Lead generation
I built a custom AI research system that finds and qualifies leads for recruitment agencies, saving 10 hours a week.
Custom software that saves your team time and money.
Gradient Work builds and runs custom software that connects your tools, automates recurring work, and reduces the cost of operating your business.
Built directly by Owain Lewis, a principal AI engineer with 20 years of experience.
Fixed price
Agreed before we start
4 weeks
From scope to launch
1 working tool
Built around one core workflow
Selected work.
Customer care
I built a customer support assistant that answers customer questions 24/7 without the need for expensive support staff.
Custom SaaS
I built and operate Slate, a custom SaaS product for managing shared work between people and AI agents.
View SlateYour business should not have to bend around its software.
Generic tools are built for the average company. Your most valuable workflows are often the parts that are specific to you.
A workflow that depends on spreadsheets, copy-and-paste or one person remembering every step.
Several SaaS subscriptions stitched together, with none of them working the way your business does.
A useful tool your team keeps talking about, but normal product work always comes first.
Examples of what I build.
Each project starts with one workflow that is slow, expensive or awkward because your current software does not fit.
Custom CRM and sales systems
A pipeline built around how you actually qualify, sell and follow up.
Client and member portals
One place for onboarding, delivery, communication and progress.
AI research and knowledge tools
Turn your documents, calls and internal knowledge into useful answers.
Proposal, quoting and reporting tools
Create accurate client outputs without rebuilding them by hand.
Content production systems
Move from ideas and research to review, approval and publishing.
Operations and workflow tools
Replace spreadsheets, manual handoffs and disconnected dashboards.
One painful workflow. One working tool. Four weeks.
We choose the smallest useful release that removes the bottleneck. I design it, build it and put it in the hands of your team.
The product may use AI, automation or straightforward software. The technology follows the business problem.
What live means
- The core workflow works from start to finish
- The tool is deployed and ready for your team to use
- The required integrations and automation are connected
- Deployment, source code, documentation and handover
After launch, I can host and operate the software on cloud infrastructure, then maintain and improve it as your business changes.
Clear scope. Fixed timeline. Fixed price.
Before work begins, we agree what the first release includes and when it will be live. No hourly billing, open-ended development or surprise invoices.
If something sits outside the agreed scope, we discuss it before it changes the cost or timeline.
This works well when
- The workflow already exists and causes recurring pain
- Someone close to the work can make quick decisions
- One useful first release matters more than a complete platform
It is not the right fit when
- You need a complete marketplace or consumer app in four weeks
- The underlying business problem has not been validated
- You want open-ended development without a fixed outcome
A short build with a clear finish line.
You stay close to the important decisions without having to manage a developer or translate the work through an agency team.
Week 1
Decide what matters
We map the current workflow, choose the core user journey and draw a firm line around the first release.
Weeks 2 to 3
Build the working tool
I design and develop the tool. You see working software early enough to give useful feedback.
Week 4
Test, launch and hand over
We test the core workflow, deploy the product and make sure your team knows how to use it.
Need the answer before you need the software?
Book a 90-minute working session. We will untangle the problem, examine the options and decide what is worth doing. You receive a written recommendation within three business days.
- 90-minute working session
- Written recommendation within three business days
The person you speak to is the person who builds it.
I'm Owain Lewis, a principal AI engineer, former Director of Engineering and AI business owner. I have spent 20 years building professional software.
I've worked alongside engineers from Amazon, Google, Netflix, Microsoft and Oracle. I work directly with you from the first conversation through to launch. No sales handoff, account manager or agency layers.
Questions before we start.
What can be built in four weeks?+
One focused web tool built around a core business workflow. It might be an operations tool, customer portal, review system, dashboard or automation. The scope is deliberately smaller than a complete platform, but the result is real software your team can use.
How is the scope kept under control?+
We agree the four-week scope before work begins. If the problem is too broad, we reduce the first release to the smallest useful product or agree that the sprint is not the right fit.
Do I need a complete specification?+
No. A clear operational problem is enough. If you are not yet sure which problem deserves a build, start with the 90-minute consulting session instead.
What happens after four weeks?+
The first version is live. My preferred model is to keep hosting and operating it for you on cloud infrastructure, then maintain and improve it as your business changes. You own the software and data without having to manage the infrastructure yourself.
Which manual workflow is costing you the most?
Four weeks. One working tool.