Black Diamond
AI implementation
Agents and assistants that research, qualify and follow up inside the tools you already use.
Example: an AI deal-sourcing system behind $3M in real estate acquisitions.
Joe PinoAI systems architect
Architecting & building the systems that run your business.
Architecture and implementation for AI, automation and custom software. I map what's possible, recommend what's optimal, and build it end to end.
5.0·Top Rated Plus·100% Job Success·72+ clients
Top Rated Plus
Top 3% of talent on Upwork
100%Job Success
72+Companies served since 2021
5,000+Hours of manual work saved for clients
Trusted by teams at
What I do
Architecture first. Then I build it.
I design the system first: what's worth doing and how the pieces fit. Then I implement it myself, so nothing gets lost between the plan and the build.
Workflow automation
Hand-offs, follow-ups and paperwork happen on their own, so nothing slips.
Example: 1,000+ hours a year given back to a staffing firm's team.
Platform setup
Airtable, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Monday, ClickUp and more, configured around how your team actually works.
Example: four years running a staffing firm's operations on Airtable.
Custom software
Full builds, custom databases and widgets when off-the-shelf tools stop fitting.
Example: an order platform used by a co-op of 330+ stores.
What clients say
Hear it from them
In writing
Joe is tackling a very complex, multi-faceted Excel to Airtable migration for us with truly phenomenal results.
Juliet VenturisCity Staffing
From our first call, where he was on vacation and still took the time to talk with me, I knew we picked the right guy.
Alec LorenzoPinned Golf
We weren't sure if what we wanted to build was even possible, but Joe knocked it out of the park.
AlWebsite Closers
He took the time to understand exactly what we needed and made pivotal recommendations. One of the best hires we've made!
BenReal Quick Capital
Client results
Selected work
Who hired me, what they needed, what I built, and what happened next.
AI deal sourcing that closed $3M
- Hired to
- Find acquisition opportunities without hours of manual research and cold outreach.
- Built
- AI-powered scrapers that find and score deals, sync them to the CRM and start broker outreach automatically.
$3Min acquisitions
50+ broker relationships
50+ broker relationships
A staffing firm, rebuilt off Excel
- Hired to
- Replace the web of spreadsheets running interviews, compliance and client relationships.
- Built
- An operating system for the whole firm: CRM, interview tracking, compliance and reporting, with team communication automated.
1,000+hours saved a year
4+ year partnership
4+ year partnership
One platform for 330+ stores
- Hired to
- Modernize how a co-op coordinates ordering between distributors and its member stores.
- Built
- A member ordering portal and a system for producing store marketing, as part of a ground-up rebuild of company operations.
330+member stores
4+ year partnership
4+ year partnership
An insurer, moved off paper
- Hired to
- Take a fast-growing insurer's applications, underwriting and claims off paper.
- Built
- A custom platform for policies, claims, accounting and reporting, with VIN decoding, driver screening and e-signatures built in.
$3M+in policies written
on the platform
on the platform
The systems behind 2× wholesale
- Hired to
- Scale the wholesale channel without scaling the admin behind it.
- Built
- A rep ordering portal synced to the 3PL and accounting, then one inventory view across Shopify, Amazon and ShipBob.
+100%wholesale growth
Onboarding that scaled with growth
- Hired to
- Bring on new members without manual hand-offs slowing growth down.
- Built
- An end-to-end onboarding system that takes each member from sign-up to started, automatically.
+40%membership growth
Faster quotes, protected margins
- Hired to
- Speed up quoting for home modifications, many funded through state Medicaid programs, without giving up margin.
- Built
- A custom quoting system with pricing rules built in, so every quote is fast, consistent and profitable.
KS + MOquotes for homes
across two states
across two states
Breaking down an agency's data silos
- Hired to
- Unify campaign and creator data scattered across CreatorIQ, spreadsheets and inboxes.
- Built
- A CreatorIQ-to-Airtable connection and automated contract management for talent.
1 hubfor campaigns,
creators & contracts
creators & contracts
Less admin, more mission
- Hired to
- Reduce the time a small team spent tracking services and reporting to funders.
- Built
- A program and event management system with metrics reporting that runs on its own.
Autoimpact reporting
for funders
for funders
01 / 09
About
Hi, I'm Joe. 👋
I do both halves of the job: architecture and implementation. I help you define what's possible, recommend what's optimal, and then build it myself. There's no hand-off between the person who designs your system and the person who builds it.
That's why companies from staffing firms to insurers keep me on for years, and why the systems I build are still running long after launch.
- 12019 – 2021Web developerWhere it started: building for the web.
- 22021 – 2024No-code & low-code systemsBusiness systems and automation, well before AI.
- 3CurrentlyAI architecture & implementationAI, workflow automation and fully custom builds, with Airtable still at the core.
Industries I've built for
Staffing / Insurance / E-commerce / Real estate / Lending / Venture capital / Home services / Marketing / Coaching / Logistics / Nonprofits
How it works
From first call to running system
- 01Discovery call
A free call. Walk me through what's slow, manual or breaking, and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.
- 02Architecture
I map your operations, define what's possible, and recommend the optimal design, including where AI genuinely helps and where it doesn't.
- 03Build & launch
I implement the design myself, in stages, showing progress as I go, so nothing at launch is a surprise.
- 04Train & evolve
Your team learns the system, and I stay on to extend it as the business grows. Many clients have kept me on for years.
Questions
Before you book
What does a project cost?
Either $150 an hour or a fixed price for a defined scope, whichever suits the project. Fixed-price projects have ranged from about $1,500 for a focused automation to $30,000 for a full custom platform. You get a clear quote after the discovery call, before any work starts.
How soon can we start?
Usually within a week of the discovery call. Work is delivered in stages, so you see progress as it happens rather than waiting for one big launch.
Do I need to "do AI" to work with you?
No. I'll recommend AI only where it clearly saves time or money. Plenty of the best wins are solid automation and well-designed software.
What's the difference between you and an agency?
You work directly with the person who designs and builds your system. No account managers, no hand-offs, no junior developers learning on your project.
Can you work with the software we already use?
Usually, yes. I connect what you have before suggesting anything new, and only recommend replacing a tool when it's holding you back.
What happens after launch?
I train your team and stay on to extend the system as you grow. Several clients have worked with me for four years or more.
Start here
You run the business. I'll build the system.
Tell me what's slowing you down. You'll leave the call knowing what's possible and what I'd recommend, whether or not we work together.
Book a free callI read and answer every message myself.