you?

I work with business owners who know there's a better way.

Not people chasing hype. If one of these sounds like you, we should talk.

Most common

I know AI matters, but I don't know where to start

You've seen the demos. Read the articles. But sitting down to actually do something for your business? That's where you hit a wall.

Growing fast

I built a prototype — now what?

You used an AI tool to build something that sort of works. But real users and real data are a different game — you need someone to take it the rest of the way.

Biggest time savings

We're drowning in manual work

Your team spends hours on repetitive tasks — copy-pasting, formatting reports, processing invoices. You know this could be automated.

Custom-built wins

I've tried generic AI — it's not enough

ChatGPT is great for brainstorming. But you need something that connects to your systems and follows your exact process.

My Approach

I don't do strategy decks.
We find the win and build it. Today.

In every engagement, you walk away with something working. Not a roadmap. Not a pitch deck. A real solution to a real bottleneck in your business — built together in a focused session.

We find the biggest hidden win

We look at where your team is losing time, energy, or money — and pick the one that'll make the biggest difference.

We build the solution together

I build it with you in a live session. You see it take shape, understand how it works, and know how to use it.

You leave with momentum

You get a working tool, a walkthrough, and a short list of the next 1–2 builds that will move the needle.

90 min
Typical live build session
1 tool
Every session ends with something working
No black box
You understand it, you own it, you can extend it
30 yrs
Of software architecture behind the build
What you walk away with

Not a roadmap.
Not a slide deck.

Every engagement ends with something tangible.

"Every client owns their code. No lock-in, no proprietary platforms. If we stop working together, everything I built is yours."

A working tool

Built during our session, tested against your real data. Not a mockup — something your team can use on Day 1.

A walkthrough you can follow

Plain-English explanation of how it works. No jargon, no 40-page manual.

A next-steps roadmap

The next 1–2 builds that will move the needle, prioritised by impact.

The knowledge to extend it

Like a personal trainer, my goal is to build your capability — not your dependency. Over time, you'll be able to do more and more on your own.

Ongoing support (retainer clients)

Async Slack access, monthly tool briefings, and walkthroughs you can reference anytime.

Services

A partnership that
grows with you.

Like a personal trainer, I don't just do the work for you. I stay alongside you — building, teaching, and making sure you get stronger over time.

Pricing shown in USD (primary), with GBP and JPY shown for reference. GBP/JPY are approximate.

Start here

Basecamp

One session. One working tool.
$2,000
£1,500 · ¥300,000
No commitment beyond this

Tell me what's costing you time. In a single session, we'll build a tool that fixes it — something your team can use tomorrow.

You walk out with working software, not a proposal.

Most clients recoup the cost within the first month through time saved.

Book a Basecamp Session
Most popular
Retainer

Trailhead

Your AI building partner
$2,750/mo
£2,000 · ¥400,000
Quarterly commitment
Kickoff Basecamp session included
6 building sessions per quarter — use them when you need them
Async support via Slack or WhatsApp
Monthly tool briefing — tailored to your business
Private video library (coming soon)
Get Started
Retainer

Summit

Transform your entire operation
$4,800/mo
£3,500 · ¥700,000
Quarterly commitment
Everything in Trailhead
16 sessions per quarter — weekly pace or batch as needed
Monthly team training (up to 10)
Architecture & workflow design
Quarterly AI strategy review
Let's Talk

Built around your schedule, not mine.

Retainer sessions are yours to use when you need them. Have a quiet month? Bank them. Got three ideas at once? Use them back-to-back. Every client starts with a Basecamp session — if the retainer isn't for you, there's no pressure to continue.

Flexible scheduling
Start with Basecamp first
Cancel after any quarter

Expedition

Need something different? From a one-off project build to a fractional AI lead role — I'll design a custom engagement around your needs.

Let's Talk
Working tool

Not a prototype. You leave with something real and usable.

Walkthrough + handoff

Short walkthrough so you can run it without me.

No lock-in

You own the code and the setup. I'll explain the tradeoffs.

Every retainer includes cheat sheets, templates, personalised monthly briefings, and a private video library (coming soon). See everything that's included →

What I'll build for you

Real examples from real businesses. Every one built in a single session.

Client intake to brief

Turns a simple form into a structured project brief and timeline

Invoice processing

Extracts line items from PDFs and updates your spreadsheet

Weekly ops report

Summarises your numbers into a formatted report, automatically

Internal assistant

Trained on your docs — answers team questions in seconds

Proposal generator

Produces client-ready proposals in your brand voice

Workflow automation

Replaces hours of manual copy-paste between systems

Prototype to production

Take what you've built and make it ready for real users and real data

About
Alan Bradburne
30 years building software
Published two Ruby on Rails books
Former CTO, startup founder
Based in Fukuoka, Japan
Building with AI daily since 2023

I've spent my career
building things that work.

