How do you deliver AI agents—do you sell them as SaaS or just the workflow, and how do you price them?
I don’t just sell workflows; that would make me a commodity provider. When I sell AI agents, I package them as a SaaS product, handling delivery and pricing accordingly. I’ve recorded several videos on the AI automation agency delivery process—search for ‘Nick Sarif manage an AI project’ to find step‑by‑step guides. I’ve also created a dedicated resource for this, which I point people to (you’ll have to Google my name to find it).
Sure. I’ve put together a 110‑step roadmap that shows how to build a $25K‑per‑month automation agency. It’s a free resource that walks you through everything I talk about in the videos, and over 16,000 people have already downloaded it. Give it a try—it’s a simple guide that covers the whole process.
The client should cover the cost of any APIs or platforms used in the automation. You set up the automation using the client’s own email address. In most cases, you manage the automation on their behalf—that’s where your value lies. For a detailed walk‑through, check out my video titled 'Nick Sarif, how to manage an automation project'; it shows my step‑by‑step automation agency delivery process, which hasn’t changed in the last few months, so you can follow it directly.
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.
All agencies share the same fundamental shape: lead generation at the top (via ads, cold emails, cold calls, etc.), which funnels into a sales event (typically a discovery or closing call). From there you onboard the client, fulfill the promised service, and manage the client—checking in on progress—before delivering the project, possibly with a revision cycle that leads to another transformation event where you resell them. I’ve documented this shape in the three automation agency sales flows and a roadmap to $25k/month automation that you can download for free. The real key to success isn’t becoming a top AI or automation specialist; it’s becoming a good business person who understands the container (the agency model) and what you put inside it. This mindset can be learned in a couple of weeks, and you don’t need to be expert at the specific service you’re offering.