How to learn AI automation with $0 (lessons after building 150+ systems)

Hey builders,

After building 150+ AI automations, I’ve learnt a lot. We’ve built and scaled these systems across enterprises and automated the entire Ghost Team operation. When speaking with people interested in this space, there is one question I always hear:

"What do I do if I’m just getting started?"

So, today, we’re doing to break it down.

I’ll cover:

• My exact 10-step roadmap from zero to AI automation expert

• The specific tool that makes starting 10x easier (spoiler: it's Lindy)

• 6 pre-built workflows you can deploy (with links to start today)

Let’s go

The 10-step path from nothing to expert:

First thing to say is, most people overcomplicate this. They jump into complex multi-agent systems before understanding the basics. That's like trying to run before you can walk.

I did the same. And learnt the hard way. Spent a ton of time jumping straight into n8n, a lot of frustration, trying to straight off create the systems we needed to automate our business.

Honestly, I got there eventually but I could have got there a lot faster.

After learning the hard way, here is what I’d do:

1. Map your time drains 
Track everything you do for one week. Mark tasks taking 2+ hours that feel repetitive. These are your automation targets - the boring, daily tasks eating your time.

2. Automate personal workflows first 
Sign up for Lindy (free to start). Pick ONE template for your biggest headache. Configure it properly (takes 5 mins). Test for 2 days. Only then add the next. Compound small wins into massive time savings.

3. Steal and configure templates 
Go to the Ghost Team build platform where there is a prompt to n8n builder and 1000s of templates (launching soon - waitlist here). Click a popular automation and generate it. Load into n8n. Follow the guide and configure (it will probably break - that's the point). Learn by fixing what breaks.

4. Master n8n fundamentals 
Spend 10 hours total in n8n over 2-3 weeks. Learn triggers, actions, data transformation, error handling. Skip tutorials - build 3 automations end-to-end. Don't stop until they work. Train a Claude project on n8n docs for troubleshooting.

5. Identify business automation opportunities 
Audit your business bottlenecks. Find your biggest constraint (probably distribution/marketing/sales). Map out 3 systems to grow faster. Focus on short end-to-end value flows, not complexity.

6. Prompt your own solutions 
Return to Launch Ghost Team. Prompt the automations you need. Follow guides to configure in n8n. Start building complex systems creating real leverage.

7. Integrate advanced tools 
Add Clay for data enrichment. Apify for web-scraping. Instantly for email. PhantomBuster for LinkedIn DMs. Each tool multiplies your capabilities.

8. Set up your first MCP 
Install your first MCP in Claude. Start simple: connect to trigger n8n workflows, connect to calendar for scheduling. Practice prompting for specific outputs.

9. Add power MCPs 
Install Apify, Firecrawl, Salesforce, HubSpot, Supabase MCPs. Pull data competitors can't access. Generate 10x advantage insights. Automate everything from competitor research to sales outreach.

10. Build custom applications 
Spin up Cursor for AI-assisted coding. Install Claude Code in terminal. Add MCPs to Cursor (Perplexity, Firecrawl work great). Build custom apps beyond no-code limitations.

By step 10, you can build whatever agent, platform or tool you need to activate growth.

Getting started!

But here's where most people get stuck - Step 2.

They don't know which tool to start with. They get overwhelmed by options. They waste weeks evaluating platforms instead of building.

This is why I'm recommending Lindy 3.0

Honestly, main reason being this is the tool I first used to automate my personal processes and I’ve never looked back. It only gets better.

With Lindy 3.0, they’ve released a load of new features but the main one you want to know about is the prompt to automation builder. This means you can literally, prompt a simple automation and it will build it…

So, definitely try it and use your imagination.

Like I said, I wanted to share the ones I’ve used for coming up to a year now that have saved me literally weeks of time:

My top 6 Lindy workflows I use every week:

1. Chat with my meetings

• Connects to all meeting recordings (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams)

• Ask questions like "what did John say about pricing?"

• Instantly surfaces action items and decisions

• Never forget what was discussed

  Link to the automation →

2. Email summariser

• Reads inbox every morning at 7am

• Creates digest of what actually matters

• Groups by urgency and topic

• Highlights 5 emails needing immediate attention

• Check email once daily instead of constantly

  Link to the automation →

3. Email triage

• Auto-sorts emails into smart folders

• Drafts responses to common questions

• Flags priority senders automatically

• Archives newsletters and promotions

• Schedules follow-ups

• Inbox stays at zero

  Link to the automation →

4. Enrich new leads

• Researches every new contact automatically

• Pulls LinkedIn, company data, recent news

• Finds mutual connections

• Updates your CRM with enriched data

• Know everything before the first call

  Link to the automation →

5. Meeting prep assistant

• Runs every morning at 7am

• Scans calendar for day's meetings

• Researches all external attendees

• Pulls previous notes and email threads

• Sends comprehensive briefing email

• Walk into every meeting fully prepared

  Link to the automation →

6. Meeting scheduler

• Works like your executive assistant

• Just CC on any email thread

• Say "Lindy, can you help us find some time"

• Handles all back-and-forth scheduling

• Creates calendar events automatically

• No more scheduling ping-pong

  Link to the automation →

What to do next:

1. Sign up for Lindy (free tier available)

2. Pick your biggest pain point from the 6 workflows above

3. Click the setup guide and follow the 5-minute configuration

4. Test for 48 hours before adding another workflow

5. Stack workflows to compound time savings

Remember: Start with ONE workflow. Get it working perfectly. Then add the next.

The goal isn't to automate everything at once - it's to build momentum with quick wins that immediately give you time back.

Want to see me build these systems live?

I'm documenting my entire automation journey on YouTube - showing exactly how I build, troubleshoot, and scale these systems for enterprises.

Every week I'm sharing:
→ Live automation builds from scratch
→ MCP deep dives and configurations
→ Demos of new tools
→ Advanced techniques and use cases

Subscribe to my YouTube →

I hope you found this useful! I’ll be sharing lots more systems like this weekly.

Feel free to drop me a reply with feedback or ideas of topics you’d like to see.
I read every reply!

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Happy building

Elliot

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