AI for Breakfast

Chris Witham • March 5, 2024

Post 49 - My ongoing quest for a set of Apps to boost productivity:
Milanote is now my favourite tool for organising ideas, projects and so much more…


This is from their website ‘Milanote is an easy-to-use tool to organize your ideas and projects into visual boards’ I think it's so much more, in fact I just upgraded to a paid account, I think it's that good!


This is yet another case of there being so many cool Apps out there that you may never hear of, unless by chance, like I did.


It's been around for a while apparently, who knew! I am building out the PARA methodology with it and if like me you’re more of a visual thinker then this could be something you’ll really enjoy using.


And yes, you may be wondering, this post is a little late given the blog's title and where’s the AI connection?


OK, so it’s been a busy day and I ran out of time, hopefully my newly developing productivity drive will alleviate that at some point.


Here’s the AI bit, today I tried out Claude AI on Sonnet 3. Basic prompt, no special instructions. Pretty good result I think.


PS: More dodgy type from ChatGPT in the image, apologies not enough time for Photoshopping it!


My Prompt:
I need a blog post article about how Milanote can help small business owners that think more visually use this excellent productivity tool to increase their productivity. It has some very useful templates. Mention at the end it's worth visiting their website to find out more. Please write in British English in a friendly and conversational tone.


Unleash Your Visual Thinking with Milanote


As a small business owner, keeping all your ideas, projects, and to-do lists organised can be a real challenge - especially if you're someone who thinks visually. Enter Milanote, the productivity tool that's tailored for visual thinkers like you.


Instead of trying to cram all your thoughts into a rigid, linear format, Milanote allows you to map out your ideas in a free-flowing, visual way. Build mind maps, add images and links, colour code notes, and move things around the infinite canvas until it all clicks into place for your brain.


One of the neat things about Milanote is the ability to toggle between board view and outline view. In board view, you can visually lay everything out and make connections. Then you can switch to the clean outline mode when you need to reorganise and refine your written notes.


Milanote is brilliant for solo entrepreneurs juggling multiple projects and workstreams. You can have separate boards for different areas of your business, like marketing ideas, product development, client work, etc. And everything is synced across devices so you can access your visual workspaces from anywhere.


As a visual thinker myself, I've found Milanote to be a gamechanger for organising my thoughts and maximising my productivity. No more getting bogged down by linear to-do lists that don't align with how my brain works.


Even better, Milanote offers ready-made templates to kickstart common workflows like project planning, content calendars, task management, and more. The templates give you a solid visual framework to build upon.


Key Features:


  • Visual board layout for mapping ideas


  • Toggle between board and outline views


  • Ability to add images, links, notes


  • Colour coding for organisation


  • Infinite canvas to organise visually


  • Templates for common workflows


  • Synced across devices


  • Designed for visual thinkers


So if you're a small business owner who thinks visually and struggles with traditional productivity tools, I highly recommend giving Milanote a go. Visit their website at milanote.com to learn more and sign up for a free trial. Your visually-oriented brain will thank you!

