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#202 · 60min open Q&A on how I make $400k/mo

youtube ↗AI & Automation

As a longtime software engineer, are there opportunities that more technical/advanced programming skills can take advantage of that no-code automation tools can't handle right now?

Yes, absolutely — custom code projects, scraping projects, and MCP setups are all things a lot of people want right now that lean more technical. That said, software engineering work tends to be perceived as lower value by clients, mainly because they can't visually see what you're doing — it's not very visualizable. When you sell Make.com or n8n flows, they're much more visual and professional-looking (a flowchart going left to right that people are used to seeing), which turns a vague, ephemeral concept like 'a system' into something concrete and easy to grasp.

custom codemcpperceived value of visual tools

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youtube ↗AI & Automation

Will technical ability become unnecessary for building workflows in the future?

Building workflows still requires substantial technical ability; the person who recreated the workflow had to understand a lot of crystallized knowledge. You still need someone to build the system from scratch—AI is a leverage multiplier that reduces, but doesn’t eliminate, the need for technical skill.

workflowtechnical abilityai
youtube ↗AI & Automation

Do you still recommend learning automation tools like Make or N8N right now, or is everything now about Claude code and AI agents for building an AI agency?

Yes, I still recommend learning tools like Make and N8N. The simplest way to get work as a total newbie is to sign up on platforms like Upwork and apply for jobs that require those tools. Learning N8N instantly opens a massive pool of jobs—there are dozens posted every hour. The same goes for Make.com, and even Claude Code has a market. Once you know the basics, you can pitch N8N, Make, or any other automation in your proposals. It doesn’t take long to become fluent; a 4‑to‑6‑hour course can get you up to speed. Think of it like unlocking new areas in a video game—the fog of war lifts after you spend a few hours studying the visual workflow. These tools are visual, so your brain can grasp them faster than raw code, and they also train you to think in systems, which later helps you prompt AI models like Claude. You don’t need a CS degree—just a few focused hours and you’ll have a marketable skill that feeds directly into AI agency work.

maken8nupworkautomation tools
youtube ↗AI & Automation

How do you find automation opportunities in a non-technical industry like manufacturing?

Manufacturing is already about automation (think assembly line). To find automation opportunities I start at the top of the funnel: reach, acquisition, conversion, expansion. For reach I look at AI‑driven creative generators, speed‑to‑lead systems (branded numbers, power dialing, follow‑up automation). For acquisition I automate quote production—saving time and improving quality by removing manual document review. For conversion I use high‑quality proposals, automated contractor dispatch, reminder systems. For expansion I follow up with promo offers and ideate solutions. The biggest gains come from automating front‑end sales and marketing rather than back‑end processes.

automationmanufacturingprocess
youtube ↗AI & Automation

What are your thoughts on coding AI automations versus using no‑code tools like Make?

You should focus on what you're best at and use that skill to make money. I don’t think coding is inherently better than no‑code tools, nor are no‑code tools inherently better than coding. They’re just tools—like sticks, pickaxes, or shovels—that let you get things done, and sometimes one is better suited for a particular task. In practice you can use almost any tool to achieve the same result. Clients don’t care about the underlying tech; they just want the outcome. So yes, you can code AI automations instead of using Make, and it’s fine either way.

no-codecodingai automation