WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 There's this, this idea going around in AI right 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.440 now. It says, the fast track to making money 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:08.980 is starting an AI automation agency. Sounds flashy, 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:12.339 right? Modern. Yeah. Lucrative, even. But what 00:00:12.339 --> 00:00:14.339 if it's not quite the golden ticket, it seems? 00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:17.399 What if it's more like a bubble? We've got some 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:19.600 insights from a founder who, well, they built 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.980 a big agency, sold it for millions, and then 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:24.949 walked away saying, hold on. think again welcome 00:00:24.949 --> 00:00:27.129 everyone yeah today we're really diving deep 00:00:27.129 --> 00:00:29.890 into this our mission basically is to unpack 00:00:29.890 --> 00:00:32.909 why this popular ai agency model might actually 00:00:32.909 --> 00:00:35.369 be a trap for many we'll get into the real story 00:00:35.369 --> 00:00:37.829 from someone who lived it and then the exciting 00:00:37.829 --> 00:00:40.490 part we'll look at three other ai business models 00:00:40.490 --> 00:00:42.630 ones that are actually scalable actually profitable 00:00:42.630 --> 00:00:44.929 in the long run we've even got a kind of build 00:00:44.929 --> 00:00:47.609 -in public blueprint to share how you might actually 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:49.880 do this yourself Okay, let's get into it then. 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:52.259 The appeal of an AI automation agency. I get 00:00:52.259 --> 00:00:54.399 it. It feels cutting edge. You're helping other 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:56.820 businesses automate using AI. What could be wrong 00:00:56.820 --> 00:00:59.179 with that? It sounds great on paper. Yeah, but 00:00:59.179 --> 00:01:01.000 here's the thing. The secret that often gets 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:03.740 missed. These AI automation agencies, they're 00:01:03.740 --> 00:01:05.579 not really AI businesses in the way you might 00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:08.480 think. Fundamentally, they're traditional service 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:11.439 businesses. They just happen to use AI as one 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:14.260 of their tools. It's like... Think of a personal 00:01:14.260 --> 00:01:16.319 trainer. They're so busy training other people, 00:01:16.459 --> 00:01:18.180 they don't have time to work out themselves. 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:20.599 The agency owner is selling their time, their 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:22.400 team's time, their problem -solving skills. They're 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:24.799 not building their own leverage with AI. That's 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:26.680 the crucial difference. That's a really clear 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:28.900 analogy. And this isn't just hypothetical, is 00:01:28.900 --> 00:01:30.900 it? We have this story, this cautionary tale 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:33.200 from a founder who actually did it, built a tech 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.140 agency, scaled it to, what, $2 .6 million a year, 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:39.280 25 employees, sold it, looked like a huge success 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.799 from the outside. But hearing them talk about 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:45.170 it. They called it a trap that looked good. Exactly. 00:01:45.310 --> 00:01:48.390 That multi -million dollar operation from the 00:01:48.390 --> 00:01:51.290 inside was a daily grind, a constant battle. 00:01:51.510 --> 00:01:54.049 They identified four big problems, what we're 00:01:54.049 --> 00:01:57.209 calling the high revenue grind. First one, the 00:01:57.209 --> 00:01:59.879 leaky bucket of doom. Agencies are always losing 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:02.299 clients. It's just the nature of it. A key person 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:04.540 leaves the client company, budget shift, they 00:02:04.540 --> 00:02:06.939 get bought out, boom, a chunk of revenue disappears. 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:09.620 So you're constantly, desperately hunting for 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:12.020 new clients just to fill the holes. Forget growth, 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.400 you're just trying not to shrink. Wow. So just 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.319 maintaining feels like a full -time job in itself. 00:02:16.830 --> 00:02:19.349 It absolutely is, and that feeds right into the 00:02:19.349 --> 00:02:21.490 second problem. The hiring and firing roller 00:02:21.490 --> 00:02:24.069 coaster. You land a big contract? Great. Now 00:02:24.069 --> 00:02:26.949 you scramble to hire people? Fast. Then the project 00:02:26.949 --> 00:02:28.990 winds down, maybe the next big one isn't signed 00:02:28.990 --> 00:02:30.930 yet. And you're faced with letting good people 00:02:30.930 --> 00:02:34.009 go. It's incredibly stressful. Unstable for everyone. 00:02:34.370 --> 00:02:37.789 Which leads to number three. The fire chief reality. 