We Published 759 Pages in 10 Weeks. Here's What Showed Up.
Ten weeks. 759 new pages, around 65 blog posts, 25 tools. The lesson isn't the volume. It's what volume forces a quiet business to stop pretending about.
Read more →We tested Gary Vee's consistency theory. It worked. Then it broke us.
We told clients consistency on social sparks action. Then we actually tested it on ourselves. It worked, and that's exactly when it got hard.
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We have ADHD and a business to run. So we built the Attention Directed Holding Device.
Day 30 of the build challenge. We turned the system we run PlainBlack on into a public demo you can play with. One window, your whole business, without the tab graveyard.
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Our blogs are good. Our audience doesn’t read. So we fixed that.
We wrote useful blogs for people who do not have time to read blogs. Slight oversight. So we fixed the format. Same post, same URL, now with a play button for the people who are in the ute.
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Week 4 Report: Six builds, one accidental theme, and the moment we turned the tools on ourselves.
Six tools. One shared worker. Four of them addressing the same conversion zone nobody builds. And the night we found our own /contact page had the exact problem we'd just built a tool to fix.
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Your local customers are not comparing your price. They are assessing your risk.
Day 27 of the 30-day challenge: a free tool that builds the trust section every local business website is missing. Headline, five objections answered with proof, review spotlight, and CTA.
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The Future Keeps Arriving, Despite the Best Efforts of the Professionally Terrified
Every generation clutches its pearls when new technology arrives. Then uses it to order lunch ten years later. AI is not the threat. It's the latest chapter in a very old human habit.
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That $27 Workshop Probably Isn't The Business Model
The cheap offer is not the product. It is the doorway. The question is whether it helps you move forward or just makes you feel smaller before the upsell.
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Your Book Now button is losing people to uncertainty, not to a competitor.
Day 26 of the 30-day challenge: a free tool that drafts the five-line trust strip above your booking button. Who it's for, what's included, what's not, what happens after, and a soft escape for the undecided.
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Your thank-you page is wasting one of the warmest moments in the sale.
Day 25 of the 30-day challenge: a free tool that drafts the eight-section post-enquiry page your site is missing. Customer just hit submit and is nervous. Give them something useful instead of a smiley face.
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Your contact form is collecting problems, not leads.
Day 24 of the 30-day challenge: a free tool that builds the three friendly pre-qualifying questions you need in front of your contact form. Plus the copy-paste HTML.
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The most profitable email you send this month might be the one ending something.
Day 23 of the 30-day challenge: a free tool that writes the email you've been putting off. Plus the follow-up for when they push back. Plus the calendar reminder to check it stuck.
Read more →Approve Every Invoice
Some monthly fees make sense. The ones built on confusion don't. Why we'd rather be remembered than retained.
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Most small business owners don't need more strategy. They need today to stop leaking.
Day 22 of the 30-day challenge: a free 7am card. Three inputs, one card. The thing to do, the thing to stop, the truth you're avoiding, the 20-minute version, the 2-hour version. Screenshot and get on with it.
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Marketing is not advertising. Advertising is where the marketing gets caught lying.
Most small businesses treat marketing and advertising like they're the same thing. They're not. And when you get this wrong, you end up paying to amplify a weak message.
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Jayden Built the Thing I've Been Waiting Years to See
A custom business operating system built around how the owner actually works. Not 300 features you will never use. Not ten subscriptions held together with hope. Just the useful bits, in one place, in your brand.
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The thing grew legs and hijacked the challenge
Day 20 was meant to be a 4-hour build. Instead, the build outgrew the brief, stole the calendar, and turned into something properly useful. Sometimes breaking the rule is the point.
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Get a brief, not a quote.
Most small business owners email agencies a vague 'can you quote us a website' and get ghosted. Ten sections, ten minutes, a brief you can send to any agency. AI co-pilot mirrors each answer back sharper.
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DNS propagating. The two worst words in IT.
A customer service agent killed a client's website and emails. Hours lost chasing DNS propagation. The thing got built anyway, but polish was not on the menu.
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Filler is the leak after the click.
Most homepages reach for the same few hundred words. We built a free scanner that flags them, scores your page out of 10, and tells you what a stranger reads in ten seconds.
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This is the only email that needs you before 9am.
A shared inbox with two opposite approaches: one deletes everything, one deletes nothing. Neither solves the real problem. So we built a tool that does.
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Your AI Doesn't Need More Prompts. It Needs Your Voice.
