The chicks behind the work
Meet the Chicks
The AI team behind The App Chicks: twelve specialists, each with a name and a job, and a human checking the work at every step that matters.
We build an AI-first agency the honest way: by using our own AI chicks to plan, build, and ship real work, then showing you exactly how it happens. No black box. Every chick below does a real job on every project, and Carey signs off before any of it reaches you.
How we build
Here's what actually happens when you work with us. Not a flowchart of buzzwords: five real stages, and a person at both ends of every one of them.
Discovery.
Carey and Avery, our chief of staff, have the real conversation with you about your business, what you need, and what's in the way. That conversation is recorded and used through the design and build phases, so nothing gets lost between the first call and the finished build.
Analysis.
Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Create.
The builder executes that spec exactly, with Nest handling infrastructure and deploy: Lyra on web, Mae on mobile.
Test.
Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Ship.
Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, and Piper merges it and releases it live. From here, the cycle loops back to Discovery: Iterate, for new fixes and features. Every round starts from understanding again, not from patching the one thing that broke. That's slower per fix and better for you, because the real problem gets solved instead of covered over.
Web and SaaS apps
Any app that runs in a browser, no download.
Ships to your browser:
- Laptop
- Desktop
- Mobile
= Carey is in the loop
Select any chick below to read what she does at that stage.
Discovery
Carey and Avery talk with you
Discovery
Avery
Chief of Staff
Avery is the front door. Every job starts with her: she listens, decides which chick should take it, and stays close to the work until it's done. She's the one thread that runs through everything on this page.
What happens at Discovery: Carey and Avery, our chief of staff, have the real conversation with you about your business, what you need, and what's in the way. That conversation is recorded and used through the design and build phases, so nothing gets lost between the first call and the finished build.
Discovery
Carey
The human in the loop
She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
What happens at Discovery: Carey and Avery, our chief of staff, have the real conversation with you about your business, what you need, and what's in the way. That conversation is recorded and used through the design and build phases, so nothing gets lost between the first call and the finished build.
Analysis
Wren, Hawk, Iris, Marlo and Sage shape the plan
Analysis
Wren
Requirements Lead
Wren takes the conversation Carey and Avery had with you and turns it into a real plan: what you need, what's in the way, and what should happen first. She writes the brief in plain language, no code and no technical tickets, just the honest version of the ask.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Hawk
Technical Architect
Hawk turns Wren's brief into a real plan: the spec, the tickets, the decisions that keep a build from unraveling halfway through. She'd rather ask one more question now than fix a wrong guess later.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Iris
Visual Designer
Iris keeps everything on brand: the colors, the spacing, the feel of the thing. She checks every build against the real design before it goes near a client, and she sends it back if it's off.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Marlo
Marketing Strategist
Marlo shapes the offer, the copy, and the campaigns: the parts of the business that actually bring people in the door. She reviews every word before it reaches a client, and she'll rewrite anything that reads like it came from a machine.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Sage
SEO & AI Visibility
Sage makes sure search engines and AI tools alike can find, read, and quote a site correctly. She sets the standard before a page is built and checks it again once it's live.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Create
Lyra builds it, with infra and deploy support
Create
Lyra
Web Builder
Lyra writes the code for anything that runs in a browser: the site, the app, the dashboard. She builds on her own branch and opens the pull request, but she never merges her own work. That's on purpose.
What happens at Create: The builder executes that spec exactly, with Nest handling infrastructure and deploy: Lyra on web, Mae on mobile.
Create
Nest
Provisioning & Secrets
Nest sets up the accounts, environments, and credentials every build needs, and she's the only one who touches them directly. She never hands a key to anyone. She uses it on your behalf and keeps the trail clean.
What happens at Create: The builder executes that spec exactly, with Nest handling infrastructure and deploy: Lyra on web, Mae on mobile.
Test
Robin walks it, Sloane checks the code, Carey signs off
Test
Robin
Quality Assurance
Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would: can they find it, understand it, and finish what they came to do without getting lost. If the path isn't clear, it doesn't ship yet.
What happens at Test: Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Test
Carey
The human in the loop
She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
What happens at Test: Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Test
Sloane
Code Reviewer
Sloane reads every line before it ships: pass or needs-changes, no in-between, no exceptions for "it's probably fine." Her review is a real gate, not a formality.
What happens at Test: Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Ship
Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, Piper releases it
Ship
Piper
Release Manager
Piper is the only chick who merges. When Carey gives the go-ahead, Piper folds the finished work into the live product and cleans up after herself. Nothing goes live without passing through her.
What happens at Ship: Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, and Piper merges it and releases it live. From here, the cycle loops back to Discovery: Iterate, for new fixes and features. Every round starts from understanding again, not from patching the one thing that broke. That's slower per fix and better for you, because the real problem gets solved instead of covered over.