00:02:38.349 --> 00:02:40.610 As the owner, you think you'll be setting strategy, 00:02:40.710 --> 00:02:42.719 right? Visionary stuff? Nope. You're the chief 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.620 firefighter. Client's mad. Your problem. Deadline 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:48.560 missed. Your problem. Server down. Team conflict. 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:51.000 All land on your desk. Your day is just reacting 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.800 to the latest crisis. Zero proactive work. That 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:56.300 sounds utterly exhausting. Just constantly putting 00:02:56.300 --> 00:02:58.979 out fires. And after all that, what was the end 00:02:58.979 --> 00:03:01.919 result? The big payoff. Well, that's the final 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:04.659 problem. The 12 -year grind. This founder spent 00:03:04.659 --> 00:03:06.759 over a decade in this mode. Then they sold the 00:03:06.759 --> 00:03:09.680 company. And the kicker. Those millions they 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:12.349 got. It wasn't retire to an island money. It 00:03:12.349 --> 00:03:14.710 was, in their words, just enough to start over. 00:03:14.870 --> 00:03:17.150 All that work, all that revenue didn't buy freedom. 00:03:17.250 --> 00:03:19.189 Just the chance to get back on another hamster 00:03:19.189 --> 00:03:21.689 wheel. It really drives home that illusion of 00:03:21.689 --> 00:03:23.770 the AI business, doesn't it? When it comes down 00:03:23.770 --> 00:03:26.330 to it, it's still managing people, managing problems, 00:03:26.550 --> 00:03:29.949 often at 2 a .m. So for someone thinking about 00:03:29.949 --> 00:03:32.169 starting an agency right now, what's the bottom 00:03:32.169 --> 00:03:35.330 line here? It's selling human time, not building 00:03:35.330 --> 00:03:38.830 scalable AI assets for yourself. OK, but let's 00:03:38.830 --> 00:03:41.159 be fair. It's not always a bad move to build 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:43.819 an agency, is it? There must be situations where 00:03:43.819 --> 00:03:45.819 it does make sense for certain people. Oh, absolutely. 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:48.919 If you genuinely love building teams, if you 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:52.479 thrive on managing complex client needs, navigating 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:55.719 difficult conversations, designing systems, if 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:58.080 that's your true passion, then sure, an agency 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:00.639 can work. But the key is you have to go in knowing 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:03.159 it's a service business. It's not a product company. 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:05.280 The scaling mechanics are totally different. 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:07.120 Right. And this is where the thinking gets... 00:04:07.310 --> 00:04:09.129 Really clever, I think, this idea you mentioned, 00:04:09.229 --> 00:04:12.110 the pro -level upgrade, the client as an angel 00:04:12.110 --> 00:04:15.590 investor model. That sounds intriguing. What's 00:04:15.590 --> 00:04:17.689 the twist? This is a really smart pivot, yeah. 00:04:18.470 --> 00:04:21.089 Instead of trying to build a big, sprawling agency, 00:04:21.449 --> 00:04:24.629 you deliberately take on only, say, two or three 00:04:24.629 --> 00:04:27.389 clients, good clients, paying a fixed monthly 00:04:27.389 --> 00:04:30.329 fee, predictable income. But here's the mindset 00:04:30.329 --> 00:04:32.720 shift. These clients aren't your main business. 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:36.120 They're your funders, your angels. You use that 00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:38.480 steady income, that predictable cash flow to 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:40.439 finance the development of your real business 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:43.439 on the side. which is your scalable AI product 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:45.860 or productized service, suddenly client work 00:04:45.860 --> 00:04:48.100 isn't the trap anymore. It's the launchpad. Ah, 00:04:48.259 --> 00:04:50.839 okay. So it's not the end goal itself. It's the 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:53.100 engine to power the real goal. Exactly. You're 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:55.420 leveraging service income to build lasting, scalable 00:04:55.420 --> 00:04:57.620 assets. Mid -role sponsor, read placeholder. 00:04:57.779 --> 00:04:59.480 All right. So we've seen the potential pitfalls 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:01.720 of the standard agency model and a clever way 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.199 to use client work as funding. Let's shift gears 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.089 now to the main event. The truly smart, truly 00:05:07.089 --> 00:05:09.949 scalable paths. What are these three types of 00:05:09.949 --> 00:05:12.350 AI businesses that actually make long -term sense? 00:05:12.610 --> 00:05:15.490 Right. So instead of that agency grind, think 00:05:15.490 --> 00:05:18.310 about these three routes. They let you benefit 00:05:18.310 --> 00:05:22.350 directly from AI's power. First up, AI services, 00:05:22.490 --> 00:05:24.610 but done the smart way, the productized way. 00:05:25.139 --> 00:05:26.939 This is probably the most accessible starting 00:05:26.939 --> 00:05:29.079 point for many. Instead of doing custom work 00:05:29.079 --> 00:05:31.399 for every client, you create a standardized service 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:34.120 package. Something repeatable. You use AI and 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:36.819 automation to do like 90 % of the work. You're 00:05:36.819 --> 00:05:39.180 basically sending access to your efficient AI 00:05:39.180 --> 00:05:41.800 -powered machine, not your time block by block. 