It's 11pm. The customer email came in this morning. You have mentally replied four times. Then you sit down to write and your brain produces: 'Hi Sarah, thanks for your email.' AI should help you get the thing out of your head and into words that still sound like you.
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Today I Built a Physio Page That Gets the Awkward Part Out of the Way First
Most clinic websites bury the awkward questions inside a polite FAQ. The Objection Wall puts them up front and answers them like grown-ups.
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We're Not Here to Sell You a Workshop
The marketing industry has built a scam on perceived value, and small business owners are the ones paying for it. We're done watching it happen.
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The Tool Honest Mechanics Can Publish (And Cheap Shops Can't)
A free verdict card that tells customers to walk away when the repair is not worth it. The honest mechanic is the only one who can publish this.
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AI Didn't Invent the Funnel. It Just Made the Old Bullshit Faster.
I sat through an AI marketing webinar so you don't have to. The product was real. The pitch was a twenty-year-old sales script wearing a headset mic.
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The Laptop Nearly Went Out the Window
Week 2 of the 30-day build challenge: six builds, one audit, honest numbers, AI-induced rage, and the moment the system started becoming the product.
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Your Website Cost $8,000. It's Worth $50.
Most websites look expensive and do nothing. The real cost isn't what you paid to build it, it's what you're losing every month by keeping it.
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We Built a Client Translator Because "Can You Just…" Is Never Just
Service businesses learn to fear 'can you just...' enquiries. Client Translator decodes what they actually mean and gives you a reply you can send.
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Your fit screener should be allowed to say no
Most fit quizzes are lead forms wearing a costume. Every answer scores fine, the result is a soft yes, the CTA at the end is 'book a call.' A real fit screener is allowed to say 'probably not us, lovely' and mean it.
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I Built a Tool for the Most Expensive Question in Marketing
Most marketing sells the next thing before checking why the last thing failed. Day 11 of the build challenge: a free triage tool that finds the broken bit before you spend more.
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We built a blog generator that actually sounds like us
Day 10 of 30. Most AI content sounds like it was written by a very polite fridge: technically correct, structurally tidy, emotionally dead. So we built our own. One topic in, full content pack out, in the PlainBlack voice.
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Namecheap says blogging still works. We're testing whether that's true.
Namecheap says blogging still works. Which is convenient, because they sell the thing you need to start a blog. Their argument is fine on paper, messier in practice. We're 10 days into a 30-day experiment to find out whether voice-led blogging tied to real work moves anything for a small business in 2026.
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The customer couldn't picture the food
Some restaurants lose the order before the customer sits down. We built a QR menu for Thai Thani that fixes the wall-of-unfamiliar-words problem.
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Good marketing should make sense before it costs money.
Most small business owners don't have a marketing problem. They have a clarity problem. PlainBlack helps you fix what actually matters, not just add to the noise.
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Today I Built a Quote Tool That Isn't a Form.
Day 8 of 30. Most solar quote tools are forms. This one's a toy. Type an address, drag the map onto your roof, trace it from space, watch the panels appear and the dollars tick up. Then build your system, see the install cost, see the payback. No phone call required.
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We've followed our own advice
We spent this week doing something we tell clients to do early: defining voice and audience. Here's why nailing this down matters, and what ours looks like now.
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Week 1 Report: We Shipped Six Things, Then Found the Real Product
Six days, six tools, zero enquiries. The commercial proof is still early, but the shipping system is already working.
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Today I Kinda Cheated. Then I Built the CMS.
Day 6 of 30. Brandon's new site has two personalities and one toggle. Today I built him the app on his phone that updates either of them. Paste any URL from anywhere, pick a section, preview, post. No code. No hosting panel. No me.
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Coming to us for a "website" is like going to a restaurant for "food"
Day 5 of 30. I stopped building a demo for someone else and started building the tool we actually needed: a menu that lets you order the business asset you're hungry for, not just "a website."
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We built the tracker before we built anything else
Day 4 of 30. We published the public build tracker before we shipped any of the customer-facing builds. Here's why, and what's on it.
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More roofing leads are not better if half of them waste your quoting time
Most roofing websites are built to collect every lead. This one is built to protect quoting time.
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Social Sharing That Actually Works: OG Images, Specs & Tools
Every platform has different rules for link previews. Get the specs, tools, and image prompts you need to make your social shares look professional.
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Today I built: a 404 page that doesn't tell customers to check their spelling
A 404 page that emails me when real broken links get hit, searches for what visitors actually typed, and turns dead ends into a drag-and-drop game.
