In our latest AI in Action webinar, Phil from Blue Llama walked through how we built a fully functional mortgage comparison platform for Jersey, Swoop.je, in just under a month using AI assisted development. The session covered the story behind the idea, how the platform was built, the economics of the approach, a live demo, and what this shift means for Jersey businesses.
Watch the webinar recording
Webinar summary
In this session, we stepped back from talking about the product itself and focused on the approach that made building Swoop.je possible in a fraction of the normal time and cost.
Phil opened by explaining why the idea came about. It was born from a frustrating personal experience navigating mortgages in Jersey and the lack of local tools to help compare lender options. In larger markets like the UK, mortgage comparison platforms are common. In Jersey, nothing similar existed.
After experimenting with large language models to structure lender data, Phil had a key insight. Could modern AI assisted tools, often referred to as vibe coding, actually build the product itself? The answer turned out to be yes.
Using tools such as Replit, Phil showed how Swoop.je was created primarily through prompts and AI generated code, with minimal traditional coding. Crucially, this approach dramatically reduced both the development cost and the timeline.
The webinar covered:
- What Swoop.je is and how it works. A central hub comparing products from all Jersey lenders, updated nightly, with an AI chatbot to help first time buyers understand mortgages.
- AI assisted development explained. Instead of writing code line by line, outcomes were described to AI tools, refined through iteration, and deployed straight to production.
- The tooling landscape. Options such as Replit, Lovable, Bolt and Claude Code were discussed, along with when each might be appropriate.
- The economics of AI assisted builds. A traditional build might have cost £50,000 or more and taken six months. The AI assisted approach took around four weeks and a fraction of the cost.
- A live demo. A real time prompt inside Replit demonstrated how quickly a working business tool can begin to take shape.
- Opportunities for Jersey businesses. Bespoke internal tools, customer portals, niche platforms and data aggregation products are now much more achievable.
- Risks and pitfalls. Code quality, security, testing discipline and the importance of maintaining oversight were discussed during the Q&A.
Key takeaways
AI assisted development has fundamentally changed the economics of digital builds. Platforms like Swoop.je, which would previously have required large teams and long timelines, can now be created rapidly and cost effectively.
This does not replace human thinking. These tools are powerful, but they still require clear specifications, systems thinking, user experience judgment and disciplined testing.
There is a real opportunity for SMEs right now. Internal dashboards, bespoke automation tools and Jersey specific platforms are all more viable than they were even a year ago.
Security and governance still matter. Organisations should combine AI tools with sensible oversight and best practice software principles.
Start small and build trust internally. Early wins create confidence and momentum for further AI adoption.
We currently have two free spots available in our AI opportunity assessment workshop. This is a structured process where we dig into your business, identify inefficiencies and prioritise practical AI and automation opportunities. If you would like to explore where AI could add measurable value in your organisation, get in touch to secure one of the remaining places.
Thank you to Dave Edwards from Pinpoint for joining the session and contributing to the webinar.