Lines of colorful computer code on a dark background.
By Chris Witham December 11, 2025
Where AI really helps your Business If you spend any time on LinkedIn or X, you’ll have seen bold claims about how AI can help you build software in a matter of days. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of big promises, and a fair bit of confusion for business owners trying to work out what’s real. A new term doing the rounds is “Vibe Coding” —the idea of describing what you want to an AI assistant and having it generate the code for you. It’s becoming popular because it can move things forward quickly and help people explore ideas they wouldn’t have been able to create alone. And the truth is, it does have its place. The challenge isn’t the technique. It’s the expectation that AI will automatically deliver finished, reliable, production-ready tools without any real design or thinking behind them. AI accelerates the work you already do well Used properly, AI can: • Remove huge amounts of repetitive work • Speed up drafting and iteration • Generate working prototypes in hours • Help non-technical people explore ideas • Improve documentation, planning and communication This is where it shines. But it still needs clarity, structure, and well-designed processes around it. It’s like having a very fast assistant rather than a fully formed development team. Why many AI projects don’t deliver what people expect Independent research this year showed a clear pattern: • Many early AI initiatives failed to produce measurable business value • Companies abandoned AI ideas because they couldn’t scale or integrate them • The gap between an impressive demo and a reliable tool is larger than people thought This doesn’t mean AI is overhyped. It means teams jumped straight to execution without the groundwork. The technology isn’t the issue. It’s the approach. Small businesses don’t need Enterprise Platforms Most UK small businesses don’t need to build a full software product. What they actually need is: • Better workflows • Faster content generation • Clearer communication • Improved customer support • Tools that reflect the way they work • Consistency and repeatability AI is perfect for this. A custom GPT trained on your tone, your documents and your processes can become: • A writing assistant • A customer support helper • A knowledge base navigator • An internal guide for staff • A quality-control layer • A process automator No engineering team needed. No complex infrastructure. No stress. Where AI builds real value right now AI works best when it’s part of a thoughtful, guided approach: • Define the outcome you want • Build a lightweight prototype (AI helps here) • Add structure, rules and guardrails • Connect it to your real workflow • Test it with real users or staff • Iterate until it feels natural You can still move fast. You just avoid building something brittle that breaks the moment it’s needed. The key insight: AI doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it AI is at its strongest when someone knowledgeable decides: • What it should do • What it shouldn’t do • How it should behave • What tone it should use • How it fits into the business • What checks and constraints matter That’s where tools like custom GPTs genuinely shine. They’re not software products in the traditional sense. They’re flexible assistants shaped around your business. With the right design, they can save huge amounts of time and deliver consistent, practical value without any of the complexity of building a full system. A more useful way to think about AI in 2026 Instead of “AI will build everything for you”, a healthier mindset is: AI speeds up the work, but you set the direction. For small businesses, that’s more than enough to make a real difference.
By Chris Witham August 21, 2025
Website Planet Interview
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THOUGHT OF THE DAY: 'An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.' - Benjamin Franklin EXPLANATION: This quote reminds us of the enduring value of learning and education as a pathway to success.
January 15, 2025
WORD: Egregious DEFINITION: Outstandingly bad or shocking. USAGE: 'The error in the report was so egregious it couldn’t be ignored.' ORIGIN: From the Latin 'egregius,' originally meaning 'distinguished' or 'remarkable,' later used ironically to highlight glaring faults.
January 14, 2025
TRADE FOCUS: Chef AI APPLICATIONS: - MENU DESIGN: AI creates innovative recipes based on available ingredients. - SUPPLY MANAGEMENT: AI predicts ingredient needs to minimise waste. - CUSTOMER INSIGHTS: AI analyses feedback to improve dish offerings. - SKILL TRAINING: AI provides virtual cooking lessons and techniques.
January 13, 2025
On 13th January 1898, Émile Zola published 'J'accuse,' an open letter defending Alfred Dreyfus, which became a pivotal moment in the Dreyfus Affair.
January 12, 2025
IDIOM OF THE DAY: Bite off more than you can chew FIGURATIVE MEANING: To take on a task that is too difficult to manage. TYPICAL USAGE: 'She bit off more than she could chew by agreeing to organise the entire event.' ORIGIN: Likely from the literal difficulty of chewing an overly large piece of food.
January 11, 2025
IDIOM OF THE DAY: Throw in the towel FIGURATIVE MEANING: To give up or admit defeat. TYPICAL USAGE: 'After hours of trying, he threw in the towel and called for help.' ORIGIN: From boxing, where a towel is thrown into the ring to signal surrender.
January 10, 2025
AI GENERATED HUMOUR: Why did the AI bring a notepad to the beach? To take down sandy data! This joke connects AI’s data-driven nature to a playful seaside scenario.
January 9, 2025
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: 'The only way to do great work is to love what you do.' - Steve Jobs EXPLANATION: This quote highlights the importance of passion in achieving excellence in one’s work.
January 8, 2025
WORD: Ineffable DEFINITION: Too great or extreme to be expressed in words. USAGE: 'The beauty of the sunrise was ineffable, leaving everyone speechless.' ORIGIN: From the Latin 'ineffabilis,' meaning 'unutterable,' often used to describe profound experiences.
January 7, 2025
TRADE FOCUS: Jeweller AI APPLICATIONS: - DESIGN CREATION: AI generates intricate jewellery designs based on current trends. - GEMSTONE ANALYSIS: AI evaluates the quality and authenticity of gemstones. - CUSTOM ORDERS: AI creates virtual previews for bespoke pieces. - INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: AI optimises stock levels and demand forecasting.
January 6, 2025
On 6th January 1838, Samuel Morse successfully demonstrated the first public telegraph message, marking a revolution in communication.
January 5, 2025
IDIOM OF THE DAY: Put all your eggs in one basket FIGURATIVE MEANING: To risk everything on a single venture. TYPICAL USAGE: 'Investing all your money in one stock is like putting all your eggs in one basket.' ORIGIN: Likely from the precariousness of carrying all eggs in one basket, risking breaking them all if dropped.
January 4, 2025
IDIOM OF THE DAY: Spill the beans FIGURATIVE MEANING: To reveal a secret. TYPICAL USAGE: 'She spilled the beans about the surprise party.' ORIGIN: Likely derived from voting practices in ancient Greece where beans were used, and spilling them prematurely could reveal results.
January 3, 2025
AI GENERATED HUMOUR: Why did the AI start a podcast? It wanted to amplify its voice! This playful joke ties AI’s communication abilities to the world of podcasting.
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