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:43.500 Can you give us an example? Make it concrete. 00:05:43.660 --> 00:05:45.980 How would that look in practice? Sure. A great 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:48.079 one is a productized content creation service. 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:50.579 Think about all the experts, coaches, consultants 00:05:50.579 --> 00:05:52.800 who know they should be creating content, but 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:54.720 they hate writing. or they just don't have time. 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:57.100 Your service could be they record a quick voice 00:05:57.100 --> 00:05:59.620 memo, maybe drop a messy draft into a folder. 00:05:59.779 --> 00:06:03.579 Your system, mostly automated with AI, takes 00:06:03.579 --> 00:06:06.019 that raw input, transcribes it, cleans it up, 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:07.839 turns it into a polished blog post, maybe some 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:10.699 tweets, a LinkedIn piece, an email. You get the 00:06:10.699 --> 00:06:12.740 idea. The heavy lifting is done by the system. 00:06:12.779 --> 00:06:14.579 Your role is overseeing it, maybe some light 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:16.779 QA, managing the client relationship. That's 00:06:16.779 --> 00:06:19.500 a true AI business. You're leveraging the tech. 00:06:19.980 --> 00:06:22.360 Beat. Whoa. I mean, just imagine scaling that 00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:24.860 kind of content engine, delivering huge value 00:06:24.860 --> 00:06:27.579 to tons of clients with minimal extra effort 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:30.040 from you. That's powerful. That's a world away 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:32.740 from custom projects. Huge difference. Okay, 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:34.740 what's model number two? The second one is automation 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:36.699 templates. This is where you can potentially 00:06:36.699 --> 00:06:41.189 build a, say, $5 ,000 digital product. this is 00:06:41.189 --> 00:06:43.569 super interesting instead of running the service 00:06:43.569 --> 00:06:45.490 for people you package up the actual automation 00:06:45.490 --> 00:06:47.970 system itself the templates the workflows maybe 00:06:47.970 --> 00:06:50.850 using tools like zapier or make and you sell 00:06:50.850 --> 00:06:52.910 that system along with instructions on how to 00:06:52.910 --> 00:06:54.829 use it this is what the founder we talked about 00:06:54.829 --> 00:06:56.790 eventually did so successfully why is it great 00:06:56.790 --> 00:06:59.129 well the profit margins are potentially massive 00:06:59.129 --> 00:07:02.370 right build it once sell it thousands of times 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:05.990 delivery cost is near zero it scales infinitely 00:07:05.990 --> 00:07:08.230 selling the one thousandth copy takes no more 00:07:08.230 --> 00:07:10.379 effort than the first you can charge Premium 00:07:10.379 --> 00:07:12.100 prices, too, because it's not just information. 00:07:12.100 --> 00:07:14.879 It's a working system, a business in a box for 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:18.319 a specific task. And crucially, almost zero client 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:20.740 management after the sale. Maybe a support forum, 00:07:20.779 --> 00:07:24.120 but no ongoing service delivery. That founder 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.779 sold his content engine database for $5 ,000 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:29.040 a pop. People bought it straight off the page. 00:07:29.180 --> 00:07:31.540 No sales calls needed. Incredible scalability. 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:34.240 Just pure asset leverage. What's the third type? 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:37.939 Third is information products. The scalable goldmine. 00:07:38.279 --> 00:07:41.120 potentially. Now, when people hear info products, 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.459 they often think, I don't know, courses, teaching 00:07:43.459 --> 00:07:46.240 how to make money online. But there's this massive 00:07:46.860 --> 00:07:49.920 underserved market professional AI education 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:53.000 for established businesses. Think about it. From 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:55.300 your local dentist to big corporations, most 00:07:55.300 --> 00:07:58.160 companies are way behind on AI. Maybe one or 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.399 two people are playing with chat GPT, but that's 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:03.420 it. They lack real internal knowledge on how 00:08:03.420 --> 00:08:06.759 to apply AI strategically. This creates a huge 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:09.139 opportunity. If you can package AI knowledge 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:11.220 professionally for specific industries, things 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:14.480 like AI for healthcare administration or AI for 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:16.910 financial compliance, real practical applications. 