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Make AI Work Your Way: Brian Anderson on Building Custom Programs at AI in the AM
6 Min ReadSC COMPETES • AI IN THE AM • FALL 2026
Build AI apps around the way you actually work.
ADVYON founder Brian Anderson joined South Carolina business leaders to show what happens when AI builds the software you need—not just the software someone sells you.
In the November 3 session, “Make AI Work Your Way: Building Custom Programs,” he explored replacing underused SaaS, compared today’s app builders, and built a simple expense tracker live with the audience.
FROM IDEA TO WORKING APP
Your workflow.
Your tools.
Your way.
WATCH THE RECORDING
AI in the AM: Building Custom Programs
Watch Brian's full Week 5 presentation from SC Competes' Fall 2026 series.
Video courtesy of SC Competes on YouTube · 46 minutes, 15 seconds. Open the full session on YouTube.
THE BUSINESS CASE
Why custom AI apps can beat “buy another SaaS seat”
Brian opened with a lesson from an efficiency consultant: a dollar saved is worth more than a dollar earned. New revenue still comes with the costs of sales, onboarding, and delivery. Cost reduction can have a much more direct effect on the bottom line.
He used an illustrative profit margin of roughly 25–30% to make the point: $100 of sales might leave $25–$30 in profit, while cutting $100 in wasted spend keeps the entire $100. Rather than starting with AI marketing or lead generation, he suggested reviewing the software subscriptions your team barely uses.
“A dollar saved is worth more than a dollar earned.”
Brian Anderson · AI in the AM · approximately 5–7 minutes
REAL ADVYON EXAMPLE
The backup tracker: From $600 per month to a custom app
ADVYON tracks hundreds of backups across servers and email. The team had been paying $200 per month for tracking software. After a private-equity buyout of the vendor, the cost tripled to $600 per month, without a product change Brian identified.
Brian used AI to create a replacement in roughly two days, then tested it with the team over the following months before relying on it. He has since used the same approach for internal budget and security-scanning helpers.
“In two days, I made a software that was able to be just as good, if not better, than the backup software I’d been using and saved $600 a month in that bill.”
Brian Anderson · approximately 10–11 minutes
That practical approach reflects how ADVYON thinks about managed IT services and managed security services: improve the real workflow, measure the result, then scale what works.
A PRACTICAL WORKFLOW
How he builds: Describe → Try → Refine → Share
Brian emphasized a straightforward loop that business teams can use without starting as software developers.
1DescribeExplain what you need in plain language. Talk-to-text can help when it’s easier to explain out loud.
2ShowAdd screenshots, existing forms, or design references when useful.
3BuildLet the AI tool produce a first working version you can preview.
4RefineTry it, request one change, and test again before adding more.
5ReviewGet a security review before handling private data or publishing.
Habits that make the process more reliable
- Start small. Don’t try to describe a complete business platform in a single giant prompt.
- Make one change at a time. Test each update so you can catch regressions early.
- Favor steady, linear progress. Brian shared a Replit free-weekend example where adding too many features at once led to a lengthy bug cleanup.
- Be explicit about consistency. AI may preserve existing functions well but miss inferred details, like making every dropdown behave the same way.
PICK YOUR BUILDER
Replit, Lovable, and Base44: How Brian compared them
He focused on cloud builders that can generate, preview, and publish an app without making the user manually set up a separate development environment.
| Builder | How Brian described it |
|---|---|
| Replit | His favorite and, in his view, the most capable across many kinds of apps. It hosts and previews live; he even built the session presentation as a Replit web app. |
| Lovable | The easiest of the three to use, in Brian’s assessment. |
| Base44 | A blend of the other two with native features such as payments and timed agents. He also noted its ownership by Wix. |
Brian noted that free tiers and plans around $20 were common at the time of the session. Pricing and features change, so check the providers’ current terms before choosing a tool.
SEE IT IN ACTION
Two examples: A live expense tracker and Habitat Docs
Live demo: An expense tracker
During the session, Brian pasted a starter prompt into an AI builder and created an expense tracker with categories, dates, notes, a mobile-friendly interface, and a report button.
