JD Smith

Been in IT since 2005 — old enough to be skeptical, experienced enough to know what actually works.

Deploying OpenClaw: The Basement Email Server of AI

Mar 28, 2026

•

9 min read

Deploying OpenClaw: The Basement Email Server of AI

I lasted six weeks. Turns out the sandbox was right.

JD Smith

Building My First AI System: What Happens When Chat Apps Aren't Enough

Mar 12, 2026

•

16 min read

Building My First AI System: What Happens When Chat Apps Aren't Enough

When Chat Apps Stop Being Enough

JD Smith

Your $240 Question: When Should You Actually Try the Hot New AI Tool?

Feb 2, 2026

•

16 min read

Your $240 Question: When Should You Actually Try the Hot New AI Tool?

How to experiment with emerging AI without becoming a cautionary tale in someone else's blog post.

JD Smith

Local LLM Setup Was Step One. Finding the Right Model Was Step Two.

Jan 28, 2026

•

7 min read

Local LLM Setup Was Step One. Finding the Right Model Was Step Two.

Why I stopped trying to replicate ChatGPT and started looking for the models my subscriptions were missing.

JD Smith

I Built an Unlimited AI Workspace (And Why You Might Want One)

Jan 15, 2026

•

11 min read

I Built an Unlimited AI Workspace (And Why You Might Want One)

How I used the AMD Strix Halo to eliminate rate-limit anxiety and create a private space for unlimited iteration.

JD Smith

I Have Nothing to Show: Three Months of AI Work With No Artifacts

Jan 8, 2026

•

3 min read

I Have Nothing to Show: Three Months of AI Work With No Artifacts

I officially started as Director of AI Enablement on January 1st. But I've been working on this since October. And I still have nothing tangible to point to.

JD Smith