ashley-payne-mcp

# Ashley Payne MCP server

A remote, read-only MCP server for the practice of Ashley Payne, a UK
technical co-founder and fractional CTO. Connect it to your assistant and ask
about his services, how an engagement runs and what it costs, his case
studies and articles, and whether he suits your project.

- **Endpoint:** `https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk/mcp`
- **Transport:** Streamable HTTP
- **Authentication:** none
- **Registry name:** `uk.co.ashleypayne/ashley-payne`
- **Documentation:** <https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk/ai>

This repository holds the description and configuration only. The server is
hosted, and the hosted endpoint is the product, so there's nothing to install
or run.

## What it does

It answers from the same published content as
[ashleypayne.co.uk](https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk), so the assistant and the
website can't disagree.

The fit checker is the part that's a tool rather than a brochure. Describe
your situation and it returns a verdict: `good_fit`, `mixed`, `poor_fit` or
`insufficient_information`. The rule that produces the verdict lives on the
server and is the same for everyone. Your wording on its own never produces a
no. If something you wrote raises a question (do you want him to supply a
delivery team, for instance), it comes back as a question for you to answer,
and only a confirmed answer changes the verdict.

### Tools

| Tool | What it returns |
|---|---|
| `get_overview` | The first call: who he is, his background and what sets him apart. |
| `assess_fit` | A verdict on whether he suits your project, with any questions to answer first. |
| `get_services` | Services, prices and how an engagement runs. |
| `list_work` | The case studies, with clients unnamed. |
| `get_case_study` | One case study in full. |
| `get_ai_capability` | How he approaches AI work, including when it isn't the answer. |
| `search_insights` | Search his articles. |
| `get_insight` | One article in full. |
| `get_faqs` | The questions buyers ask, with answers. |
| `get_contact` | Email and the booking link. |
| `get_evidence` | How the figures on the site are counted. |
| `get_privacy` | What happens to what you send the server. |

### Prompts

`is_he_right_for_me`, `what_would_this_cost`, `compare_my_options` and
`check_the_evidence` start the common conversations for you.

## Configure it

### Claude (web and desktop)

1. Open Settings, then Connectors.
2. Choose **Add custom connector**.
3. Name it `Ashley Payne` and paste `https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk/mcp`.
4. If it says it can't work out how the server signs in, choose **Continue
   anyway**. There's nothing to sign in to.
5. Turn it on in a chat from the tools or **+** menu.

### Claude Code

```
claude mcp add --transport http ashley-payne https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk/mcp
```

### VS Code with GitHub Copilot

Add this to `.vscode/mcp.json` in your workspace, or to your user MCP
configuration:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "ashley-payne": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex in the ChatGPT desktop app

Open Settings, then MCP servers, and add a Streamable HTTP server named
`ashley_payne` with the endpoint above as its URL. Leave the token and header
fields empty, save and restart, then start a new **Local** Codex chat and
type `/mcp` to check it's connected. This connects Codex running locally; it doesn't
make the server available in ordinary ChatGPT chats.

### Anything else

Any client that speaks Streamable HTTP can connect to the endpoint directly.
There's no API key, header or account.

## Use it

Ask in your own words. For example:

- "Who is Ashley Payne?"
- "What does he charge, and how does an engagement work?"
- "Has he built anything like our problem before?"
- "How does he decide whether AI is the right answer?"
- "We have developers already. We need one accountable fractional CTO to set
  direction. Is he a fit?"

The last one will come back with a few questions first. Answer them and ask
again.

## Privacy

Every tool is read-only. There's no sign-in, no session and no database, and
tool arguments aren't logged. Keep personal and confidential details out of
the fit checker, because the shape of the problem is enough. The full notice
is on the [privacy page](https://www.ashleypayne.co.uk/privacy), in the
section on the AI connector.

## Contact

Built and run by Ashley Payne Systems Ltd, registered in England and Wales,
company number 17463066.
[ashley@ashleypayne.co.uk](mailto:ashley@ashleypayne.co.uk)