Big Fish

Big Fish We Build AI Agents, Automations and Custom Software for Operations Driven Teams. Big Fish designs and develops custom apps for field service companies.

Enjoy the security, ease and accountability of working with a 100% U.S.-based team. Our clients are big thinkers, and we bring their ideas to life with user-friendly technology that solves real business challenges. With a strategic mindset and over a decade in business, we do more than just build apps – we provide creative solutions and ideas you might not have thought of. When you hire Big Fish,

you get a team of experienced app developers based entirely in the United States. No outsourcing, no communication gaps – just high-quality software built by experts who understand your industry. Ready to free yourself from one-size-fits-all software? Contact us today for a personalized app development quote. https://discoverbigfish.com

Headquartered in Tampa Florida.

7 Questions to Ask Before You Automate a Business ProcessIs your company getting ready to automate some of the work your...
03/24/2026

7 Questions to Ask Before You Automate a Business Process

Is your company getting ready to automate some of the work your team does? If so, it’s worth thinking through a few questions to ask before automating a business process.

Automation can take a meaningful amount of work off your team’s plate. It can also improve process consistency and make day-to-day operations less burdensome.

But before automating a workflow, it’s important that the process is understood clearly.

Here are the questions you should ask first:

1. What outcome are we trying to achieve, and how will we measure it?

2. What does the process actually look like today?

3. What triggers this process, and when is it complete?

4. Where does this process break down, including edge cases?

5. What inputs does this process rely on, and how consistent are they?

6. What decisions need to be made along the way?

7. What should happen when something doesn’t go as planned?

Taking a little time upfront to think through these questions will help ensure your automation actually works the way you expect it to.

Click the link in the comments to read the full article.

How we plan an AI voice agent starts with discovery.A voice agent is an AI-powered assistant that can handle phone conve...
12/26/2025

How we plan an AI voice agent starts with discovery.

A voice agent is an AI-powered assistant that can handle phone conversations for your business. In many cases, it becomes the first point of contact when someone calls. 📞

That can include things like:
• Answering inbound calls
• Booking or rescheduling appointments 🗓️
• Updating a calendar or CRM
• Answering common questions
• Routing calls or transferring to a human
• Making outbound follow-up or qualification calls

At Big Fish, planning a voice agent starts with discovery. Discovery is about establishing the call flows the agent will handle and the outcomes for each of those flows.

For example, when planning an AI receptionist, we focus on:
• The types of calls your business receives
• What should happen on each type of call
• Which tasks the agent should be able to complete
• When calls should be routed to a human
• What systems are involved

Discovery usually happens over two Zoom calls and takes about two hours total. By the end, there is a shared understanding of what the voice agent is responsible for.

That clarity is what allows design and build to move quickly and stay aligned with how your business actually operates.

Click the link in the comments to read the full article.

Many teams still assume they need an app to improve customer experience or reduce repetitive work.But a growing share of...
12/04/2025

Many teams still assume they need an app to improve customer experience or reduce repetitive work.

But a growing share of those app use cases can now be handled by an AI assistant paired with the right automations.

Order lookups, scheduling, account updates, status questions — all of these used to require screens, menus, and a long development path.

Today they can often be handled through natural conversation on the phone, in SMS, on your website, or inside your existing app.

Apps still matter, especially for visual or device-level needs. But it’s worth looking closely at where an AI assistant can remove steps, reduce complexity, and give customers a faster path to what they need.

We’ve put together a practical guide to help you think through the choice.

Click the link in the comments to read the full article.

AI Agents vs. Traditional Automation: What’s the DifferenceBusinesses have been automating for decades.From tools that s...
11/18/2025

AI Agents vs. Traditional Automation: What’s the Difference

Businesses have been automating for decades.

From tools that send text message reminders, to workflows that analyze data and generate reports, automation has long helped companies save time and reduce manual work.

But the rise of AI agents has changed what’s possible.

Agents don’t just follow instructions, they apply reasoning and decide what needs to happen next.

Traditional automation is built on clear, rule-based logic: If X happens, then do Y.

AI agents represent a shift from executing instructions to interpreting meaning.

Automation reacts to rules.
Agents reason through context.

They can:
• Interpret natural language
• Handle many exceptions without human intervention
• Carry out multi-step actions based on understanding, not just triggers

The exciting thing is that this isn’t an either/or decision.

Agents and automations can work together.

At Big Fish, we design AI agents and automations that handle the repetitive work so your team can focus on what matters most.

👉 Click the link in the comments to read the full article

When it’s time to build custom software, should you hire an agency, or build your own team?It’s one of the first (and bi...
10/29/2025

When it’s time to build custom software, should you hire an agency, or build your own team?

It’s one of the first (and biggest) decisions companies face.

Both options can lead to success, but they differ in how quickly you can start, what kind of talent you’ll access, and how much long-term management you’ll take on.

In our latest article, we walk through the key differences, including:

✅ Time-to-Value: Agencies can start in weeks, while hiring your own team can take months.

💰 Cost: Internal teams are predictable but come with full-time overhead. Agencies scale up or down as needed.

👥 Expertise: Agencies bring proven, cross-functional teams. In-house teams offer tighter integration with your daily operations.

🔄 Continuity: With an agency, replacements and transitions are handled for you. With an internal team, that responsibility (and cost) is yours.

There’s no universal right answer.

If you need speed, flexibility, and proven expertise - an agency might be your best path.