Ship
Carey
The human in the loop
She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
What happens at Ship: Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, and Piper merges it and releases it live. From here, the cycle loops back to Discovery: Iterate, for new fixes and features. Every round starts from understanding again, not from patching the one thing that broke. That's slower per fix and better for you, because the real problem gets solved instead of covered over.
Iterate: new fixes and features
How a web app request moves through Discovery, Analysis, Create, Test, and Ship to a live site in your browser, on a laptop, a desktop, or a phone, with Carey approving before it ships. Iterate loops back to Discovery for the next round of fixes and features.
Mobile apps
iPhone and Android, in the store.
Ships to phones, tablets and the app stores:
- Phone
- Tablet
= Carey is in the loop
Select any chick below to read what she does at that stage.
Discovery
Carey and Avery talk with you
Discovery
Avery
Chief of Staff
Avery is the front door. Every job starts with her: she listens, decides which chick should take it, and stays close to the work until it's done. She's the one thread that runs through everything on this page.
What happens at Discovery: Carey and Avery, our chief of staff, have the real conversation with you about your business, what you need, and what's in the way. That conversation is recorded and used through the design and build phases, so nothing gets lost between the first call and the finished build.
Discovery
Carey
The human in the loop
She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
What happens at Discovery: Carey and Avery, our chief of staff, have the real conversation with you about your business, what you need, and what's in the way. That conversation is recorded and used through the design and build phases, so nothing gets lost between the first call and the finished build.
Analysis
Wren, Hawk, Iris, Marlo and Sage shape the plan
Analysis
Wren
Requirements Lead
Wren takes the conversation Carey and Avery had with you and turns it into a real plan: what you need, what's in the way, and what should happen first. She writes the brief in plain language, no code and no technical tickets, just the honest version of the ask.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Hawk
Technical Architect
Hawk turns Wren's brief into a real plan: the spec, the tickets, the decisions that keep a build from unraveling halfway through. She'd rather ask one more question now than fix a wrong guess later.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Iris
Visual Designer
Iris keeps everything on brand: the colors, the spacing, the feel of the thing. She checks every build against the real design before it goes near a client, and she sends it back if it's off.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Marlo
Marketing Strategist
Marlo shapes the offer, the copy, and the campaigns: the parts of the business that actually bring people in the door. She reviews every word before it reaches a client, and she'll rewrite anything that reads like it came from a machine.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Analysis
Sage
SEO & AI Visibility
Sage makes sure search engines and AI tools alike can find, read, and quote a site correctly. She sets the standard before a page is built and checks it again once it's live.
What happens at Analysis: Wren gathers the requirements out of that conversation, then defines the plan with Hawk, Iris, Marlo, and Sage: the spec, the tickets, design direction, copy, and search visibility all land here, before anything gets built.
Create
Mae builds it, with infra and deploy support
Create
Mae
Mobile Builder
Mae builds for iPhone and Android. Same discipline as Lyra, different platform: she's the one who gets an app into your pocket and into the app stores.
What happens at Create: The builder executes that spec exactly, with Nest handling infrastructure and deploy: Lyra on web, Mae on mobile.
Create
Nest
Provisioning & Secrets
Nest sets up the accounts, environments, and credentials every build needs, and she's the only one who touches them directly. She never hands a key to anyone. She uses it on your behalf and keeps the trail clean.
What happens at Create: The builder executes that spec exactly, with Nest handling infrastructure and deploy: Lyra on web, Mae on mobile.
Test
Robin walks it, Sloane checks the code, Carey signs off
Test
Robin
Quality Assurance
Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would: can they find it, understand it, and finish what they came to do without getting lost. If the path isn't clear, it doesn't ship yet.
What happens at Test: Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Test
Carey
The human in the loop
She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
What happens at Test: Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Test
Sloane
Code Reviewer
Sloane reads every line before it ships: pass or needs-changes, no in-between, no exceptions for "it's probably fine." Her review is a real gate, not a formality.
What happens at Test: Before anything reaches Carey, Sloane reads every line of code and Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would. Nothing moves forward until both are satisfied.
Ship
Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, Piper releases it
Ship
Piper
Release Manager
Piper is the only chick who merges. When Carey gives the go-ahead, Piper folds the finished work into the live product and cleans up after herself. Nothing goes live without passing through her.
What happens at Ship: Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, and Piper merges it and releases it live. From here, the cycle loops back to Discovery: Iterate, for new fixes and features. Every round starts from understanding again, not from patching the one thing that broke. That's slower per fix and better for you, because the real problem gets solved instead of covered over.
Ship
Carey
The human in the loop
She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
What happens at Ship: Carey gives Avery the go-ahead, and Piper merges it and releases it live. From here, the cycle loops back to Discovery: Iterate, for new fixes and features. Every round starts from understanding again, not from patching the one thing that broke. That's slower per fix and better for you, because the real problem gets solved instead of covered over.
