The $20/Month CTO
I talk to a lot of small business owners. They all know they should be using AI. They see the headlines. They feel the pressure. But when they try to implement it, they hit a wall of jargon, hype, and 10,000 tools that promise the moon.
They don't need a demo. They need a Playbook.
So, I wrote one. Based on years of actually using these tools to run HawaiiGuide.com, Garden and Bloom, and CritterCute, I've compiled the exact workflows, safety protocols, and mental models I use every day into a comprehensive guide: The Small Business CTO's Guide to AI Implementation.
The Core Thesis
You don't need to be a developer to use AI in 2026. The command line has been replaced by the chat window. But you do need a strategy.
The guide is built around the AI Maturity Model:
Stage 1 (Crawl): The Solopreneur. Focus on personal productivity (saving 5-10 hours/week).
Stage 2 (Walk): The Small Team. Focus on shared prompt libraries and standardized processes.
Stage 3 (Run): The Systems Builder. Focus on Agentic AI, API integrations, and automated workflows.
The Human Sandwich
One of the most important concepts in the guide is a quality control framework I call The Human Sandwich.
No raw AI output should ever leave your business. Everything gets wrapped in human judgment:
Human Context: You provide the strategy, angle, and brand voice.
AI Draft: The machine does the heavy lifting.
Human Polish: You add the expertise, anecdotes, and verification that makes it real.
From Chat to Agents
The guide also tackles the massive shift happening right now: The Agentic Era. We are moving from AI that advises to AI that acts. I break down how non-technical users can safely deploy tools like Anthropic's Cowork to organize files, extract data, and manage spreadsheets automatically. (Crucial safety tip: Never point an agent at your root drive!).
Get the Playbook
This isn't theory. It's a weekend guide designed to take you from "AI seems overwhelming" to "I have three tools running that save me 10 hours a week."
If you want the systems, the safety protocols, and the exact prompts I use to scale my businesses, you can grab the guide below.
Read the free preview on the eBooks page →
The Protocol: The question is no longer whether AI will change small business operations. It's whether you'll be the one using it or competing against those who do.