00:08:17.189 --> 00:08:19.410 These companies need this training. They have 00:08:19.410 --> 00:08:20.970 budgets for professional development. They're 00:08:20.970 --> 00:08:22.910 not looking for hype. They want real skills for 00:08:22.910 --> 00:08:25.110 their teams. Okay. So across all three models, 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:26.990 the key theme seems to be creating something 00:08:26.990 --> 00:08:29.490 once you can then sell over and over again. Yes. 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:32.090 Creating assets that scale independently of your 00:08:32.090 --> 00:08:34.750 direct time and effort. That's the goal. So let's 00:08:34.750 --> 00:08:37.470 circle back to that founder's story. After selling 00:08:37.470 --> 00:08:39.669 the agency, how did they actually stumble upon 00:08:39.669 --> 00:08:42.870 this $5 ,000 product? It sounds like it wasn't 00:08:42.870 --> 00:08:45.200 exactly planned. Not at all. It was completely 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:48.019 accidental. After selling, he was basically starting 00:08:48.019 --> 00:08:51.240 from scratch. One person, no team. Big adjustment. 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:53.399 He knew he couldn't just rebuild another service 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:55.500 agency, couldn't face that 12 -year grind again. 00:08:55.779 --> 00:08:58.220 So he was doing what lots of people do, creating 00:08:58.220 --> 00:09:01.120 content, trying different marketing things. And 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:03.519 he found himself struggling to organize his own 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.019 content workflow. Just to solve his own problem, 00:09:06.259 --> 00:09:09.179 he built this simple little database using Airtable 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:12.409 and Zapier. Nothing fancy. Then, almost on a 00:09:12.409 --> 00:09:15.090 whim, he started making short TikTok videos showing 00:09:15.090 --> 00:09:17.629 how his simple system worked, how he automated 00:09:17.629 --> 00:09:20.450 his content repurposing. The reaction was instant 00:09:20.450 --> 00:09:23.190 and huge, videos getting 100 ,000 plus views. 00:09:23.429 --> 00:09:25.210 People were messaging him like crazy, saying, 00:09:25.309 --> 00:09:27.529 I need this. So the market was literally yelling 00:09:27.529 --> 00:09:29.710 at him, telling him what it wanted. Exactly. 00:09:29.970 --> 00:09:32.399 But here's the first mistake he made. He didn't 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:34.799 listen initially. He was still chasing other, 00:09:34.860 --> 00:09:36.779 more complicated business ideas that weren't 00:09:36.779 --> 00:09:39.340 getting traction. You know, I still wrestle with 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:41.240 trying to overthink what the market truly wants 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.500 sometimes. It's so easy to ignore the obvious 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:45.720 signals right in front of you. Anyway, eventually 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:48.539 he did listen. He set up a simple $10 a month 00:09:48.539 --> 00:09:50.580 community just to show people his Airtable system. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:53.340 Got over 100 members right away. Clear validation. 00:09:53.980 --> 00:09:56.779 But then came mistake number two. He started 00:09:56.779 --> 00:09:58.960 doing one -on -one Zoom calls with members, and 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.019 everyone had these long wish lists. Can it do 00:10:01.019 --> 00:10:04.080 this? Can you add that? Complex stuff. He felt 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:05.600 pressured to please everyone, started offering 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:10.019 these $15 ,000 custom setups, which became total 00:10:10.019 --> 00:10:12.720 nightmares. Unprofitable, complex, stressful. 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:14.559 So trying to please everyone with complexity 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:16.960 almost derailed the whole thing. Pretty much. 00:10:16.980 --> 00:10:19.419 He was close to just quitting. But then he had 00:10:19.419 --> 00:10:21.620 this epiphany. Simplicity scales, complexity 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:24.340 fails. He went back. Ricked out all the complicated 00:10:24.340 --> 00:10:26.740 features, made the core system simpler. Instead 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:29.039 of custom installs, he made clear video tutorials 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:31.259 showing how to set up the simpler version. And 00:10:31.259 --> 00:10:34.460 he packaged that simpler version as a $999 course 00:10:34.460 --> 00:10:37.899 first week. Sold 50 copies. And people were happier 00:10:37.899 --> 00:10:40.220 because it was easier to use. That led him to 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:42.740 this kind of golden rule. Every time he simplified 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:45.159 the product, took features out he found he could 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:47.700 actually increase the price his engineer brain 00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:50.059 wanted complex features but the market just wanted 00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:52.700 a simple solution to their pain the market won 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:56.080 and refining that led directly to the 5 000 automation 00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.980 