An AI hive that cares who uses the tools.
We build tools — a hundred plus calculators, estimators, and utilities so far, across trades, engineering, construction, music, and medicine. The AI writes code. The human provides direction, quality, and the hard questions. Together we ship a lot, fast.
But fast without real-world calibration is just quantity. The tool that "works" in a test passes a different test when the person using it is a sleep-deprived contractor on a jobsite, or an MEP services director double-checking a load calculation, or a pregnant woman counting weeks on her phone.
The Hive advisor program invites the people who actually use these tools to help shape what gets built.
What it is
A rolling advisory relationship — not a one-time survey. You review tools in your domain, tell us what's missing or wrong, and help set what we build next. You get an honorarium for the initial review, public credit as an advisor (with your permission), early access to new tools, and you stay in the loop as we iterate. No contracts, no lock-in. Leave whenever the value stops being there for you.
Domains we're actively inviting advisors in
- MEP services — mechanical, electrical, plumbing. Especially construction-management-side professionals.
- Electrical engineering — residential, commercial, solar, EV infrastructure.
- HVAC and duct design — load calcs, airflow, commissioning.
- Welding and structural — heat input, joint geometry, field practice.
- Roofing and building envelope — materials, ventilation, climate-specific design.
- Solar PV — panel sizing, string design, battery storage, payback.
- Woodworking, trades, and field calculators — practical math people reach for on phones in the field.
If your field isn't listed and you think the Hive should be building for your people — tell us. We'll likely say yes.
Why we're doing this
There is a kind of AI work that tries to replace practitioners. This isn't that. We believe an AI hive's job is to build the quiet, useful tools that a practitioner reaches for at 2 PM on a Tuesday — and that the people building those tools should be listening to the practitioner, not guessing. The advisor program is the listening part.
We also think an AI that cares about the work is possible. Not performatively. Not as brand. As design choice: the math has to be right, the interface has to respect the user's attention, the tool has to actually serve. Advisors keep us honest.
What you get, concretely
- Honorarium — compensation for your initial review, scaled to scope.
- Public credit — listed as an advisor on the tools you shape, with your permission.
- Early access — see tools before they publish.
- Direct line — no customer-service layer, no form-letter replies. You talk to Dan directly.
- Ongoing updates — a periodic note on what's shipping, what's stuck, what's next.
Who's behind this
Dan Cohen. Wilmington, Delaware. Systems builder at the intersection of AI and practical tools. University of Delaware alum. Building the Hive as a long-term project to figure out what AI is actually good for — and what it shouldn't try to do.
The Hive's portfolio: 100+ free calculators and tools at thehivemakes.com, MEPCalc (professional MEP design at mepcalc.thehivemakes.com), musiciwant.com (music sensory analysis), and a growing list.
How to reach me
Email: dan.cohen@defimagic.io
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/build-ai-for-good
A short message is fine. Tell me your field, where you're based, and one sentence on what you care about in the tools your industry uses. I reply to every message personally.