I'm Alan Bradburne. Three decades of professional coding. CTO for startups, development lead, company founder, and author of two Ruby on Rails books.

AI changed everything about what's possible for business owners. Not "write emails faster" — build a working solution in an afternoon that used to take weeks.

The real shift isn't AI as a chatbot. It's AI as a way to unlock value that's been sitting in your business all along. Every company has processes that could be faster, decisions that could be better informed, and work that doesn't need a human at all.

That's what I do now. I'm a personal trainer for AI — I help business owners find the hidden opportunities in their operations and build the tools to capture them. I know the shortcuts, the dead ends, and the approaches that actually work.

What clients say

Don't take my word for it.

Alan is a meticulous software craftsman. He combines remarkable speed with proper engineering practices to create exceptional software. This rare balance is crucial if you need something built quickly that can also serve as the foundation for a scalable business.

MM
Matt Mower
CEO, AgendaScope

Alan is extremely talented and is just a pleasure to work with. His skill set is very diverse and he gets things done both reliably and quickly.

GM
George Meyer
CEO, VegasNearMe

Alan understands not only technology and what he's capable of building, but makes sure he understands why he's building something.

JK
Joe Keeley
CTO, MartianCraft
Tools I use regularly Claude Code Claude Cowork Claude Projects ChatGPT Gemini Codex Cursor Windsurf OpenCode Lovable Perplexity
FAQ

Common questions.

I'm not technical at all. Is this for me?
Absolutely. Most of my clients aren't technical. That's the whole point — I handle the building, you bring the business knowledge. You'll be surprised how much you pick up along the way.
What do you mean by 'build something in a single session'?
In a typical 90-minute session, we pick one specific workflow and build a working tool to solve it. You leave with something functional, not a slide deck or a plan.
I've already built a prototype with AI. Can you help?
That's one of my favourite starting points. I'll review what you've built, fix the rough edges, and turn it into something your team can rely on day-to-day.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
Mostly small-to-medium businesses — consultancies, agencies, e-commerce, professional services. If you have repetitive workflows or data-heavy processes, there's almost certainly something I can build for you.
How is this different from hiring a developer?
Speed and involvement. A developer takes weeks and builds in isolation. We build together in a session — you see it take shape and understand how it works. And over time, I'll teach you how to use AI building tools yourself, so you're not dependent on a developer for every change.
I'm in a different timezone. Does that work?
I'm based in Japan and work with clients across the US West Coast, UK/EU, Australia, and Asia. We'll find a time that works.
I keep hearing about Claude Code / OpenAI Codex / Cursor — should I be using these?
Probably! But these tools are powerful and it's easy to rack up costs, expose sensitive data, or build something fragile if you dive in blind. I'll help you get set up safely, understand what each tool is actually good at, and start with guardrails in place.
I've heard about OpenClaw — can you help me get started with it?
Yes. OpenClaw is a local assistant that runs on your own machine and can connect to your tools. It's powerful, but setup and permissions matter. I'll get you running safely and configured for your workflow.
Do I need to use a specific tool or tech stack?
Nope. I use whatever is right for your situation — the tool, the language, the platform. There's no one-size-fits-all. We figure out what fits your workflow and go from there.
Is there a refund policy?
If you're not happy with the outcome of a Basecamp session, I'll refund you in full — no questions asked. For retainers, you can cancel at the end of any quarter.
What if I don't use all my sessions in a month?
No problem — sessions are allocated per quarter, not per month. Use two this month, none next month, four the month after. It's your time to use when you need it. Life gets busy; the schedule flexes with you.
Do I have to commit to a retainer straight away?
Not at all. Most clients start with a Basecamp session to see how we work together. If you want to keep going, we move to a retainer. If not, you still walk away with a working tool and a clear next-steps plan. No pressure either way.
Can I cancel anytime?
Retainers run on quarterly commitments — you can cancel at the end of any quarter with no penalty. And since every client starts with Basecamp, you'll know well before committing whether this is the right fit.
Who's behind AI Navigator?
Just me — Alan Bradburne. 30 years building software, two published books, former CTO, and now helping business owners build with AI. Based in Fukuoka, Japan.
What if I'm not sure what to build?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for. Tell me about your business and I'll help you see the hidden value. Most people are sitting on 3-4 quick wins without realising it.
I have other questions...
No problem — drop me a message via the contact form or email alan@ainavigator.dev. I reply personally to every message.

Let's build something.

Book a free 30-minute call. Tell me about your business, and I'll show you where the hidden value is.

No pitch decks. No pressure. Just a straight conversation.

Book a Free Call

Not ready to talk yet?

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Based in Japan, working with clients across the US West Coast, UK/EU, Australia, and Asia.