// automate the work you actually do
Pick the task.
We'll show you the simplest way.
Clear, step-by-step guides for automating the work you actually do, using the simplest tool for your job and your setup. From a quick ChatGPT prompt to a full workflow. No coding needed.
New here? Start with Which AI chat is safe for work data?
- Triage my Outlook inbox → M365 Copilot no install
- One long video → 30 shorts → OpusClip app
- Add new leads to a sheet → Zapier free tier
- High-volume order sync → n8n self-host
// start where you are
Who's automating?
The right tool depends on what you're allowed to install and how much you run. Pick your lane and we'll point you to the tools that actually fit.
Most automation guides assume you'll install software and write code.
We don't.
We start with the task in front of you, then pick the simplest tool you're
actually allowed to use.
by use case
Start from your task, not a tool's feature list.
right tool for you
Sometimes n8n. Just as often the ChatGPT or Shortcut you already have.
works at work
No-install paths for when IT won't let you install a thing.
// pick your job
What do you want to automate?
Every guide lives under the function it serves, and tells you which tool fits your setup. Start where your time is bleeding.
Foundations
Start here. How to pick the right tool for your job, and your setup, before you build anything.
- · Which AI chat is safe for work data? (Copilot vs ChatGPT vs Claude)
- · Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs just ChatGPT, which fits you
- · Your first no-install automation, in the browser
Sales
Follow up faster and never let a deal go cold, with whatever you’re allowed to use.
- · Triage your Outlook inbox + draft replies (Copilot, no install)
- · Auto-draft follow-ups on a $0 stack (ChatGPT + HubSpot Free)
- · Multi-step lead router for a team (Make)
Marketing
Reporting, monitoring, and repurposing, the boring marketing work, automated.
- · Repurpose a blog post into 5 formats (Claude Projects)
- · A weekly marketing report that writes itself (Gemini in Sheets)
- · Brand-mention monitoring → Slack (Make / n8n)
Content & Social
Turn one idea into a week of content. No fancy stack required.
- · Voice note → LinkedIn post (Apple Shortcuts + ChatGPT)
- · One long video → a month of shorts (OpusClip)
- · Schedule 30 days of content from one doc
Customer Support
Triage, categorize, and resolve, from a free chatbot to a production agent.
- · A docs-trained chatbot for under 500 tickets/mo (Tidio)
- · Resolve tickets priced per outcome (Intercom Fin)
- · Self-hosted AI support agent at volume (n8n)
Operations & Admin
The glue work: email → tasks, files → filed, status reports written for you.
- · File email attachments to SharePoint + ping Teams (Power Automate)
- · Batch-rename a folder of PDFs by content (Apple Shortcuts)
- · Turn emails into Notion tasks (n8n / Zapier)
Finance & Invoicing
Get paid faster and keep the books current, usually with a feature you already have.
- · Clean a messy CSV + build a PivotTable in plain English (Excel Copilot)
- · Automatic invoice reminders (Wave, built in)
- · Photograph a receipt → categorized expense (QuickBooks OCR)
HR & Recruiting
Screen applicants and onboard new hires, responsibly.
- · Explainable AI resume screening (dedicated ATS)
- · New-hire onboarding automation (Power Automate / n8n)
- · Summarize a policy pack with citations (NotebookLM)
E-commerce
Recover carts, update buyers, and watch inventory, mostly with built-in tools.
- · Recover abandoned carts (Klaviyo, turn it on)
- · New order → fulfillment + tagging + upsell (Shopify Flow)
- · High-volume order sync in your own infra (n8n)
Personal Productivity
Your own AI assistant for the small stuff that eats your day.
- · A daily AI briefing on your phone, no server (ChatGPT Tasks)
- · Summarize your unread newsletters into one digest (Gemini)
- · Voice memo → structured to-do list
// 34 tools, honestly compared
From a chat box to a self-hosted workflow
We teach the whole spectrum and tell you which one your job actually needs.
// a different way to learn
You decide what gets built next.
Don't wait for a course to cover your exact problem. Post it to the public queue, free to ask and upvote. Want it sooner, deeper, or as a video? Choose your depth and speed. Need it just done? I'll build it for you, on whatever tool fits.
Built if it wins enough votes
Best-effort · ~2-3 weeks
Delivered in ≤ 7 days
Delivered in ≤ 14 days
Scoped · typically 1-3 weeks
// start here
Fresh guides
Clean a Messy CSV and Build a PivotTable with Excel Copilot, in Plain English
No formulas, no macros, nothing to install. Use Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel to clean a messy export and build a PivotTable just by describing what you want, plus the free fallback if you don’t have a Copilot license.
Voice Note → LinkedIn Post with Apple Shortcuts + ChatGPT (No n8n, No Server)
The simplest way to turn a 30-second voice note into a polished LinkedIn post, a free Apple Shortcut that transcribes your audio and rewrites it with AI, right on your iPhone or Mac. Nothing to install, no server.
Which AI Chat Is Safe for Work Data? Copilot vs ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
Before you paste company data into an AI chat, read this. A plain-English guide to which AI assistant is safe for work, Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and the free-tier trap that trains the model on your chats.
// the automation of the week
One useful automation in your inbox, every week.
A real workflow you can copy, broken down step by step. No fluff, no "10x your life." Just the build. Unsubscribe anytime.
The newsletter goes live with the first guides. Wire the Beehiiv form
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