Is it realistic to earn $30–$40k/month with an AI automation business, and how will automation saturation in tier‑1 countries by 2026 affect agency scaling?
Regarding earning $30–$40k/month with an AI automation business: it's entirely possible and up to you, but it's uncommon and not necessarily realistic for everyone—it depends on your skill level, consistency, and ambition. I can't give a precise success rate, but the model is working now and should continue for at least a few months; I'll evolve Maker School with the business model, though I don't plan to make it solely an AI automation community. On automation saturation in tier‑1 countries by 2026: it will make things harder but not a zero‑to‑one shift; agencies targeting $50–$150k/month will feel the impact, while larger businesses ($10M–$100M revenue) will be affected less. I'm not familiar with the EI audit; it sounds like a business model being sold, and while it could be added to the curriculum if it's cool, it seems more like someone trying to sell you a framework.
He says yes, it's smart to start an automation agency now to capture the lag, but you should focus on delivering strategic outcomes and consulting rather than just selling tools. You can still make money with tools, but the real value is in helping clients achieve business results. He also notes that if you're not making $10k/month yet, focus on reaching that income first, and that many traditional businesses (web design, clay pottery) still thrive, so it's not all black‑and‑white.
If you're aiming to make $20,000 a month, there's space in virtually any industry; web design agencies have existed for 30 years and can reach that in a few months. However, aiming for a $50 million/year AI automation agency likely won't be feasible by 2027 due to mass tools and big players capturing the market. For your case, there's always room for another $20,000/month entrant.
I'll be honest: AI auditing and infrastructure is just a repackaging of what we already do—same service, different packaging to look and sound new. It's a smart move for content creators because audiences get fatigued with the same offering over time, but there's no real fundamental difference in the deliverable; only the packaging changes slightly. There's no special support needed to make that transition; we continue with the same business model under the hood and may rebrand later when the market tires of the 'AI automation' keyword.
Yeah, for sure. I would pivot a bit and brand yourself more as an AI consultant or strategic consultant who uses no-code tools rather than necessarily an AI automation agency. If you think about it, many people don't realize that as a beginner, most of your work as an agency owner is actually just freelancing—being a consultant, sole proprietor, independent contractor. So I would start there, providing services as an individual, and worry about building an agency that provides services later. Because actually doing the thing, getting good at the business, then building the business, hiring, managing, tracking time, payroll—those are two fundamentally different things. Get good at delivering business insights and knowledge, then building systems, and afterwards you can worry about scaling and hiring people.