template that's now doing you know 40k to 75k 00:10:58.980 --> 00:11:01.620 a month what a turnaround it really underscores 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:04.139 the power of simplicity and this whole journey 00:11:04.139 --> 00:11:06.799 leads us to this build -in public blueprint, 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:09.100 the practical plan. Can you walk us through the 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:11.679 steps? Yeah, it's a really straightforward four 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:13.799 -step blueprint. Anyone can follow this. Step 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:17.039 one, pick your lane. Focus on solving a problem 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.340 in one of the big three areas of human need. 00:11:19.580 --> 00:11:21.740 Money, think business. Productivity, investing. 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:25.000 Health, fitness, wellness, mental health. Or 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:28.019 relationships, dating, family, networking. Choose 00:11:28.019 --> 00:11:31.519 one arena. Step two, build in public. This is 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.759 the absolute core of it. Don't hide away building. 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:36.120 Make your building process become your marketing. 00:11:36.220 --> 00:11:38.059 Every time you work on your solution, document 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:40.720 it. Record your screen, talk through your process, 00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:42.679 share the journey, the wins, the struggles, the 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:45.559 breakthroughs. This raw, authentic stuff is your 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:47.899 marketing content. Building and marketing become 00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:50.460 the same job. That makes so much sense. Killing 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:52.200 two birds with one stone. What's step three? 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:55.779 Step three. Community first, products second. 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:58.580 As you're sharing your build and public journey, 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.259 invite people into a free community. Could be 00:12:01.259 --> 00:12:03.759 school, Discord, Facebook group, whatever. The 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:06.940 key is, don't sell anything yet. Just gather 00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:08.460 the people who are interested in the problem 00:12:08.460 --> 00:12:11.279 you're solving and your process. Build that audience. 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:14.100 Learn from them. Let them see your expertise 00:12:14.100 --> 00:12:16.039 grow. They become your best source of market 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:18.600 research and your future first customers. OK, 00:12:18.659 --> 00:12:20.679 but the big question everyone asks, if I build 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:22.220 it all out in the open, won't people just steal 00:12:22.220 --> 00:12:24.779 my ideas? That seems like a massive risk. It's 00:12:24.779 --> 00:12:27.889 the most common fear, but honestly. it's largely 00:12:27.889 --> 00:12:31.009 misplaced look people can try to copy your product 00:12:31.009 --> 00:12:33.789 anyway especially with ai now someone can take 00:12:33.789 --> 00:12:36.529 screenshots feed it to an ai and get a clone 00:12:36.529 --> 00:12:39.330 pretty quickly your real competitive advantage 00:12:39.330 --> 00:12:42.330 your moat isn't the finished product it's your 00:12:42.330 --> 00:12:45.450 process and your audience by building in public 00:12:45.450 --> 00:12:48.149 you understand your customers real needs way 00:12:48.149 --> 00:12:50.929 deeper than any copier ever could you build trust 00:12:50.929 --> 00:12:53.669 you build connection and you're naturally always 00:12:53.669 --> 00:12:55.870 six months ahead while they're busy trying to 00:12:55.870 --> 00:12:58.100 copy the thing you show last month, you're already 00:12:58.100 --> 00:13:00.600 working on the next iteration based on real feedback. 00:13:00.899 --> 00:13:04.360 The winning formula is audience plus deep insights, 00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:08.080 just a product every time. Right. So transparency, 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:10.600 ironically, becomes your biggest protection and 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:13.019 advantage. Precisely. It builds trust and gives 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:15.059 you that priceless, continuous market feedback 00:13:15.059 --> 00:13:17.419 loop. OK, so we know how to start with this build 00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:19.820 in public approach and why it's powerful. What 00:13:19.820 --> 00:13:21.500 are the concrete advantages? What's the real 00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:24.440 payoff for working this way? Yeah, the payoff 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:27.720 is huge. There are at least five unfair advantages 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.340 you get over people building in secret. One, 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:34.220 market validation happens automatically. You're 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:35.820 not guessing if people want your thing. They 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:38.139 tell you every day in comments, DMs, your community. 