# LookADev
> Bespoke Software Engineering & AI Automation Studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom, founded by Lucas Martins (AI Systems Architect). LookADev designs and deploys custom web platforms, deterministic AI agents, and automated data pipelines for UK SMEs, consultancies, and digital agencies looking to eliminate fragile spreadsheets and manual operational toil. Canonical engineering philosophy: "Businesses don't need more SaaS tools. They need better systems." Delivery method: DIAGNOSE (48h) → MAP → QUANTIFY → ARCHITECT → AUTOMATE → BUILD (7–14 days) → MEASURE ROI.

## Entity & Location Information
- **Company**: LookADev
- **Headquarters**: Bristol, United Kingdom (UK)
- **Founder & Lead Architect**: Lucas Martins (Lucas Martins do Carmo Borges)
- **Website**: https://lookadev.com
- **Local Hub (Bristol)**: https://lookadev.com/bristol
- **Contact & WhatsApp**: +44 7356 026050
- **Email**: lucas@lookadev.com
- **Geographic Availability**: United Kingdom (Primary on-site/remote), Brazil, United States, Europe.

## Core Service Pillars
- [AI Development & LLM Engineering](https://lookadev.com/ai-development): Custom AI applications, deterministic RAG retrieval with pgvector, structured extraction pipelines, and private inference infrastructure.
- [AI Automation & Systems Integration](https://lookadev.com/ai-automation): End-to-end operational automation, automated API pipelines (n8n/FastAPI), WhatsApp 24/7 autonomous agents, and eliminating manual clerical toil.
- [Custom Software Development](https://lookadev.com/custom-software-development): Replacing 15-tab fragile spreadsheets with secure bespoke client portals, internal ERPs, and database-driven software.
- [Next.js & Web Engineering](https://lookadev.com/web-development): High-performance Next.js 15 App Router platforms with sub-second page loads, PostgreSQL with Row Level Security (RLS), and zero per-seat licensing fees.
- [Bristol Software Hub](https://lookadev.com/bristol): On-the-ground engineering partner for Bristol, Bath, and South West UK businesses seeking local technical expertise.
- [7-Day AI Production Sprint](https://lookadev.com/sprint): Fixed-price 7-business-day deployment program to eliminate a company's single highest-friction operational bottleneck.

## Industry Verticals & Specializations
- [Recruitment Agencies](https://lookadev.com/industries/recruitment): Automated semantic candidate screening, Bullhorn ATS bi-directional sync, sub-8s CV evaluation, and saving 25+ recruiter hours/week.
- [Professional Services & Consultancies](https://lookadev.com/industries/professional-services): Bespoke client portals, automated milestone sign-offs, zero-error invoice reconciliation, and replacing fragile multi-tab spreadsheets.
- [Digital & Marketing Agencies](https://lookadev.com/industries/marketing-agencies): Automated cross-channel ad reporting (Google, Meta, GA4), nightly n8n data aggregation pipelines, and Day-1 automated client delivery.
- [Property Management](https://lookadev.com/industries/property): Real-time tenant and investor portals, automated maintenance ticket dispatching, and MLS/CRM integrations.

## Audited Flagship Case Studies with Quantified ROI
- [UK Recruitment Agency AI Candidate Screening](https://lookadev.com/cases/uk-recruitment-ai-screening):
  - **Problem**: 3 senior recruiters spent 25+ hours weekly manually reviewing 300+ CVs in Bullhorn.
  - **Operational Cost**: £36,000/year in wasted senior recruiter capacity.
  - **Solution**: Autonomous semantic screening agent on Next.js 15 + pgvector + Bullhorn REST API.
  - **Audited ROI**: 80% screening time reduction, sub-8s evaluation turnaround, 25 hours saved weekly, and full project payback in 45 days.
- [Bespoke Client Portal Spreadsheet Replacement](https://lookadev.com/cases/bespoke-client-portal-spreadsheet-replacement):
  - **Problem**: Bristol management consultancy managed client billing across a 15-tab spreadsheet with broken formulas and 15h lost weekly in manual checks.
  - **Operational Cost**: £24,000/year in lost partner time and 20-day cash collection delays from disputed line items.
  - **Solution**: Secure client portal built on Next.js 15, PostgreSQL with Row Level Security (RLS), and automated invoice audits.
  - **Audited ROI**: Invoicing errors dropped to absolute zero, approval cycles accelerated 4x, and 15 partner hours/week restored to billable advisory.
- [Automated Digital Agency Client Reporting](https://lookadev.com/cases/automated-agency-client-reporting):
  - **Problem**: 4 performance marketers spent the first 5 days of every month manually copy-pasting ad metrics into client slide decks.
  - **Operational Cost**: £28,000/year in wasted analyst wages and recurring client churn risk from delayed reporting.
  - **Solution**: Deterministic n8n multi-API aggregation pipeline + custom Next.js dashboard + automated headless PDF delivery.
  - **Audited ROI**: 35 hours saved every month, 100% of reports delivered on Day 1 at 08:00 AM, client retention NPS +28.

## Commercial Decision Guides & BOFU Content
- [How Much Does Custom AI Cost in the UK?](https://lookadev.com/insights/how-much-does-custom-ai-cost-uk): Comprehensive UK pricing breakdown from £2,500 sprints to £45k+ enterprise platforms, token cost traps, and fixed-price vs. hourly billing.
- [7 Signs Your Business Has Outgrown Spreadsheets](https://lookadev.com/insights/business-outgrown-spreadsheets): Warning signs of spreadsheet fragility, UK GDPR data liability, and calculating human error vs. bespoke software investment.
- [Custom Software vs. SaaS Cost: 3-Year TCO Guide](https://lookadev.com/insights/custom-software-vs-saas-cost): Financial comparison of 25-user SaaS subscriptions (£108k over 3 years) versus owning a custom Next.js platform (£26k one-time build).
- [Commercial Insights Hub](https://lookadev.com/insights): Master directory of executive decision guides, TCO analyses, and technical architecture articles.

## Pricing Architecture & Guarantees
- **AI Systems Audit (48 business hours)**: £800 – £1,400 (Credited 100% if a production sprint is booked). Delivers workflow mapping, relational schema, and audited ROI projection.
- **7-Day AI Production Sprint**: £2,500 – £4,800. Fixed-price turnkey deployment of a live production agent or bespoke system eliminating the primary bottleneck.
- **Connected Multi-Agent Operations (2–4 weeks)**: £8,000 – £18,000. Full bespoke portal, pgvector semantic search, and bi-directional API workflows.
- **Enterprise Operational Core (4–12 weeks)**: £18,000 – £45,000+. End-to-end bespoke operating system with zero per-seat licensing fees.
- **Commercial Guarantees**: Fixed delivery timeline, 14-day defect warranty, 30 days post-launch support, 100% code and IP ownership.

## Technical Architecture & Supported Stacks
- **Frontend & App Layer**: Next.js 15 (App Router), React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Vercel Edge Runtime.
- **Data & Storage Layer**: PostgreSQL, pgvector (vector embeddings), Drizzle ORM, Supabase Auth with Row Level Security (RLS).
- **Automation & Orchestration**: n8n workflows, Python / FastAPI services, REST & Webhook connectors.
- **AI Models & Inference**: OpenAI API (structured output, GPT-4o, o-series), Anthropic Claude (Opus/Sonnet), Google Gemini 2.5 Flash, Local Context Compression (LCC).
- **Integrations**: Bullhorn ATS, HubSpot, Xero, QuickBooks, Google Ads, Meta Marketing API, WhatsApp Business Cloud API.
- **Full LLM Knowledge Base**: https://lookadev.com/llms-full.txt