About us
We've spent a combined 25+ years in technology consulting, founding small businesses, and implementing technology that actually works. Don't Hire exists because we kept seeing the same pattern: good businesses spending £50k on a hire when £3k of automation would have done the job better.
The backstory
We've both built and run small businesses. We've both sat in the chair where you're sitting right now — staring at a growing to-do list, wondering whether to hire someone or find another way.
Ed qualified in Mechanical Engineering and has spent 15 years in technology — consulting, starting businesses, and growing revenue. Five years in B2B taught him exactly where businesses bleed time and money on manual work that shouldn't be manual.
Jay has spent a decade building software — not in a lab, but for real businesses with real constraints and zero patience for systems that don't work on day one.
When AI tools became genuinely capable in 2024, we saw the same thing: most small businesses didn't need AI strategy. They needed someone to just build the thing. No workshops. No transformation roadmaps. Just working systems, deployed fast, at a price that makes hiring look absurd.
That's Don't Hire.
The team
We're deliberately small. You talk to the people who build your systems. No account managers. No handoffs. No Chinese whispers.
Product & Strategy
Ed
Qualifying in Mechanical Engineering, Ed has spent 15 years working in technology — from consulting, to starting businesses, to growing revenue. His last 5 years in B2B mean he's well versed in doing amazing things with very little. He's the one on the scoping call, and the one who makes sure what we build actually moves the needle.
Engineering & Build
Jay
Jay builds the thing. AI agents, automations, integrations — whatever the solution requires. He's spent a decade building software for businesses that need things to work reliably on day one, not demo well in a boardroom. If Ed says it can be built, Jay makes sure it is.
Why us
We've run businesses ourselves
We know what it's like to make payroll, chase invoices, and work weekends because there's nobody else to do it. We build for that reality, not for a case study.
We say no more than we say yes
If AI can't do the job properly, we'll tell you on the first call. We'd rather lose a sale than build something that doesn't work. Our reputation depends on results, not revenue.
You talk to the builders
No sales team. No account managers. No handoffs. The people you speak to are the people who build your systems. That means less miscommunication and faster delivery.
Not a sales call. A conversation. Tell us what's not working, what you were about to hire for, or where you think AI might help. We'll give you an honest answer in 15 minutes.
Book a free 15-min call →No obligation. No hard sell. Two founders having an honest chat.