The ‘end’ of another busy week, but let’s face it, when working for yourself and building a business with no income on the horizon, the week doesn’t end.
Oddly, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my working life. I’ve had some well-paid jobs and worked for some amazing companies that people dream and aspire of, with some great people. But oddly, I feel at home in this world. Fighting the good fight for myself, juggling multiple roles, developing new skills, constantly learning.
For this week’s good old-fashioned blog post, I want to provide some substance, meat, and depth rather than just a time-fitting-in task. So like last week, this is typed, not spoken and thrown into my AI project to tart it up.
My Automation Journey (And Costly Mistakes)
I’ve mentioned a lot about n8n, and I wish I’d just got on with it and started when I heard about it 6 months ago.
I was doing the 100 Days of No Code with AI, joining the first cohort, then did another of their courses when I was introduced to Zapier. Zapier was described as user-friendly and the best place to start rather than Make.com.
I felt like I’d been hiding under a rock and should have utilised these years ago. But as time (and age) has taught me, it’s never too late. Just get going.
One thing that struck me about both these tools was the cost. I get that they are businesses, have compute costs, staff, communities, etc., but it just seemed not worth it.
The n8n Revelation
Then I saw n8n everywhere. AI version, AI agents, people sharing workflows as JSON files. But the message was always “it’s for the technical people,” so I was put off.
Safe, low-risk Ed thought: learn some Zapier, then Make, then n8n.
Thankfully, part of me thought “bollocks” and let’s just go into n8n after struggling with Zapier and Make. They seemed so rigid and had to do it their way.
Enter David Szabo-Stuban
Midjourney (not the AI tool), I discovered David Szabo-Stuban and got hooked into his Gumroad pre-releases and promises of free 101 days of no-code emails (amongst others).
I’m massively guilty of signing up to online courses and hooks without even starting some, let alone finishing. But there was something different about David. Chaotic, brash, forward, and slightly erratic, he has an element of unreliability. However, he will always deliver somehow.
For instance, one live workshop I signed up for had the time changed 2 days before, so I couldn’t make it. David offered 1:1s to those that couldn’t make it. The cost of his time, which is priceless to all of us.
Building My Own Alfred
Enter the AI First Operator and Alfred. Two weeks in and I’m hooked.
I installed n8n on a self-hosted server with Railway.com following the most simple of instructions from David’s guide. The great part of this is it’s self-hosted, which removes a lot of the cost (just like the handy pin feature to stop a workflow running again whilst testing/building).
Half a day later and my version of Alfred was born. A Slack bot that can help me with my emails and calendar. Within minutes I’d upgraded David’s template version to create calendar entries based on my prompts. So simple and so effective.
The possibilities are endless, and I’m excited.
The Mashman Vision
My dream for Bottle Bond has always been to be lean, solo founder, low cost, and utilise new tech as much as possible.
I already have ideas and drawn-out tooling for my own version of Alfred. I’m calling it The Mashman. To run invoicing, draft emails, social media… not because I’m lazy or want to deceive my customers, but to keep costs as low as possible so we can be affordable to all that need and want us.
The Reality Check
The chase for income is ever ongoing. The emotional rollercoaster is as present as ever. But every week we’re making progress and, most importantly, enjoying this journey.
Don’t let “it’s too technical” put you off like it did me for 6 months. Sometimes you just need to dive in.
Enjoy the heatwave, enjoy the weekend, and embrace any challenges you think are beyond you like I did with n8n.