BUILDWITHZACHINDEPENDENT BY DESIGN.WINNIPEG / WORKING EVERYWHERE

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA / DIRECT TO THE BUILDER

Custom apps.
AI workflows.
Built in Winnipeg.

I’m Zach Chester. I build custom business apps, workflow automation, and product prototypes for people who have a real problem to solve. Based in Winnipeg, working with teams across Manitoba, Canada, and remotely worldwide.

Tell me what needs to work ↗See the actual work

01 / WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET DONE?

Start with the problem.

THE WORKFLOW

Stop moving the same data twice.

Enquiries get copied into a CRM. Reports need three spreadsheets. A customer update waits for someone to find the right information. I help turn that repeated handoff into a focused integration or internal tool.

AI automation and internal tools ↗
THE PRODUCT

Build the first version people can use.

You have a business idea, a client request, or a product feature to test. We choose the smallest useful flow, identify what needs real engineering, and build a prototype or MVP with a clear finish line.

MVP and prototype development ↗
THE EXISTING APP

Find what is stopping the launch.

An AI-built demo can look finished while login, permissions, integrations, or deployment still need work. Bring the app and the failure you can reproduce. The first job is understanding what needs fixing and whether the existing build is worth extending.

Use the AI app launch checklist ↗

02 / A BUILD YOU CAN PICTURE

From enquiry to a useful next step.

Imagine a Winnipeg service business handling project enquiries through email and a website form. Someone reads each message, asks for missing details, creates a CRM record, and drafts the reply.

A first automation could collect the required fields, check for an existing customer, prepare a summary, and queue a draft for approval. Straightforward routing uses rules. AI may help interpret an unstructured description. A person still decides what to promise the customer.

This is an illustrative build, not a claimed client result. The useful pilot compares handling time, corrections, and missed enquiries with the current process. If the new workflow takes more supervision than it saves, the pilot needs to change.

Map your own workflow with the free worksheet ↗
  1. INPUTOne enquiry, with the relevant context.
  2. PROCESSValidate fields, identify the next action, prepare a draft.
  3. REVIEWA person checks missing details and approves the response.
  4. EXCEPTIONSDuplicates and failed updates stay visible for follow-up.

03 / OWNED PRODUCTS, REAL BUILD WORK

Inspect what I’ve built.

These are my own products and experiments. Their public status is part of the story; they are not presented as Winnipeg client case studies.

MemberPort

A Shopify-to-Discord access product with purchase-rule, claim-link, and role-management flows. The public product page shows the screens and founding-pilot scope.

See MemberPort and its current status ↗

SalesOp AI

An AI-powered sales operations build around pipeline hygiene and administrative work. It is a relevant example of turning an operating problem into a software surface.

Read the SalesOp AI project brief ↗

SEO Repair Shop

A working public utility that fetches page HTML, reports observed issues, and exports a repair plan. Run it yourself to see a complete input-to-output workflow.

Try the free SEO audit ↗

04 / BEFORE WE BUILD

A clear scope beats a vague promise.

For custom app development, the hard part is often agreeing what the software must do when the happy path breaks. We identify the user, the systems involved, access permissions, data quality, and the outcome that would make the project worthwhile.

The proposed scope should name the deliverables, exclusions, review points, deployment responsibilities, and support arrangement. More integrations, sensitive data, payments, and multiple user roles can change the work substantially. A demo and a production app have different finish lines.

I scope projects individually. Hosting, model/API usage, third-party software, and ongoing maintenance need to be considered alongside the build. If you are still working out the budget, use the Canadian MVP scoping guide to prepare a brief that can be quoted meaningfully.

05 / QUESTIONS BEFORE HIRING

The practical details.

Do you work only with Winnipeg businesses?

No. Winnipeg, Manitoba is my base. I also work remotely with businesses elsewhere in Canada and internationally. Tell me where your team works and when you need overlap.

Do I need AI in my app?

Only when it helps the job. Forms, calculations, notifications, and many integrations can work with ordinary software rules. AI is worth considering when the task involves interpreting or drafting variable text, with suitable review and cost controls.

Can you work with the systems we already use?

That is the starting point. We check the available integrations, permissions, subscription limits, and data exports before choosing an approach. Sometimes using an existing feature is better than commissioning custom software.

Who owns the code and accounts?

We should settle repository access, intellectual property, hosting accounts, third-party licences, and handoff responsibilities in the project agreement. Ask for those details before the build starts.

What should I send with an enquiry?

The task that is painful, the tools involved, one example of the input and expected output, your deadline, and any budget constraints. For an existing app, send its public link and describe what fails. Keep passwords and private customer data out of the initial message.

Talk through your project ↗Email Zach directly