Bath-based bespoke software and AI development agency Rocketmakers has launched the Rocketmakers AI Guidebook, a free, plain-English guide that helps business owners and leaders decide where AI fits into their business (and where it doesn’t).

The guide is written by Adam Clarke, the agency’s Senior Software and AI Engineer, and is available to download from rocketmakers.com.

Written for Business Leaders, Not Engineers

The guide assumes no technical background. It translates the jargon that comes up in any AI conversation, from hallucination and prompt injection to “shadow AI”, where staff use AI tools outside the policies their business has agreed. 

It also sets out ten everyday jobs where AI can help, such as summarising long reports, drafting first versions, turning forms into data and preparing tasks for approval.

Each example comes with its limits. A summary of a routine update needs less checking than a summary of a contract, and an assistant answering customers needs more care than one helping a colleague.

When the Right Amount of AI Is None

The guide’s central question is whether or not AI solves a problem worth solving. 

It walks through the choice between buying an existing tool, prototyping with AI, and building something bespoke, and recommends starting small: measure how a process performs today, agree what better looks like, and decide in advance what would make you stop.

It is also clear that AI isn’t always the answer. If a problem is already solved by a table and a few rules, a language model adds cost without adding value.

Accelerate, Don’t Replace

Throughout, the guide argues for using AI to give people more time for the work that needs their judgement, rather than to replace them. 

It cites Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which reversed 45 customer-service redundancies in 2025 after introducing a voice bot, and Air Canada, which a Canadian tribunal held responsible in 2024 for incorrect advice given by its website chatbot.

Richard Godfrey, CEO and co-founder of Rocketmakers, said:

“We build AI products for a living, so it might seem odd for us to tell people when not to use it. But the businesses that get real value from AI are the ones that start with a problem, measure what happens and aren’t afraid to switch it off.”

Experience Behind the Advice

Clarke joined Rocketmakers in October as its first hire dedicated wholly to AI, after nine years leading architecture and innovation at The Filter, the Bath AI company co-founded by Peter Gabriel.

Rocketmakers’ own AI work includes YourRoom, an AI research tool that won Best AI Innovation and Best AI Solution at the 2024 Global Business Tech Awards. The agency won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2018 and is a finalist in three categories at the 2026 TBE Awards.

About Rocketmakers

Rocketmakers is a bespoke software and AI development agency based in Bath, UK. Founded in 2007 by CEO Richard Godfrey, it designs, develops and deploys custom web apps, mobile apps and AI products for startups and established businesses, including taking AI-built prototypes through to production.

Rocketmakers is a certified B Corporation and won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2018. Find out more at rocketmakers.com.

About Rocketmakers

Rocketmakers is an award-winning software design and development agency based in Bath, UK. We work with funded startups, scaleups, and corporate innovators to design, build, and launch software that makes a difference.