David Nowak.
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About David Nowak

Most businesses are using AI. Almost none are getting value from it.

91%of businesses have adopted AI
vs
4%use it to change how they operate
The tools are everywhere. The value isn't.

That gap — between buying the tools and making them work — is the problem I've spent twenty years solving. I help small and mid-size businesses close it.

The gap

Adoption without adaptation

Businesses are adopting AI at scale — and almost none of them are adapting it to their organisation. The tools are everywhere, but the people expected to make them work are being handed the software and no support: no dedicated AI lead, no budget for consultants, no one to ask. Just the pressure to keep up and a wall of hype telling them they're falling behind.

This isn't a technology problem. It's a resourcing problem. The knowledge exists — it's just locked behind jargon, sales pitches, and six-figure consulting retainers. Small and mid-size businesses can't afford the people who know how to do this properly, so they buy the tools and hope.

That's the gap I close — at the scale of half a million users, and for a single owner with one painful task.

The free resources

If you can solve it yourself, you should

That resourcing gap is why I put the plain-language version of what I know online, for free. The site is a library — guides for where to start, articles to understand what's really going on, and answers to the questions owners actually ask: where do I start, what do I automate first, is my data safe, what does this cost. No jargon, no gatekeeping.

If you can solve it yourself, you should. And when a business needs more than a resource — a real build, a system that runs on their own machines, someone to hold the strategy — that's where I come in. The resources are free either way.

Here's what that looks like.

What I've built

The thread behind the work

The roles have varied. The thread hasn't: building systems that connect people to technology, in a way that respects both.

01

Built AI that runs without the internet

Created Mindwire — Forge, Bridge, and Stream — free, privacy-first applications that run entirely on-device with zero external API calls. Your data never leaves your machine. This is the same approach I bring to your business: AI that works for you, not for a cloud provider.

02

500,000+ users

Architected and scaled a global professional community from zero to over half a million active users — and built the governance, moderation, and infrastructure that kept it healthy at that scale. The point for you: I've built systems that have to work when it matters, not just when it's easy.

03

Co-founded multiple startups

Co-founded and led across multiple startups — as CTO, VP of Technology, and founder. Built bespoke platforms, a dedicated LMS, native iOS and Android apps, and the engineering process to ship them reliably. I know what it takes to get from idea to something that actually works.

04

#1 per-capita global sales

Masterminded a national distribution strategy and custom CRM that took a product category to #1 in per-capita sales globally. The commercial side of the same skillset — I care about results, not just code.

How I work

The pattern behind the work

I don't separate business problems from technical problems or people problems. What looks like a technical gap is often a communication problem, or a misaligned incentive. I look for the pattern that runs through all three, because that's where the real constraint hides.

I work in plain language, and I work in code. A plan that can't survive being built isn't a plan; building without a direction is just busy work. I'll tell you what's worth doing and what isn't, and I'll be straight about the tradeoffs — including when the answer is that you don't need me.

And I care about trust. Everything I build stays with your team. No vendor lock-in, no proprietary black boxes, no data handed to a cloud you don't control — that's the standard, and the guide shows what it looks like in practice.

In their words

What it's like to work with me

"Most companies are selling you fear and complexity. He cuts through the bullshit and just fixes things. That's what partnership looks like."

Jim — Owner, media production company

"A thorough, strategic thinker. Strong analytical and comparative skills — a real edge."

Jermane — Owner, project management company

"A rare gift for pinpointing opportunities for innovation. He grew an online community past 500,000 members."

Lauren — Marketing Manager, tech company

"His strategic acumen and deep understanding of web-based solutions gave us a real edge in the market."

Paul — Marketing Director, tech company

"He enhances the productivity of an organization by making comfort zones intellectually uncomfortable."

Jaemes — Sales Manager, tech company

I'm David. I build AI that keeps your data yours.

David Nowak

Twenty years building software for businesses like yours — cloud tools when they fit, your own machines when the data demands it. Four ways to work together: a session, a scoped project, a standing second opinion, or just an email.

Work with David

"Most companies are selling you fear and complexity. He cuts through the bullshit and just fixes things. That's what partnership looks like."
Jim · Owner, media production company · more testimonials