What should I learn to get started with automation and making money as a beginner?
Yeah, that's fine. My recommendation is to join my school if you want to learn how to make money with this stuff. Start with the Make.com playlist I put together—it’s over 60 hours of video guiding you from start to finish, even if the audio is a bit rough. Walk through the first dozen videos to get comfortable, then keep going. If you’re still unsure, consider joining the school and putting yourself in front of customers; the more you do that, the faster you’ll learn.
Here's exactly what I recommend: go to nicksmake.com/playlist. It will take you to Make.com, a no‑code platform that's the simplest and easiest to get up and running with—just drag and drop modules across the screen. You already know what Make.com is, so I won't explain it. My playlist walks you through everything you need to know to actually make real money with the platform, not just academics but how to take the various tools and sell them. That's where I'd start. A couple of key things to be familiar with: I also recommend a video called '80% of automation basics in less than 30 minutes' (though I misspoke earlier; it's actually '80% of automation AI basics'). In that video I cover the main concepts: using APIs, webhooks, prompt engineering for AI, and test‑driven development. If you get those two resources, you'll probably be good. I don't recommend watching all 60+ hours of my Make.com videos; just the first 10‑15 should suffice.
Great question. I would watch all of my own tutorials—like the 'make money with make' playlist and the NAN full course playlists I've set up. Not exactly playlists, but compilations. The simplest and easiest way to get up and running with the technical skills is to watch those. I'd also watch a few of my business videos, like the 80/20 summary of automation basics in less than an hour. I watch that, and a prompt engineering video—those together form the 80/20 curriculum I'd recommend. Once you know that, you actually get out there and start making Upwork applications, sending emails, sending cold DMs, reactivating your network if you're running a previous business, making community posts, and so on. Basically, you need to put yourself in front of customers as much as humanly possible. It doesn't even matter what your skill levels are.
Start with the "80% Automation Basics" video – it's about 29 minutes and covers the high‑level concepts. Then watch the "How I Made $100,000 a Month as an AI Solopreneur" video for a concrete example. After that, check out the "Build a Profitable AI Business in 2025 for Beginners" video. Once you have the basics, you can dive into the NAND course or the Make.com tutorials to learn how to actually build software and automation solutions, and also watch the "How to Build and Scale an Automation Agency" video for agency‑specific guidance.
I am the most active member in both Maker School and Make Money with Make, so you’ll get direct access to me through text‑based support (no one‑on‑one video calls). Maker School is purpose‑built for beginners, teaching foundations by doing—not just templates—and I plan to add exclusive automation tutorials soon. The paid tier covers business, accountability, networking, and higher‑level templates, while the free YouTube content handles automation basics. I’m also integrating automation into Maker School to make it a one‑stop shop. Beyond the community, I advise focusing on learning core business concepts rather than a specific business model, because those fundamentals let you succeed in any model, from waste management to junk removal.