Founder & CEO | AI Business Strategist
Andrew Lay
Andrew Lay is the founder and CEO of Hiero, a Michigan-based development studio that helps businesses use AI, automation, and custom software to improve how they operate. A business strategist specializing in AI, Andrew brings more than 20 years of experience building apps, digital products, and operational systems. His work focuses on the part of AI adoption most companies skip: identifying the right business problem, determining whether AI is actually the right solution, defining a defensible return, and putting the controls and feedback loops in place to protect that return after launch. Andrew is the author of the forthcoming book, Lessons from Bad AI Implementations and How to Guarantee ROI With AI, a practical field guide built from 34 verified failure cases and the Hiero implementation method. He also hosts the Hiero Exclusive podcast and speaks on AI strategy, entrepreneurship, and operational growth.
Posts by Andrew
How Do You Measure ROI on AI Automation?
Most companies that tried AI automation in the last two years can't tell you whether it worked. You can measure ROI on AI automation by separating returns into four layers…
What Is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)?
Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is an AI architecture that connects a language model to your company's own data sources so its answers are grounded in current, specific facts…
When to Use Claude vs GPT vs Gemini for Different Business Workflows
The right AI model for your business depends on the workflow you're running. Claude handles long-document analysis and compliance-sensitive drafting. GPT wins on customer-facing…
Ford Bet on AI Over Its Veteran Engineers, Then Rehired 350 of Them
Ford spent years leaning on artificial intelligence to fix quality problems that, by the company’s own account, have cost it billions: automated quality systems and hundreds of…
The Sitemap Configuration That Doubles AI Bot Crawl Frequency
Most sitemaps are technically present and functionally useless. The difference between a site AI bots revisit weekly and one they abandon after a single pass comes down to a…
How to Know If You're Showing Up in AI Search Results
Ranking on Google and getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews are two separate problems with two separate fixes. You can check your AI search visibility in…
The Chatbot Named Quinn Made a Deal Its Dealership Refused to Honor
A man wanted to sell his BMW back to the dealership that sold it to him. He submitted an inquiry online and started texting with a representative named Quinn, who offered him…
How Do You Know When a Workflow Is Worth Automating?
Not every repetitive task deserves a bot. That sounds like something an AI consulting firm shouldn't say, but it's the first thing we tell people who come to us wanting to…
Half a Billion Dollars in a Month Because Nobody Set an AI Spending Limit
Every other story in this series is about AI doing something wrong: giving bad advice, deleting data, inventing sources, screening people out. This last one is different. Here…
How to Automate Your Small Business in 5 Easy Steps
AI business automation isn't a months-long project or a major investment. For most small businesses, it's a few tools set up once. Here's how Michigan business owners are actually…
A $440,000 Consulting Report Full of AI Sources That Never Existed
A few weeks ago, one of the largest and most respected consulting firms in the world had to refund a government client because parts of the report it delivered were, in a real…
"I Told the AI Agent Not To" Is Not an AI Safety Plan
Last month a well-known software investor gave an AI coding agent access to a live system, told it in plain language not to touch anything, put the project under a formal freeze…
64 Million Job Applicants Exposed Because the Password Was "123456"
Two security researchers wanted to test McDonald's AI hiring chatbot. They started the way you'd expect, by trying to trick the AI itself into misbehaving. That didn't work; the…
Rejected by an Algorithm at 1:30 AM: Inside Automated Hiring
A man named Derek Mobley applied for more than a hundred jobs through the same widely used hiring platform. He was rejected from every one. In at least one case, the rejection…
How AI and Voice Search Are Redefining Web Design in 2025
Discover how AI and voice search are transforming web design in 2025 and why Michigan businesses need to adapt now to stay competitive and visible online.
Klarna Replaced 700 Support Agents With AI, Then Rehired Humans
For about a year, Klarna was the company every AI vendor pointed to. The Swedish fintech had done what everyone else was only talking about: it deployed an AI customer service…
1.2 Seconds Per Claim: What Happens When AI Decides Who Gets Healthcare
According to a class-action lawsuit, a major health insurer used an algorithm to review and deny hundreds of thousands of patient claims, spending an average of about 1.2 seconds…
The Lawyer Who Filed AI-Invented Cases He Never Read
A partner at one of the largest law firms in America signed a court filing that cited nine cases. Eight of them did not exist. They had been invented by the firm's own AI tool…
The Crash Didn't Kill Cruise. The Cover-Up Did.
