Custom AI software
for teams past n8n and Zapier
Code beats no-code when AI is in the loop. I'm Long — nearly a decade writing production software, started in 2018 (before Midjourney existed and well before LLMs could ship usable code). I'm the dev your ops lead calls when the no-code stack hits a wall.
Three concrete
things I do.
Pick the one that sounds like your problem. If none of them do, talk to the duck and it'll route you.
Iterate your winning ad on autopilot.
Take a creative that already converts. The pipeline I build generates dozens of on-brand variations nightly — copy, captions, thumbnail tweaks, A/B-ready exports. You wake up to a fresh batch.
Outgrew n8n or Zapier.
Branching three deep, monthly bill creeping past $300, multi-model AI routing across providers. I rewrite the load-bearing flows in real code, run them in parallel for two weeks, then cut over.
Set up Claude Code for your team.
Vetted skills installed, custom skills built for your workflows, MCP servers tied to your CMS / CRM / analytics stack. Same setup I use with Claude every day.
Four pages with sharp answers to one question.
You found this site by searching one of these terms. Each page below is built to answer the exact question that brought you here — no fluff, no funnel.
Or skip to talk to the duck and I'll just tell you the right move for your situation.
n8n alternative
You hit the wall n8n hits at scale: latency, debugging, model routing, custom integrations. I rebuild the load-bearing parts in real code.
n8n vs Zapier
Stuck choosing between two no-code platforms that will break at the same bottleneck eventually. I show you when to skip both.
Zapier alternative
Per-task pricing punishing you. Zaps breaking quietly. Custom code workarounds duct-taped on top. Time to graduate from Zapier.
Hire an AI developer
Need a real engineer for a real build, not an agency layer. Custom Claude / OpenAI integrations. Fixed price, source-code-yours.
Most agencies lock you in.
I hand you the keys.
I spent the agency years as the in-house dev — the engineer ops leads called when their workflow stack stopped scaling. The pattern was the same both shops: a content lead bought Zapier, built something brilliant, hit a wall around month four, and spent the next quarter duct-taping workarounds.
The wall was always the same shape. Custom logic. Real data. Multi-step orchestration with branching. Cost predictability. Model choice. The things code does cleanly and no-code does badly.
RDTS is the door in that wall. Real software, custom-built, scoped tightly, shipped in weeks. Source code transfers to you. Hosting on your cloud. Modify, fork, take it anywhere.
| Property | No-code | RDTS |
|---|---|---|
| Fast to start | ✓ | ✓ |
| Costs predictable at scale | ✗ | ✓ |
| You own source code | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom branching logic | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi-model AI routing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Properly debuggable | ✗ | ✓ |
Three real builds. Not lorem ipsum.
multi-model orchestration, shipped solo.
- ClipMango AI music video pipeline · multi-model · production Solo build · ongoing
- Lee De Card AI-driven creator booking platform Lead dev · 2024
- Dragon Wagons Marketing site + content automation backend Site + tooling · 2024
// case studies coming. for now: ask me directly.
From talk to ship
in four steps.
Solo founder. No agency layers, no AE handoffs. The person you talk to first is the person writing your code — that's the entire point.
Start at step 1- Step 01
Talk
Free 5-minute conversation. Walk me through what you're trying to build. No deck, no funnel, no sales call.
- Step 02
Scope
I send a one-page spec: tier, fixed price, timeline, and exactly what's out of scope. Sign or pass — no pressure.
- Step 03
Build
Solo build. Daily commits to a shared repo so you watch progress. No agency status meetings.
- Step 04
Ship
Deploy to your hosting. Source code transfers to you. 30-day support included on Tier S3 and Custom.
Straight answers.
No buzzword soup.
More questions in mind? Ask the duck or email me directly.
Why hire a custom developer when I already use Zapier or n8n?
+
When the no-code stack works, keep using it — that's the right tool for shallow workflows. RDTS only makes sense once you're hitting limits: per-task pricing blowing up your monthly bill, custom code workarounds bolted onto Zaps, complex branching no-code can't express, model routing across multiple LLMs, real database joins, or integrations that don't exist as official connectors. At that point, three weeks of custom code beats a year of Zap maintenance.
What does the $1,500 starter tier actually include?
+
One sharp tool with one input and one output. Examples: an AI transcript cleaner that takes raw video and returns shippable posts; a content idea pipeline that takes a brief and returns 20 ranked angles; a repurposer that takes a podcast and returns three platform-specific edits. One week to build, deployed to your hosting, you keep the source code.
Can you migrate my existing Zapier or n8n workflow?
+
Yes — that's the most common project. I audit what you have, identify the load-bearing flows that don't need to migrate, rewrite the ones that do in real code, and run them in parallel for two weeks before cutting over. You keep your no-code stack for the simple stuff.
Do you build with Claude, OpenAI, or something else?
+
Whatever fits. I build a lot on Anthropic's Claude API (strong on long-context reasoning, content judgment). OpenAI when their flagship specifically wins. Gemini when the price/perf for the task lines up. Multi-model routing when the workload spans them. The right choice depends on your task — I don't default-pick.
Who actually does the work?
+
Long Nguyen — me, solo. Nearly a decade writing production software, since 2018 (back when LLMs couldn't ship usable code). Spent the agency years as the in-house dev ops leads called when their no-code stack stopped scaling. The person you talk to first is the person writing the code. No AE layer, no PM, no junior dev.
Bring me a problem.
I'll bring back a spec.
Free 5-minute conversation. Tell the duck what you're trying to build and you'll leave with a one-page spec, a fixed price, and a timeline.