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We're Building 30 Products in 30 Days (Because We Suck at Consistency)
Two ADHD founders are building and shipping one product every day for 30 days starting 1 May 2026. It's a public challenge to prove we can stay consistent and an invitation to watch the work.
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Can you really trust Ian?
Ian wrote a piece predicting AI's future. Then he compared it to human laziness and TikTok addiction. Let's talk about whether you should take him seriously.
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Industries Most Likely Impacted by AI in 2026
Every generation fears the new tech. But this time the stakes are higher, the adoption curve steeper, and the jobs vanishing faster than you think.
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Brandon told himself he didn't need a website for two years
Brandon got quoted $5k+ for a website and spent two years telling himself he didn't need one. Then we built him something completely different.
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When a customer says they don't need it, they usually do
Your customer isn't lying when they say they don't need what you sell. They're protecting a story they've been telling themselves for years.
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Stop Calling It a Rebrand When You Just Changed Your Logo
A new logo isn't a rebrand. It's a design update. Real rebrands transform how your business operates, not just how it looks.
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Why Agencies Overcomplicate Everything
Most agencies profit from complexity. Here's why simpler always wins, and how to cut through the noise without spending more.
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You're Not Bad at Marketing. You're Just Guessing
You're not failing at marketing because you lack talent or drive. You're failing because every piece of advice you've followed was written for someone else's business.
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If Your Marketing Feels Random, This Is Probably Why
You're not bad at marketing. You're just missing the one thing that makes everything else make sense.
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The Hidden Cost of 'Winging It' in Your Marketing
Winging it doesn't just waste time. It quietly costs you customers, momentum, and confidence every single day.
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Why Most Marketing Advice Feels Good But Doesn't Work
Post consistently, run ads, build a funnel. None of this is wrong, but without context it's useless. Here's why most marketing advice sounds smart but achieves nothing.
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You Don't Need an Agency (Yet). Here's What You Actually Need First.
Hiring an agency too early is like hiring a builder before you've decided what house you want. You need to know what should be done first.
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The 3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes We See (And Why They're So Common)
After working with dozens of businesses, the same patterns show up again and again. Not because people are lazy, but because no one has ever shown them what actually matters.
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Why 'Doing More Marketing' Is Probably Hurting Your Business
More posts, more ads, more platforms. It feels productive, but it's often just noise. The businesses that grow aren't doing more, they're doing less, better.
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Most Small Businesses Don't Have a Marketing Problem
You don't need more content or bigger ad budgets. You need clarity on who you're for, what you're saying, and where you're taking them.
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Your AI Skepticism Is Costing You Customers Right Now
While you wait for AI to prove itself, your competitors are using it to respond faster, personalize better, and win the deals you're losing.
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Why Negativity Clickbait Kills Your Brand (And What Works Instead)
Negativity clickbait gets clicks but destroys trust. Here's why short-term engagement tactics crater long-term brand value, and what actually builds advocacy.
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The AI Tools Playbook That Actually Ships Results
Most small business owners tried ChatGPT once and quit. The AI Agents & Tools playbook shows you exactly which tools to use and how to wire them together for automated follow-ups, lead handling, and content generation.
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Your Marketing Agency Is Robbing You Blind
Most small businesses pay $2,000 to $5,000 monthly for marketing work that could be done in a weekend with the right system.
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Why the Best Roofers Aren't Always the Busiest Ones
The roofers booking out weeks ahead aren't necessarily better at roofing. They're just better at showing up first and following up faster.
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Your Website Matters Less Than You Think (Reviews Matter More)
Most businesses obsess over their website and ignore the one thing prospects actually check first: their Google reviews.
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Why Most Tradies Feast or Famine (And How to Fix It)
Most tradies are brilliant at their craft but terrible at getting consistent work. The 90-Day Job Pipeline fixes that with a system that fills your calendar before you need it.
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How to Fire Your Marketing Agency (And Why You Probably Should)
Most agencies charge $3-5k/month for processes you can learn in an afternoon. Here's how to take back control without burning bridges.
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Why Sports Fans Stay Loyal Even When Their Team Sucks
Sports teams create insane loyalty despite terrible seasons. Brands can steal their playbook.
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AI Chatbots Are Transforming Business: What's Changed and What's Coming
We wrote about business chatbots years ago. The landscape has changed completely. Here's the 2026 update: what the big players are doing, whether Claude and GPT have replaced everything, and what ManyChat's $140M raise means for small business.
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When You're Done Guessing: How PlainBlack Helps You Get Clear
You've tried the tactics, followed the templates, and still feel stuck. Here's what changes when you stop guessing and start with direction.