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:42.059 Two, customer service becomes content. Instead 00:13:42.059 --> 00:13:44.500 of answering the same question privately 10 times, 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:47.240 you make a video answering it publicly. Helps 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:50.899 hundreds. Becomes marketing. Three, product development 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:53.279 stays lean. You only build what your audience 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.820 actually asks for and needs because you're getting 00:13:55.820 --> 00:13:58.539 constant feedback. No wasted effort on unused 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:01.179 features. Four, competition becomes irrelevant. 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:03.840 Seriously. While they're reverse engineering 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:05.620 your last version, you're building the next one 00:14:05.620 --> 00:14:07.600 with your community. They can't copy your audience 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:10.899 or your insights. And five, sales become natural. 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:13.539 When you finally release your product, your audience 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:15.659 already knows you, trusts you, understands the 00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:17.980 value. They watched you build it. Selling is 00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:19.700 just opening the door. That sounds like a much 00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:21.940 less stressful way to launch something. So what 00:14:21.940 --> 00:14:24.399 kind of content actually works best in this model? 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:26.399 How do you create stuff that connects and eventually 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:29.360 leads to sales? Good question. It's not about 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:33.179 slick, polished corporate stuff. The content 00:14:33.179 --> 00:14:35.279 that really resonates here does four key things. 00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:39.139 First, it teaches while you build. Every time 00:14:39.139 --> 00:14:40.919 you figure something out, solve a problem in 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:43.080 your build process, share it, teach it. That 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:46.039 positions you as a generous expert. Second. It 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:47.919 shows your thinking process. Why did you make 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:50.340 that design choice? What's your strategy? Let 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:53.059 people see how you think. That builds massive 00:14:53.059 --> 00:14:55.980 trust. Third, and this is important, it includes 00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:58.139 your mistakes. Don't just show the highlight 00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:00.740 reel. Show the bugs, the dead ends, the frustrations, 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:03.440 and then show how you fixed them. That vulnerability 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.919 is relatable and builds way more connection than 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.500 just success stories. And finally, it solves 00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:11.059 a real problem. All your content should ultimately 00:15:11.059 --> 00:15:13.279 tie back to the core problem you're helping people 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:15.759 solve. It reinforces that you're focused on their 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.700 pain point, not just cool tech. That feels very 00:15:18.700 --> 00:15:21.360 authentic. Build trust by being open and helpful. 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:23.700 But surely there are ways this can go wrong, 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:25.980 too. What are the common traps people fall into? 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:28.460 Oh yeah, definitely. We call these the anti -patterns. 00:15:28.460 --> 00:15:31.200 Five big traps that'll absolutely kill your progress 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.399 if you fall into them. Number one, the secret 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:35.860 laboratory. Building in silence for months, then 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:38.720 launching to crickets. Fix. Build in public from 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.019 day one. Simple. Two, the jugglers act. This 00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:44.220 crazy cycle where you're either 100 % building 00:15:44.220 --> 00:15:46.440 or 100 % marketing, constantly switching, burning 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:49.440 out. Fix. Merge them. Building is marketing. 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:53.220 Three, the more is more fallacy. Thinking a complex 00:15:53.220 --> 00:15:55.200 product with tons of features is better. Fix. 