mavconsulting

Working notes

Four short considerations for choosing, building, and using technology in a business.

Updated 6 Sept 2026 · Current as of Claude Opus 5

Start with a task you can describe

  • "Use AI" is an ambition, not a project
  • "Organize incoming requests before the morning meeting" is a project
  • Write down the input, the output, and who reviews it

Bring one recurring task to the conversation.

"Use AI" is a broad ambition. "Help us organize incoming requests before the morning meeting" is a project you can discuss, test, and improve. Write down the input, the desired output, and who needs to review it. That often makes the next step clearer.

Keep a person at the right point

  • A draft reply and a sent reply have different consequences
  • Decide where the tool prepares and where a person approves
  • Build review into the workflow from the start

Decide what the tool prepares and what a person approves.

A draft reply and a sent reply have different consequences. Consider where a tool can prepare the work and where someone should approve it. Review should be part of the workflow from the beginning, with enough context for the reviewer to make a decision.

A useful test looks like a normal day

  • Include incomplete requests and ambiguous wording
  • Include the awkward exception everyone knows about
  • Compare against how you handle the work today

Try ordinary work, including the awkward parts.

Include incomplete requests, ambiguous wording, and the awkward exception everyone on your team knows about. Compare the result with how you handle the work today. A convincing demonstration is a starting point; a representative trial tells you more about whether a tool fits.

Count the upkeep, too

  • Agree who maintains the workflow before you start
  • Count review time alongside the steps removed
  • A small, understandable system is easier to live with

Ask how it will work after the first week.

Before starting, agree on who will maintain the workflow, how changes will be handled, and which ongoing costs matter. Consider the time spent reviewing outputs alongside any steps removed. A small, understandable system can be easier to live with over time.

What would make your
work a little easier?

A recurring task, a half-formed idea, a system that could work better. That’s a good place to start.

Let’s talk it through