Frequently Asked Questions

Brainsmithy is a solo-developer AI studio founded by Zack, a self-taught engineer with real-world experience across multiple industries. There's no sales team, no layers of management — when you work with Brainsmithy, you work directly with the person building your solution.

Being a solo studio is a feature, not a limitation. You get direct access to the developer, zero hand-offs between departments, and dedicated attention on your project. There's no communication gap between who sells the work and who builds it — they're the same person.

We intentionally keep our project load small. Typically two to three active projects at a time. This ensures every client gets deep focus and fast communication rather than being one ticket in a queue of dozens.

Radical transparency and craftsmanship. We don't upsell services you don't need, we don't hide behind vague timelines, and we'll tell you honestly if a project isn't the right fit. Every solution is hand-built — not assembled from templates or outsourced to anonymous contractors.

We primarily work with individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized companies who want to leverage AI and modern technology without the enterprise price tag. If you're a founder, a growing team, or a business looking to automate and scale intelligently — you're exactly who we built this for.

Yes, but in a focused capacity. We're open to contract work with larger companies on specific, well-scoped projects — things like building an internal AI tool, automating a particular workflow, or integrating AI into an existing product. What we don't do is build massive enterprise ecosystems or staff augmentation.

We've built solutions across a range of industries including e-commerce, real estate, professional services, content creation, education, and more. If your business has workflows that could be smarter, faster, or more automated, we can likely help — regardless of industry.

Absolutely. Many of our clients are non-technical founders and business owners. We translate complex technical decisions into plain language, guide you through the process, and handle all the implementation. You bring the vision and domain expertise — we handle the technology.

Yes, and we're upfront about it. We don't take on projects that require HIPAA compliance, federal or state regulatory documentation, or heavy compliance frameworks. These projects need specialized legal and compliance teams that a solo studio can't responsibly provide. We'd rather be honest than overpromise.

We build focused, high-quality solutions — not sprawling enterprise platforms with hundreds of microservices. If your project needs a 50-person engineering team to maintain, we're not the right fit, and we'll tell you that. But if you need a powerful, well-built system that solves a real problem, that's our sweet spot.

We don't hold formal compliance certifications like SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Our work follows security best practices — encryption, secure authentication, input validation, and responsible data handling — but if your project requires certified compliance documentation, you'll need a provider equipped for that scope.

We'll tell you honestly and help point you in the right direction. There's no pressure to force a fit. If your needs exceed our scope, we'll explain why and suggest what kind of team or provider would serve you better. Our reputation is built on trust, not on taking every project that comes through the door.

We follow our FORGE methodology: Find (analyze your needs and workflows), Orchestrate (design the architecture and plan), Refine (prototype and iterate with your feedback), Generate (build and deploy the production solution), and Evolve (ongoing support and optimization). Every project starts with a free discovery call.

Direct and frequent. You'll have a dedicated communication channel — typically through our client portal, email, or your preferred platform. No account managers filtering your questions. You talk directly to the developer building your project, and you'll get regular progress updates throughout.

Every project gets a clear scope, timeline, and budget before any work begins. We provide transparent proposals with milestone-based deliverables so you always know what's being built, when it'll be ready, and what it costs. No surprise invoices, no scope creep without a conversation.

Yes. We offer three maintenance tiers — Foundation, Performance, and Growth — that include dedicated monthly hours for updates, monitoring, optimization, and support. Maintenance plans ensure your solution stays current and continues performing as your business evolves.