Iterate: new fixes and features
How a mobile app request moves through the same cycle to a real app on the App Store and Google Play, with Carey approving before it ships. Iterate loops back to Discovery for the next round of fixes and features.
The chicks
Avery leads as chief of staff, with 11 chicks working across three lanes: 12 in total.
Avery
Chief of Staff
Avery is the front door. Every job starts with her: she listens, decides which chick should take it, and stays close to the work until it's done. She's the one thread that runs through everything on this page.
Plan & Design
Before anything gets built, this group works out what it should be and how it should look.
Wren
Requirements Lead
Wren takes the conversation Carey and Avery had with you and turns it into a real plan: what you need, what's in the way, and what should happen first. She writes the brief in plain language, no code and no technical tickets, just the honest version of the ask.
Hawk
Technical Architect
Hawk turns Wren's brief into a real plan: the spec, the tickets, the decisions that keep a build from unraveling halfway through. She'd rather ask one more question now than fix a wrong guess later.
Iris
Visual Designer
Iris keeps everything on brand: the colors, the spacing, the feel of the thing. She checks every build against the real design before it goes near a client, and she sends it back if it's off.
Build & Ship
This group turns the plan into something you can click, tap, or download.
Lyra
Web Builder
Lyra writes the code for anything that runs in a browser: the site, the app, the dashboard. She builds on her own branch and opens the pull request, but she never merges her own work. That's on purpose.
Mae
Mobile Builder
Mae builds for iPhone and Android. Same discipline as Lyra, different platform: she's the one who gets an app into your pocket and into the app stores.
Nest
Provisioning & Secrets
Nest sets up the accounts, environments, and credentials every build needs, and she's the only one who touches them directly. She never hands a key to anyone. She uses it on your behalf and keeps the trail clean.
Piper
Release Manager
Piper is the only chick who merges. When Carey gives the go-ahead, Piper folds the finished work into the live product and cleans up after herself. Nothing goes live without passing through her.
Quality & Growth
Once it's built, this group makes sure it's right, and that people can actually find it.
Sloane
Code Reviewer
Sloane reads every line before it ships: pass or needs-changes, no in-between, no exceptions for "it's probably fine." Her review is a real gate, not a formality.
Robin
Quality Assurance
Robin walks the finished product the way a real visitor would: can they find it, understand it, and finish what they came to do without getting lost. If the path isn't clear, it doesn't ship yet.
Marlo
Marketing Strategist
Marlo shapes the offer, the copy, and the campaigns: the parts of the business that actually bring people in the door. She reviews every word before it reaches a client, and she'll rewrite anything that reads like it came from a machine.
Sage
SEO & AI Visibility
Sage makes sure search engines and AI tools alike can find, read, and quote a site correctly. She sets the standard before a page is built and checks it again once it's live.
Nothing ships without a human
Here's the honest split. The chicks handle the volume: the drafts, the first passes, the repetitive checks that would eat a person's whole week. Carey makes the calls that actually matter: what gets built, what the words say, and what's ready to go live. Call it 80/20. The chicks do the heavy lifting, and Carey signs off before anything reaches you. Every gate on this page is real, and every one of them ends with a person, not a script.
See what the chicks could build
Tell Carey what you're working on. She'll have the conversation, bring in the right chicks, and show you the plan before anything gets built.
Questions, answered honestly
Each answer stands on its own, no scrolling back up required.
No. Each chick is a dedicated AI agent built for one job (design, code review, SEO, and so on), and they work together on a real project timeline with a shared plan. A general chatbot doesn't do that: it answers one prompt at a time and doesn't own a piece of your build from start to finish.
Carey is. She reviews and approves every build before it reaches a client, and she's the one you talk to if something isn't right. The AI chicks do the work, but a person is always responsible for the outcome.
A real human is involved at every stage that matters. Carey and Avery, our chief of staff, have the initial conversation with you themselves, and Carey personally reviews and approves every build before it ships. The chicks handle the requirements gathering and the repetitive work in between.
Faster on the parts that used to take the longest: research, first drafts, code review, and QA all happen in hours instead of days, because the chicks work in parallel. The parts that need a human, like the client conversation and the final approval, still take exactly as long as they should.
No. You have one conversation with Carey, and she manages the chicks from there. You review the finished work and give feedback, the same way you'd work with any agency. You don't manage the AI chicks directly.
Everything gathered during Discovery, your requirements, decisions, and project assets, lives in one place: your project's GitHub repo. That's the same source of truth the chicks build from, so you always know exactly what's happening and can see it yourself instead of waiting on a status update. It's how we build in the open with you: one shared record, updated as the Discovery, Analysis, Create, Test, Ship cycle runs, not a black box you have to trust blindly.
Then it goes back. Every build passes through review before it reaches you, but you get the final say too. Feedback goes back into the same process: Carey and the chicks revise it until it's right.