Honest AI help for Taylor small businesses.
Coffee's on me. If AI won't help, I'll tell you.
You've probably been pitched already.
If you run a business in Taylor, somebody has likely already emailed you promising that AI will change everything. Most of them have never set foot here. I live here. You'll run into me downtown, at a Taylor Duck Nation football game, or at Old Taylor High like anybody else.
I'm John Bongaarts, and Chiptown Consulting is just me — a neighbor who spent a career in technology, helping Taylor's shops, trades, clinics, and restaurants make sense of what's actually useful.
In plain terms: Chiptown Consulting is a one-person AI consulting practice based in Taylor, Texas. I offer local, in-person AI consulting for small businesses in Taylor and East Williamson County — a free coffee meeting to talk through how your business runs, then hands-on working sessions at your shop or office to set up practical AI tools you can run yourself.
Where I work.
Taylor first — it's home, about 35 miles northeast of Austin. I also work with businesses in the towns around us: Hutto, Elgin, Thrall, Coupland, Granger, and Bartlett — East Williamson County and the towns just over the county line. Georgetown, Round Rock, Pflugerville, and Austin are an easy drive too.
Anywhere nearby, the coffee's still on me, and I'll come to you.
On all the change in town.
Samsung, the data centers, the construction, the headlines — Taylor is changing fast, and not everyone's happy about it. Reasonable neighbors disagree, and I'm not here to sell you on the boom or argue against it.
But the technology driving all of it is coming either way, and it shouldn't only pay off for the companies pouring the concrete. If AI is going to change how business gets done around here, Taylor's own businesses deserve the good part of that deal — on your terms, at your pace, with a neighbor in your corner. My job is helping the change work for you, not just happen to you.
What working with me looks like.
We start with coffee — no slides, no pitch. You tell me how your business actually runs: where the day goes, what eats your time, what you wish you didn't have to think about.
Then I give you straight answers about three things: what's possible, what's cost-effective, and what could give you back time and profit margin right now. Sometimes that's an AI tool. Sometimes it's a thirty-dollar fix for something you're doing by hand. Sometimes it's "you're fine — don't buy anything."
If it looks like there's something worth doing, the next step is a working session — half a day or a full day, hands-on with your actual work. Never touched an AI tool? That's fine; most folks haven't. I'll show you what's possible, set up the basics with you, and get you started on the right foot so you can run it yourself. And if you want ongoing help down the road, I'm right here in town.
Here's what a working session actually looks like, hour by hour.
The honest part.
The only thing I'm selling is straight advice — so I have no reason to talk you into anything. If AI isn't what your business needs, I'll say so, and you're out nothing but an hour. The coffee was on me anyway.
A bit about me.
Before Chiptown, I spent seventeen years at National Instruments in Austin, building test systems for semiconductor makers. When NI was acquired by Emerson Electric, I stayed on to lead AI strategy across the Fortune 500 company — including taking one of its first generative AI products to market. I've seen what this technology genuinely does well, and where the hype outruns reality. That's exactly why I won't oversell it to you.
Around town, Chiptown is a proud sponsor of Taylor Duck Nation — my daughter cheers on those sidelines.
If you're curious how I think, I write about AI and the economy — including how it all looks from here in Taylor — at Artificial Economics.
Common questions.
Is the first meeting really free?
Yes. Coffee's on me, and there's no obligation. We talk about how your business actually runs and whether anything is worth doing. If the honest answer is “nothing,” that's what you'll hear.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
Small, local ones: shops, restaurants, trades and contractors, clinics and practices, offices, and family businesses around Taylor. If you own the place and wear most of the hats, you're who I had in mind.
Do you come to us?
Yes. I work in person — at your shop, your office, or a table at a coffee place in Taylor. Working sessions happen wherever your actual work happens, because that's where the useful answers are.
Do we need to know anything about AI first?
No. Most folks I sit down with have never used an AI tool, and that's fine. I explain things in plain language, show you what's possible, and set up the basics with you so you can run them yourself.
What does a working session cost?
It depends on what we're doing, and you'll get a straight quote before anything starts — after coffee, once I understand your business. No surprises.
Do you work outside Taylor?
Yes. Hutto, Elgin, Thrall, Coupland, Granger, Bartlett, and the rest of East Williamson County, plus Georgetown, Round Rock, Pflugerville, and Austin. If I can drive there for coffee, I'll come to you.
Are you connected to Samsung or the data centers?
No. Chiptown Consulting is independent, and it's just me. I don't work for the companies building around town, and I'm not here to sell you on the boom or argue against it. I'm here to help Taylor's own businesses get something good out of the change.
What if AI isn't right for my business?
Then I'll say so. Sometimes the right answer is a thirty-dollar fix, a better spreadsheet, or “you're fine — don't buy anything.” The only thing I'm selling is straight advice.
What clients say.
"John stepped in and created the structure we needed — clear deliverables, dependencies, owners. He mobilized the team and shipped. Revenue came back. Simple as that."
Let's have that coffee.
Call or text, or send an email. Or just wave me down when you see me around town.