If your software is your business, and you’re ready for long-term investment - build in-house.

Some Big Fish clients even start with us to build the foundation, then bring development in-house once the platform is stable.

👉 Read the full article: link in the comments

How long does it take to develop an app?The answer: it depends on complexity, priorities, and scope — but there are real...
09/22/2025

How long does it take to develop an app?

The answer: it depends on complexity, priorities, and scope — but there are realistic ranges.

In our latest article, we break down the average app development timeline phase by phase:

1. Discovery & Planning: 2–4 weeks

2. Design, Development & Testing:
- Simple apps: 8–12 weeks
- Medium complexity: 3–6 months
- Complex/enterprise: 6–12+ months

3. Final Review & Deployment: 1–4 weeks

4. Post-Launch Iteration & Maintenance: ongoing

In 2025, modern AI tools can reduce time in areas like planning, code generation, and testing — and we use them at Big Fish to help clients move faster without sacrificing quality.

👉 Read the full article to see what you can expect when planning your app development timeline: link in the comments

This electric utility covers more than 2,000 square miles, most of it rural. Their field team needed a better way to col...
09/16/2025

This electric utility covers more than 2,000 square miles, most of it rural. Their field team needed a better way to collect site data for new installs.

The old process required laptops, GPS devices, and a manual upload once they were back in the office.

⚡️ We built an app that runs on their existing phones, works without cell service, and uploads automatically once back online.

Now their install team gets everything they need on the first trip. No missed details. No return visits.

Fewer steps. Less risk. A better system for the people doing the work.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
If your field teams are still juggling laptops, GPS units, and paper notes, let’s talk about how a custom app could simplify the work.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

💡45% more productive by replacing a manual process with an app.A utility location company came to us with a clunky workf...
09/09/2025

💡45% more productive by replacing a manual process with an app.

A utility location company came to us with a clunky workflow:

Photos were taken on phones,
transferred to laptops,
and uploaded one at a time through a web app.

It slowed their field team down and created too much room for error.
We built a mobile app that runs on the phones they already use.

✨ Photos are automatically tagged and uploaded with GPS coordinates - no extra steps, no missed files.

That change improved productivity by 45%.
A more efficient process, with less friction across the board.

---

Does your org have a similar challenge? Book a 30-minute discovery call via our website, talk directly with our founder, brainstorm solutions. Link in comments.

💡 When conversations go to AI in software development, it's usually about writing code or testing. But the planning phas...
08/26/2025

💡 When conversations go to AI in software development, it's usually about writing code or testing. But the planning phase is another place where AI delivers huge value.

At Big Fish, we’re using AI to help companies plan custom software projects faster and with less risk.

Here are 5 ways AI supports the planning phase:

1️⃣ Capturing stakeholder input & drafting requirements
2️⃣ Writing user stories & acceptance criteria
3️⃣ Mapping dependencies & impacts
4️⃣ Creating draft flows & process diagrams
5️⃣ Forecasting resources, costs & risks

The result? Faster clarity, less time consumed, and more confident decisions before a single line of code is written.

👉 Link to the full article is in the comments.

Designing Business Software That Actually Gets UsedIf you're investing in custom software for your team, you want more t...
08/19/2025

Designing Business Software That Actually Gets Used

If you're investing in custom software for your team, you want more than a working app, you want adoption.

But too often, software gets shaped by assumptions or executive preferences instead of actual user input.

The result?

Frustrated teams, unused features and rework down the line.

Over on our blog we share six ways to avoid that:

1. Involve real users early. Don’t rely on proxies.

2. Design for real-world conditions. Gloves, glare and rain matter.

3. Keep it simple. Prioritize ease of use over feature count.

4. Plan for offline use. Field teams need access anywhere.

5. Test in real environments—not just the office.

6. Budget time and resources for iteration after launch.

It’s not about guessing right, it’s about listening early and designing with reality in mind.

Read the full article to see what effective app design actually looks like, and how to avoid the most common missteps.

(The link is in the comments.)

When you build a custom app, who owns the source code?If it’s not clearly spelled out in your contract, the answer might...
07/15/2025

When you build a custom app, who owns the source code?

If it’s not clearly spelled out in your contract, the answer might surprise you.

Without full source code ownership, you’re dependent on your original developer for every fix, feature or update.

In this new guide, we break down:
• What source code actually is (and why it’s like a cupcake recipe)

• Why investors care about IP ownership during due diligence

• How to avoid vendor lock-in and regain strategic flexibility

• The Founder’s Checklist: five must-haves to secure full code ownership

At Big Fish, our stance is clear: When you hire us, you own what we build.

No ransom clauses. No hidden fees. No surprises.

Read the full article on our website at discoverbigfish.com.

We just published “How to Reduce Your App Development Timeline” a quick-read guide for founders and ops leaders who can’...
07/09/2025

We just published “How to Reduce Your App Development Timeline” a quick-read guide for founders and ops leaders who can’t afford a six-month build cycle.

Here’s a sneak peek:
• Lead with a true MVP, not feature bloat
• Borrow a battle-tested agency team instead of spinning up one from scratch
• Put AI to work to shave days or weeks off coding and testing
• Plug in proven accelerators (cross-platform frameworks, SaaS modules)
• Time-box planning with our Blueprint sprint

If speed equals market share in your world, this five-step playbook is your next move.

Read the full post → link in comments 👇

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