Indira runs a private tattoo studio, where she handles marketing, email communications, operations, customer service. Occasionally, I'll help out with the finances and strategy.

Recently, she was lamenting over her client email communication process. Specifically, after prospective clients have expressed interest in scheduling an initial consultation with her via a form on her website, she'll receive an email with information including potential tattoo ideas.

She'll then respond to each email individually, where she sends them a Calendly link so they can schedule a 10 minute consultation with her.

Naturally, as a software developer and intimate partner, I found myself in problem-solving mode. I quickly think of a software-based approach: a script that, utilizing the Gmail API, reads her email (in a specified folder), and sends the Calendly link to all recipients.

I excitedly tell her this.

"How do I run the script?", she asks

In order for her to run the script, she'll have to have a Terminal and node installed her computer.

"Well, we'd had to install some software on your computer." I say

She shy's away from this.

As I begin to think of ways to easily have the script run on her computer, I come to a realization: certainly, Squarespace, the website provider she uses, has some sort of post-action mechanism that allows for sending an email after form submission.

I look into the Squarespace docs and find out that's not actually achievable. I try to see if there's a way to custom edit the HTML code in order to have this configured. That's not possible either.

I do see another option, and that is a way to redirect users post-submission to a website.

I let Indira know this, and we implement the solution.

Not everything needs to be a software solution.