Read more →Stop Writing Test Posts
You're testing the system when you should be shipping content. Here's why placeholder posts waste time and what to do instead.
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Four Steps to Get Your Marketing Actually Working
Most small business marketing fails because it's too complicated. Here's the simple four-step system that actually works.
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Why Most Small Business Websites Are Solving the Wrong Problem
Most small business owners obsess over how their website looks. The ones who grow obsess over what it does. Here's the difference, and why getting this wrong is the most expensive mistake in marketing.
Read more →Your Idea's Probably Not That Special — But Here's Why an NDA Still Matters
Most ideas aren't that special. What matters is execution. But NDAs and MCAs still serve a real purpose. Here's when to use them and when to skip the drama.
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You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression
Three speakers blew the roof off the Inspire and Succeed Conference in Brisbane. Sir Richard Branson, Lisa Messenger, and Michael Crossland. Here's what they taught us.
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The Worst Sales Promotion in History: How Hoover Destroyed a Beloved Brand
In 1992, Hoover offered free flights to America with every vacuum purchase. It seemed clever. It cost them $72 million, their market share, and eventually the company itself.
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Why We're All Convinced Red vs Blue Politics Is Real
The political divide feels undeniable. But what if it's a psychological trick? We break down the biology, media, and identity forces that make left vs right seem like objective truth.
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Why Small Business Websites Fail (And What This Gets Wrong)
A breakdown of what the Medium article on website failures gets right and dead wrong. Customer clarity matters, but the real problem is simpler.
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Why Hire Us? The Honest Answer.
We taught ourselves everything we know from the internet, made every expensive mistake, and decided to charge what things are actually worth. Here's who we are and how we work.
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Why Airlines Leave Billions on the Table (And How to Fix It)
Airlines could double ticket velocity and eliminate empty seats with one simple change: transferable tickets. Here's the business case they're ignoring.
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What Progressive Metal Legends TOOL Can Teach You About Marketing
No radio play. A 13-year gap between albums. Grammy winners with a 16-minute song. TOOL breaks every rule in the marketing playbook and sells out stadiums anyway. Here's why.
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The Human Touch: Why the Best Marketing Agencies Still Put People First
AI can optimise a campaign. It can't build a relationship. Here's why the agencies winning long-term are the ones that never forgot who they're actually talking to.
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The Font Fiasco: How a Bad Typeface Can Destroy Your Logo
Your font choice is doing more work than you think. Here's why typography is one of the most overlooked and most damaging decisions in brand design.
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Most People Are Dumb F***s... Wait, What?! National Achievers Congress Auckland
Part 2 of the National Achievers Congress Auckland. Gary Vee, Elena Cardone, Adam Hudson, and the speaker who called 5,000 people dumb. Here's the honest review.
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Perceived Value and the Art of Sales
National Achievers Congress Auckland, Part 1. Success is a commodity. Here's an honest look at how it gets sold, and what two speakers did with their time on stage.
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Paywalled and Forgotten: How Newspapers Lost the Online War
When the internet arrived, newspapers chose gatekeeping over generosity. Here's what they got wrong, and what every business can learn from it before AI forces the same choice.
Read more →OK Fine, Do It Yourself: The Honest Guide to Building Your Online Presence
Everything you actually need to get your business online in 2026. Domain, hosting, website, email, social, bookings. No fluff, no upsell, just the honest setup guide.
Read more →Is Social Media Necessary for My Business?
Simple answer: yes. Why? Because your customers are there and the algorithm rewards one thing above all else. Here's the plain-language explanation nobody else will give you.
Read more →What We Did During COVID, and Why It Still Shapes How We Work
In 2020, while the world panicked, we gave away free websites to small businesses that needed them. Here's what that taught us about what this work is actually for.
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Ian Has Gone Off the Deep End. But Could This Actually Work?
Lower the retirement age to 55. Give every Australian over 30 a universal basic income. Insane? Maybe. But the arguments against it are weaker than you'd think.
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Fear Sells... Until It Doesn't: Why Scaring Your Audience is a Lazy Strategy
Fear-based marketing gets clicks. It won't earn loyalty. Here's why scaring your audience is a shortcut that costs you trust, and what to do instead.
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Don't Lose Them at 404: How to Turn Errors into Engagement
A custom 404 page is one of the most underrated tools in your digital arsenal. Here's why it matters for SEO and how to make one that actually works.
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Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
Sometimes you meet a client who ticks every box. Passionate about their craft, kind beyond belief, and just trying to share their gift with the world. This is one of those stories.
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