How did you become an expert in automation tools (like Make.com), and how should a beginner split time between lead generation and learning the tool?
He became proficient by spending 4‑5 hours/day for weeks staring into the tool, reading docs, rebuilding flows, and leveraging prior Make.com experience. For beginners he recommends 80% of time on lead generation and 20% on learning the tool, and using his videos to accelerate the learning curve.
He explains that the main value of his program is getting you up and running quickly to land your first automation customer. He gives an example: in month one, you have tasks covering days 1‑31, with day two’s task being to set up a cold email campaign using his 36‑minute walkthrough video. He shows exactly how he does it, including sourcing and later‑day applications, and holds your hand through the whole process. This hands‑on guidance is the core value of his program, which is why he’s become the largest and highest‑revenue automation community at his school, helping people make money and earning their gratitude.
Maker School is designed to throw you into the deep end of AI automation and get you interacting with customers within the first few days. It isn’t a slow, gradual ramp‑up for total beginners. You could spend a few months learning basic AI concepts on your own, but you can also dive straight into Maker School and start doing lead generation right away. The program includes education, QA, bug fixes, and automation help as part of daily fulfillment, but it’s not a full end‑to‑end AI curriculum covering webhooks, APIs, etc. Instead, you get everything needed to reach the lead‑generation side of the business, daily actionables, and the resources to figure things out. This fast‑track approach is chosen because it offers the highest ROI and the shortest path from zero to one.
As a mechanic with 15 years’ experience and limited tech background, you’re technically competent enough if you can use social media, click buttons, and drag‑and‑drop. The learning curve isn’t easy—you’ll suck at first—but it’s absolutely possible. Look at others who have succeeded; if they can do it, you can too. Build foundational knowledge, expect early struggles, and improve over time.
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.