The builder even suggested a PDF and print workflow he had not explicitly requested—an example of AI filling in familiar product patterns.
Client project: Habitat Docs
For Dorchester Habitat for Humanity in Summerville, Brian built Habitat Docs: a document portal intended to give homeowners a safer place to exchange files than email inboxes.
Using Replit, he created the branding, website, signup, onboarding, and portal, then demonstrated it using fictional homeowner records. He estimated a conventional build might have taken about a year; he delivered his version in roughly a month.
For Habitat, the value was a more controlled upload workflow for sensitive homeowner documents—not an AI novelty. See more about ADVYON’s work with nonprofits and organizations across the Southeast. The case-study details reflect Brian’s description during the session, not an independent security audit of the portal.
BUILD RESPONSIBLY
Security: Know when to pause and call a professional
Audience questions turned to privacy and security. Brian’s message was to consider the information involved, understand the provider’s terms, and have sensitive projects reviewed before launch.
Read the data terms
Check the EULA and privacy policy to understand how app builders and AI model providers store, process, and potentially review your inputs. Brian mentioned review windows of roughly 30–60 days on some consumer plans; actual terms vary by provider and plan.
Know where data lives
Cloud builders may use large infrastructure providers and advertise SOC 2-related practices, but that alone doesn’t eliminate risk. Evaluate the actual application, account controls, and data flows.
Protect credentials
Never paste usernames or passwords into an AI chat. Store API keys and tokens using the platform’s secrets manager, with appropriate access restrictions.
Review before launch
Some projects can be exported and hosted independently. Brian cited Drivecard, ADVYON’s self-hosted digital business card product. For sensitive environments, he also referenced NIST and CMMC considerations.
Control cost and risk
Watch model and infrastructure usage to avoid cost creep. Try lower-cost model settings first, then step up when needed. If the app handles confidential data or your instincts say it shouldn’t go live unchecked, have a professional review it.
“If you’re uncomfortable with sharing data for some reason, go with your gut feeling. Double down, make sure that your things are secure.”
Brian Anderson · security Q&A, later in the session
Need a security review? Explore ADVYON’s managed security services, support for government contractors, or municipal IT.
START THIS WEEK
Three small projects to try first
Brian closed by encouraging people to connect, then build something small enough to finish and test.
Client intake forms
Capture the same details your team already collects through emails or spreadsheets.
Lead trackers or light CRMs
Keep key interactions organized, including connections to systems you already use.
Event RSVP pages
Build a small registration flow and refine it based on the team’s real needs.
ABOUT ADVYON
Technology built around real work
Founded in 2008, ADVYON is a business technology firm headquartered at 100 Seven Oaks Ln, Summerville, SC 29485, with an office at 11 Ewall St Ste 111, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464.
Its team of 16 serves organizations across the Southeast with managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud services, structured cabling, VoIP, and related technology solutions.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Book a Discovery Meeting
Want to decide what to build in-house, what to buy, and how to protect your data? Talk with ADVYON about a practical plan that fits your business.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common questions about building with AI
Who is Brian Anderson, and what was AI in the AM Week 5 about?
Brian Anderson is the founder of ADVYON and Drivecard. On November 3, 2026, he led Week 5 of SC Competes’ Fall 2026 AI in the AM series, Make AI Work Your Way: Building Custom Programs, on creating custom AI apps that fit real business workflows.
What did Brian say is the fastest way to get ROI from AI?
He argued that removing waste—such as replacing expensive, underused SaaS with small purpose-built tools—can provide a faster return than using AI only to chase new revenue, because direct savings affect the bottom line immediately.
Which AI app builders did he recommend trying?
Brian compared Replit (his favorite for capability), Lovable (the easiest to use, in his view), and Base44 (a blend with useful built-in features). He suggested trying free tiers to discover which platform suits a particular project.
Did he show a real business example?
Yes. He explained how he replaced ADVYON’s backup-tracking software after its price increased, and demonstrated Habitat Docs, an AI-built document portal for Dorchester Habitat for Humanity in Summerville.
How do I talk with ADVYON about AI, IT, or security?
Book a Discovery Meeting through advyon.com/contact/ or call (843) 324-5824.