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:58.139 Simplify relentlessly. The market pays for elegant 00:15:58.139 --> 00:16:00.840 solutions to painful problems. Complexity confuses 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:04.139 and kills sales. Four, the trend chaser. Hopping 00:16:04.139 --> 00:16:06.460 onto every new AI tool or technique without actually 00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:08.179 building something useful that solves a core 00:16:08.179 --> 00:16:10.559 problem. Fix. Anchor yourself in a real human 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:13.580 need. Money, health, relationships. AI is just 00:16:13.580 --> 00:16:16.519 the tool. And five, the agency delusion. This 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:18.220 is starting a traditional service agency hoping 00:16:18.220 --> 00:16:20.039 it will magically turn into a scalable product 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:22.700 business later. Fix. Be honest about your goal. 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:24.740 If you want scalable assets, focus directly on 00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:26.779 - productized services, templates, or info products 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:28.740 from the start. So a lot of success here seems 00:16:28.740 --> 00:16:32.259 to be about discipline, focus, and simply avoiding 00:16:32.259 --> 00:16:34.740 these very common mistakes. Yes, steering clear 00:16:34.740 --> 00:16:37.200 of these traps keeps you on the right sustainable 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.799 path. It's often more about what you don't do. 00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:42.480 Okay, let's try and wrap this all up. What's 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.129 the big idea here? The core message seems to 00:16:45.129 --> 00:16:47.909 be that the standard AI automation agency model, 00:16:48.070 --> 00:16:51.309 while tempting, often leads to this high -revenue, 00:16:51.309 --> 00:16:53.350 high -stress trap. It doesn't necessarily build 00:16:53.350 --> 00:16:56.049 freedom. But the good news is there are smarter, 00:16:56.190 --> 00:16:58.970 more scalable ways to use AI to build your own 00:16:58.970 --> 00:17:02.600 business, your own assets. Exactly. And it's 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.740 about playing the long game. This isn't a get 00:17:04.740 --> 00:17:06.579 -rich -quick scheme. It's more like get -rich 00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:09.039 -smart. Building an AI -powered business this 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:11.180 way, building in public, takes time. It won't 00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:13.680 happen overnight. But every day you do it, every 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:15.859 piece of content you share, every interaction 00:17:15.859 --> 00:17:18.059 in your community, you're laying another brick. 00:17:18.670 --> 00:17:21.269 You're building multiple valuable assets simultaneously. 00:17:22.089 --> 00:17:24.849 Genuine expertise, a loyal audience, deep market 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:26.910 understanding, and eventually revenue streams. 00:17:27.190 --> 00:17:30.170 It's like gaining XP in a video game. Even if 00:17:30.170 --> 00:17:31.990 your first product isn't a home run, you keep 00:17:31.990 --> 00:17:33.690 the experience, points the audience, and the 00:17:33.690 --> 00:17:35.750 knowledge. Those assets make your next attempt 00:17:35.750 --> 00:17:38.089 much more likely to succeed. They compound. It's 00:17:38.089 --> 00:17:39.869 a much more resilient approach, so it doesn't 00:17:39.869 --> 00:17:42.150 need a complex plan or huge investment to start. 00:17:42.309 --> 00:17:44.710 It boils down to this simple, repeatable loop. 00:17:44.910 --> 00:17:46.970 Let's quickly recap that six -step loop for everyone 00:17:46.970 --> 00:17:50.240 listening. Step one. Pick your arena, money, 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.319 health, or relationships. Choose a broad area. 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.579 Step two, identify a villain. Find one specific 00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:57.640 painful problem within that arena that simple 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:00.920 AI automation can help solve. Step three, start 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:03.299 the broadcast. Just hit record. Start building 00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:05.299 your solution and share the process publicly. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.759 Step four, share the journey. Post everything, 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:10.900 the good, the bad, the ugly, your process, your 00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:13.619 findings. Be transparent. Step five, build your 00:18:13.619 --> 00:18:15.920 tribe. Invite everyone watching into a free community. 00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:18.559 Engage with them. Learn from them. And step six, 00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:21.359 repeat consistently. Just keep doing steps three, 00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:23.599 four, and five until your community clearly tells 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.240 you they love what you've built and are ready 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:27.380 to buy it. The market, it seems, is speaking 00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:29.460 quite clearly. It wants authentic people solving 00:18:29.460 --> 00:18:31.799 real problems in the open. The only real question 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:34.700 left is, are you listening? Definitely something 00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:36.380 to think about as you continue your own deep 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:38.720 dive into this space. Out to real music.