About Dave
I am Dave. I help UK businesses figure out whether AI can genuinely improve what they do, and if it can, I build it for them.
My background is in software engineering, product development, and business strategy. I have spent years building products, leading teams, and solving complex technical problems. When AI started becoming genuinely useful for everyday business applications, I threw myself into it. Not as a spectator, but as a builder. I use AI tools every single day. I build with them, test them, break them, and understand their limits as well as their strengths.
I started DaveKnowsAI because I kept seeing the same thing: businesses being sold expensive AI solutions they did not need, or being told AI would change everything when actually it would change very little about their specific operations. The gap was clear. Someone needed to give honest, practical advice, and back it up by actually building things that work.
I work with businesses across the UK, from sole traders to companies with hundreds of staff. The industries range from legal and healthcare to retail, construction, and recruitment. But the approach is always the same: understand the problem, be honest about whether AI is the right solution, and if it is, build something that works properly.
I am not a large consultancy. I am one person who genuinely knows this stuff and cares about getting it right. That means you get direct access to the person doing the work, not a junior analyst who Googled it yesterday.
Dave Skillett
AI Consultant
Based in the UK
How I Work
These are not marketing buzzwords. These are the actual principles I follow on every project.
I Will Tell You If AI Is Not the Answer
This is the most important thing I do. If a simpler solution works better, or if AI simply is not the right fit for your problem, I will say so in the first conversation. I have turned down paying work because it was not right for the client. That is how I operate.
Everything Is Custom
I do not sell templates, toolkits, or generic strategy decks. Every piece of work I do is built around your specific business, your specific processes, and your specific team. There is no shortcut that works as well as actually understanding the problem.
You Will Understand What I Build
I am not interested in creating dependency. By the time I finish a project, your team will understand how everything works, why it works that way, and how to maintain it. Full documentation, hands-on training, and a clear handover are part of every engagement.
Results Over Activity
I do not measure success by how many meetings we had or how many documents I produced. I measure it by whether the solution actually works. Does it save time? Does it reduce costs? Does it make your team's life easier? That is all that matters.
What Working With Me Looks Like
1. We Have an Honest Conversation
You book a free 30-minute discovery call. You tell me about your business, the problems you face, and what you have tried. I ask questions and give you my honest first impressions. If AI is not the right solution, I will tell you here. No charge, no wasted time.
2. I Analyse Your Situation Properly
If there is a genuine fit, I take the time to understand your workflows, data, team, and constraints in detail. This might involve a meeting with your team, reviewing your current tools, or mapping out your processes. I do not rush this step because getting it wrong here means building the wrong thing.
3. You Get a Clear Proposal
I send you a straightforward proposal: what I will build, how long it will take, exactly what it will cost, and what results you can realistically expect. Fixed pricing. No scope creep surprises. You review it, ask questions, and decide whether to go ahead.
4. I Build It and Make Sure It Works
I build the solution, keep you updated throughout, and make sure you can see and test things as they develop. When it is ready, I train your team, write the documentation, and make sure everyone is comfortable before I step back. I am not done until you are happy with the result.
Tools & Expertise
I stay current across the full AI landscape so my recommendations are based on what genuinely works best for your needs, not on which vendor pays the best commission.
AI Platforms
Cloud & Infrastructure
What I Build
Industries I Work With
Let's Talk About Your Business
The best way to find out if I can help is to have a conversation. Book a free discovery call, tell me about your situation, and I will give you an honest answer.
Book a Free Discovery Call