Business Lead Assistant
Turns vague contractor inquiries into clear, qualified project briefs.
Business Lead Assistant is an AI lead intake app built by Darwin Hernandez to help local contractors turn vague homeowner inquiries into clear, qualified project briefs.
Each contractor gets a branded intake page where homeowners can explain the project, share photos, describe timing, select a budget range, and choose a preferred contact method. The system then uses AI to summarize the lead, score the fit, flag missing information, and recommend the next best step.
A better front door for local service businesses.
Many contractors do not need another generic webform. They need a better way to understand what a homeowner is asking for before the first call.
Business Lead Assistant turns loose messages like "Can you redo my basement?" or "How much for a deck?" into structured project briefs. It captures the details a contractor usually has to chase manually, then packages the lead in a way that is faster to review and easier to act on.
The product sits between a basic contact form and a full CRM: enough structure to qualify a lead, enough automation to save time, and enough human control to avoid pretending the AI is the expert.
The goal is not to replace the contractor. It is to make the first conversation better.
Guided intake
Captures project type, goals, location, timeline, budget range, photos, and preferred contact method.
AI lead qualification
Generates a summary, fit score, missing information, and next step without unsafe construction, permit, cost, or legal advice.
Small-business workflow
Supports notifications, confirmations, photo uploads, multi-tenant storage, and an admin dashboard for managing leads.
Small businesses do not need AI theater. They need usable workflows.
A lot of AI demos look impressive for five minutes and then disappear when real business operations show up.
For contractors, the practical pain is lead intake. Homeowners often send incomplete messages, good leads get buried, weak leads consume attention, and the first impression can feel less professional than the work the contractor delivers.
Darwin built this project to test how AI can improve a real operational moment without overreaching. The AI does not quote the job, promise timelines, or give permit advice. It organizes the conversation so a contractor can decide what to do next.
Built for local contractors who need cleaner leads, not more noise.
The ideal customer is a small renovation or home-service contractor who gets inbound inquiries from a website, Google Business Profile, referrals, social media, or follow-up messages.
The renovation contractor
Needs project scope, location, timeline, budget range, and urgency before committing time to a call.
The specialty contractor
Handles basements, painting, decks, landscaping, or design-build work and wants service-specific intake questions.
The homeowner
Wants a guided way to explain the project clearly and feel that the inquiry was received professionally.
The product-minded visitor
Sees how AI can move from generic chat into a focused business workflow with clear constraints and measurable value.
It turns messy inbound demand into structured business decisions.
A contact form captures a message. This captures the context around it.
Makes the first conversation better
The contractor starts with a clearer picture instead of spending the first call collecting basic information.
Reduces wasted follow-up
Missing details surface upfront, so the contractor knows what to ask next and which leads need clarification.
Creates a professional homeowner experience
A guided intake flow and confirmation email make the business feel organized before human follow-up begins.
Keeps AI in the right lane
The system summarizes, scores, and recommends next steps without unsafe advice, quotes, legal claims, or timeline promises.
A focused intake product, backed by multi-tenant architecture.
Darwin built Business Lead Assistant as a full-stack web app that can support multiple contractor clients from one shared system. Each contractor has a branded intake page, separate lead records, configurable business details, and contractor-specific notifications.
Frontend
Next.js powers guided intake pages, the application shell, dashboard, and admin workflows.
Client-specific intake
Each contractor gets a dedicated route at /intake/[clientSlug] with business details, branding, services, and notification settings.
Data and persistence
Supabase stores clients, leads, events, profiles, funnel status, fit criteria, and uploaded photos, separated by client_id.
AI lead summary
OpenAI produces a structured project summary, fit score, missing information, and recommended next step for business triage.
Fit scoring
Leads are scored as strong, medium, or weak based on contractor preferences and lead completeness.
Email workflow
Resend sends contractors the lead summary and homeowners a professional submission confirmation.
Admin dashboard
The dashboard supports lead review, client filters, funnel stages, deletion, and contractor profile settings.
Security posture
Production mutation routes use an admin secret, while sensitive service keys remain server-side for a controlled Version 1 pilot.
Testing discipline
The project tests authorization, validation, lead scoring, email templates, rate limiting, linting, TypeScript, and production builds.
A small AI product launch, not just a form builder.
For Business Lead Assistant, Darwin Hernandez worked across product concept, positioning, UX direction, workflow design, AI constraints, data structure, and implementation planning.
Darwin defined the core experience: a homeowner opens a contractor-specific intake page, submits structured project details, optionally uploads photos, receives a confirmation, and gives the contractor a cleaner lead to review.
He also shaped the credibility rules: multi-tenant data separation, contractor-specific branding, safe AI boundaries, fit scoring, lead status management, admin-protected actions, and email follow-up.
On the build side, Darwin structured the repository around documentation, deployment readiness, Supabase setup, environment variables, testing, and pilot onboarding.
The real product is not the form. It is the qualification layer.
Business Lead Assistant focuses on the messy middle between marketing and sales, where customer intent needs context before it becomes an actionable opportunity.
A product pattern that can travel beyond contractors.
Take messy customer intent, structure it, summarize it, route it, and help the business respond faster.
Dental clinics
Turn vague appointment requests into structured inquiry briefs without offering medical advice.
Physiotherapy clinics
Capture injury context, preferred timing, location, and contact details before staff follow up.
Cleaning companies
Qualify requests by property type, size, frequency, urgency, and special requirements.
Salons and beauty
Capture desired service, timing, references, stylist preference, and preparation notes.
Automotive shops
Structure service requests around vehicle details, symptoms, urgency, photos, and appointment windows.
Professional services
Help consultants, accountants, agencies, and advisors qualify requests before discovery calls.
Business Lead Assistant at a glance.
What is Business Lead Assistant?
Business Lead Assistant is an AI-assisted lead intake app built by Darwin Hernandez for local service businesses. It turns homeowner inquiries into structured briefs with summaries, fit scores, missing information, and next steps.
Is it a chatbot?
No. It is closer to an intelligent intake layer: a guided form collects better information, then AI summarizes and qualifies the lead.
Who is it for?
It is for small contractors and local service businesses that need a cleaner way to qualify, organize, and follow up on inbound inquiries.
Does the AI give renovation advice?
No. It avoids cost estimates, permit guidance, legal advice, construction-code advice, warranty claims, and timeline promises.
Why does this matter for product marketing?
It connects a clear buyer and pain point to practical value: better lead quality, faster triage, fewer wasted conversations, and a more professional customer experience.
Can AI help local businesses move faster without adding enterprise complexity?
That is the bigger question Darwin Hernandez is testing with Business Lead Assistant.