Official Book Release (2026)

The Pragmatic AI Builder

Q: Do I need a technical background or computer science degree to read this book?

No. The book is written in plain English using real-world analogies. It teaches you the General Contractor method: how to direct AI coding assistants like Cursor and Claude to build clean software while you focus on customer discovery, unit economics, and sales.

Q: What formats will the book be available in?

The Pragmatic AI Builder will be available on Amazon Kindle ($9.99), Paperback ($24.99), Apple Books, and Google Play, with an expanded Digital Developer Toolkit available on richardewing.io.

Q: What templates and tools are included with the book?

The book includes the complete Forensic Audit Statement of Work (SOW), the Strategic Paid Pilot Agreement template, the drop-in .cursorrules builder directives, the Builder's Nine Questions inspection checklist, and the startup credit readiness guide.

How Anyone Can Build, Price, and Launch a Profitable AI Business (With or Without a Tech Background)

Stop watching from the sidelines. Learn how to direct AI coding assistants like a General Contractor, protect your profit margins with smart caching, claim $500k in free cloud credits, and close paying customers before you write code.

No CS Degree RequiredIncludes $7.5k SOW Template$500k Cloud Credit Guide12 Multi-Model Prompts

Get Early Draft Chapters & Launch Notice

Instant access to Chapter 1 preview and the $500k Credit Checklist upon signing up.

Inside the 17-Chapter Operating Manual

Structured into four tactical sections that guide you step-by-step from zero to incorporated, cash-flowing software business.

Part 1

Part I: Should I Build This? (Customer Pain & The Wedge Scout)

Uncovering your authentic unfair foothold, the 10-Signal Evidence Stack, and the Decision Ladder for when NOT to build.

Chapter 1: The Life Experience Audit (Your Unfair Foothold)
Chapter 2: The Wedge Scout Framework & The Evidence Stack
Chapter 3: The Decision Ladder: When NOT to Build Software
Chapter 4: The Triple Defensibility Test (Why Not ChatGPT, SaaS, or Internal Build?)
Chapter 5: Cognitive Task Allocation (Principles Over Model Names)
Chapter 6: Field Scouting & The Discovery Conversation

Part 2

Part II: If So, How Should I Build It? (De-Jargonized Systems & Smart Economics)

The General Contractor method, The Builder's Nine Questions, Outcome Economics, and smart caching.

Chapter 7: The General Contractor Method & The Builder's Nine Questions
Chapter 8: Outcome Economics: Managing Cost Per Successful Customer Job
Chapter 9: The Economics of Caching & Cost Control
Chapter 10: Deterministic Context: The Cheapest Database on Earth
Chapter 11: Setting House Rules for AI Assistants (.cursorrules & Directives)
Chapter 12: Safe Passage (Customer Data Privacy & Getting Paid via Stripe)

Part 3

Part III: How Do I Structure the Business? (Legal Rails & Non-Dilutive Capital)

Sensible entity formation, navigating startup credit tiers realistically, and claiming federal SBIR grants.

Chapter 13: Sensible Entity Formation (Richard's Rule: Formalities & Tax Reserves)
Chapter 14: Navigating Cloud Credits & Startup Programs (Realistic Tiers vs Caps)
Chapter 15: Non-Dilutive Government Grants (SAM.gov & SBIR)
Chapter 16: The Clarifying Power of High-Stakes Compression

Part 4

Part IV: How Do I Turn It into a Real Company? (The Embedded Founder Flywheel)

The complete 6-stage flywheel, value-based pricing heuristics, distribution, and customer retention loops.

Chapter 17: The Embedded Founder (Services as the Research Lab & Financing Engine)
Chapter 18: Value-Based Pricing & The Strategic Paid Pilot (The Awkward Silence)
Chapter 19: Distribution, Retention & Pain Reoccurrence
Chapter 20: The Quiet Launch & The 5-Day Nurture Funnel

Over $585,000 in Included Toolkits & Financial Rails

This is not abstract theory. Every copy comes with ready-to-use production assets:

Production Legal Contracts

Copy-paste $7,500 Forensic Audit SOW and $500 Strategic Pilot Agreement with automatic SaaS conversion terms.

Smart Caching Architecture

Complete Redis vector semantic cache (0.92 cosine) Python class that slashes repetitive inference bills by 50%.

$500k Capital Directory

Direct step-by-step approval recipes for Google ($350k), Microsoft ($150k), AWS ($25k), and SAM.gov SBIR grants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a technical background or computer science degree to read this book?+

What formats will the book be available in?+

What templates and tools are included with the book?+

Explore the 20-Day Curriculum →•View Code & Legal Vault →•Live 4-Week Cohort →