If you're deploying AI anywhere its mistakes can hurt someone or cost real money, this is the case study to internalize. Not because your business runs robotaxis, but because the…
The Rise of the Smart Home: Developing Compatible Apps
The smart home revolution is well underway, transforming how we interact with our living spaces. From controlling lights with a voice command to automating home security, smart…
Integrating AI and Machine Learning for Smarter UX
In the world of digital innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are pivotal. These factors play a crucial role in transforming websites into more…
Developing for iOS vs. Android: A Detailed Comparison
As the mobile app market continues to expand, choosing between iOS and Android development becomes crucial for businesses aiming to maximize their reach and effectiveness. At…
Air Canada Learned the Hard Way: If Your Chatbot Promises It, You Owe It
In November 2022, a man named Jake Moffatt needed a last-minute flight from Vancouver to Toronto after his grandmother died. Before booking, he asked the chatbot on Air Canada’s…
When Not to Use an AI Chatbot: The Jobs You Should Never Automate
In 2023, a national nonprofit that supports people with eating disorders shut down its long-running human helpline and pointed people toward a chatbot instead. Within days, the…
Your Employees Are Already Leaking Company Data Into AI Tools
In the spring of 2023, Samsung let engineers in its semiconductor division start using ChatGPT to help with their work. It's one of the most sophisticated technology companies on…
App Development for Wearable Devices
Wearable devices have surged in popularity, becoming an integral part of our daily lives. From fitness trackers to smartwatches, these devices offer a unique blend of convenience…
The Customer Service Chatbot That Wrote a Poem Roasting Its Own Company
In January 2024, Ashley Beauchamp, a London pianist and conductor, was trying to find a missing parcel. The AI chatbot on delivery firm DPD’s website could not locate it, could…
How a Dealership Chatbot Got Talked Into Selling a $76,000 SUV for $1
In December 2023, a car dealership put a chatbot on its website to answer customer questions. It was powered by ChatGPT, which the dealership seemed to think was a feature. Within…
The Business Side of App Development
Every app's journey is unique. There are highs, lows, turns, and surprise elements. And while the technical side of creating an app is undoubtedly crucial, the business aspects…
Understanding the Importance of Good UX/UI in Mobile Apps
In a world dominated by mobile applications, a seamless user experience (UX) and an attractive user interface (UI) are vital for success. As a leading development company in…
The Impact of Blockchain Technology on App Development
If you've been keeping tabs on the latest tech trends, you'd know that blockchain isn't confined to cryptocurrencies anymore. From ensuring secure data storage to introducing…
What is Hybrid App Development and Why is It Trending?
In the world of app development, change is the only constant. But even amidst this flux, one trend is becoming increasingly clear - the future is hybrid.
How to Validate Your App Idea Before Development
Discover how to validate your app idea before diving into development. Learn about target audience identification, market research, prototyping, cost estimation, and risk…
The Implications of 5G on Mobile App Development
There’s no denying that 5G is reshaping the mobile app landscape, and the transformation has just begun. As an app developer or entrepreneur, you have a golden opportunity here…
App Development: How to Meet User Expectations
We believe in creating apps that are not just functional, but also engaging, intuitive, and delightful. We believe in turning your vision into a digital reality that users will…
AI-Generated Content and Its Implications for SEO
AI content is here, but Google still rewards strategy and human touch. Learn how to leverage AI without losing rankings.
6 Benefits of Developing a Mobile App for Your Business
Developing a mobile app for your business can provide numerous benefits, including better customer engagement, improved visibility, a competitive advantage, increased sales and…
The Limitations and Potential of ChatGPT: A Critical Review
ChatGPT is like a ninja in the world of chatbots, with its impressive skills in understanding natural language and generating responses that rival those of a human. Its training…
Why Mobile Apps Are Superior To Ecommerce Websites
In this digitally driven world, every business must use digital solutions to succeed. Particularly for small to medium-sized businesses, a responsive e-commerce website is one of…
Native vs. Hybrid Mobile Application: Which Is The Best Choice?
These days, smartphones are a necessity rather than a luxury. Through apps, they allow instant communication via emails and social networks, web browsing, entertainment, GPS and a…
Development with SaaS
Let’s face it. You don’t have time to be hampered with maintenance and all the other usual distractions. You need something that’s going to work for you while you take care of…