If most of my community’s revenue comes from me, can I still call myself an automation agency?
Absolutely. You can run an AI automation agency while also operating other businesses. I brand my coaching services under NSM (Nickive Media) separate from my core automation agency, Leftclick Incorporated. Having multiple ventures in your portfolio is fine; just keep each brand distinct and focus on delivering value in each area. It’s common to wear several hats, and it doesn’t diminish the legitimacy of your automation agency.
I think marketing agencies are great; I niche down with them and make more money than most with an equivalent service. Whether you need to differentiate depends on your goals—if you aim to be the Uber of automation agencies selling to marketing agencies at $100M/year, you'll need more differentiation than just 'marketing agency'; if you want a tiny niche, you can target whatever you want, especially if you have experience to stand out. As for assets to send to marketing or creative agencies that aren't just AI‑generated: you can build them whole HTML websites (customized with context) and host them; generate newsletters from templates; create PPC ad creatives based on trending ad‑library content; produce high‑quality proposal templates; make slide decks; essentially any day‑to‑day marketing agency deliverable can be generated with AI, but the biggest impact is the customized HTML template because clients are impressed by receiving a full website.
People often misinterpret what I said about the AI agency space only lasting three years. I never claimed a hard three‑year limit; I was using an analogy to peak oil. What I meant is that over the next three years a unit of work will generate higher returns than after that because you’ll be working in a fresh, unsaturated niche where dedicated software doesn’t yet exist. You’ll get better returns as a custom service provider in that niche. So yes, you can absolutely hit $25 K a month with an automation agency if you execute well and work efficiently.
The reason most AI agencies sell lead‑gen offers is that lead generation is the core value for most businesses—it’s the simplest way to get a ‘yes.’ Once you have a lead‑gen system in place, AI automation agencies can easily upsell related systems: after delivering leads, you can sell CRM organization, payment automation, onboarding automation, fulfillment automation, and so on. By building a stack of services—from lead generation to conversion, payment, onboarding, and fulfillment—you create natural upsell and retainer opportunities, leading to recurring revenue.
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.