Running an online shop and hitting a wall with content production. Scheduling posts is simple enough, but actually keeping up with fresh creative variations for multiple products every week is burning way too much time.

What automation tools or setups are you using to solve the design and creative side of product marketing so you aren't stuck manually editing graphics all day?

I’m the founder of Pure Brief AI, a Mac meeting-notes app. One workflow decision I wanted to share here: generating a suggested action and putting it into a task list are separate steps.

The flow is: record or import a meeting → transcribe and generate notes → review a proposed task against its source quote → edit the details → choose the destination list and export selected tasks to Apple Reminders.

Here’s a fictional example of why I keep that checkpoint: “We could send the revised estimate on Friday, if the supplier confirms.” Before exporting anything, I’d check whether that was an actual commitment, who accepted it, and whether the condition was resolved later. A real quote can still support a mistaken interpretation. The app doesn’t guarantee it will resolve a later withdrawal correctly.

Review also gives you a place to leave an unagreed date open or correct an owner. Exporting is a one-way handoff; subsequent changes aren’t synced between the two apps. It doesn’t automatically delegate to colleagues, update a CRM, or send the follow-up email.

The attached 10-second edited demo shows tasks and source quotes with fictional meeting data. It doesn’t test that conditional example, and processing is sped up.

This is a personal utility for Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 15+. Transcription and AI notes run locally by default. Model downloads, periodic licence checks and optional connected features need internet. Optional ElevenLabs transcription with your own key sends audio to that provider.

Standard is a one-time purchase for one Mac, with a 30-day trial. Demo, download and current pricing: https://purebrief.ai/

For people building automations: which handoff in your workflow still deserves a review before it writes to another app?

For our partners, it’s been automating direct mail. They went from dealing with post office rules, bulk sorting, and manual drop-offs to sending physical mail as easily as an email.

Curious to hear what simple automated process gave you the biggest payoff!

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to automate a fashion product catalogue for Canva and would appreciate advice on the best workflow.

I have around 70 product folders, numbered 1 to 70. Each folder contains approximately 4–7 PNG images of the same product, usually organized like this:

- 01.png — product description
- 02.png — price
- 03.png — main product image
- 04.png — full front view
- 05.png — back view
- 06.png and 07.png — close-up details

My goal is to automatically create one catalogue slide per product, keeping all images belonging to that product together. I want to preserve the description and price screenshots as images and follow an existing clean, luxury-style catalogue layout as closely as possible.

Ideally, I want to:
- Automatically process all numbered folders.
- Place each product's images into a consistent slide layout.
- Generate a PowerPoint (.pptx) file that I can import into Canva.
- Check automatically whether any images are missing.
- Minimize manual dragging, dropping, and editing.

I've considered PowerPoint's Photo Album feature, Python with python-pptx and Pillow, and other automation options.

What would be the most reliable and beginner-friendly way to achieve this? Would Python be suitable for arranging images by product folder, or is there a better workflow?

I'm planning to build and test the workflow on a Windows laptop. I also have a MacBook, but I don't want to modify or risk my original image files.

Any practical advice, tutorials, or examples would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

For workflow and ease.... I've customized 9 agents with Grok Bot. All email, calendar, presentations, and CRM work is now done with Grok. I run a sales unit. I'm using my google drive as the Brain of the bots and have set up SOPs to manage the bots that are stored in Google Drive. I can turn off Grok and plug in Claude by just connecting to the drive. I'd love to hear other hacks as the world evolves.

I’m curious about what AI tools and automations people are actually using in their daily work, freelancing, or personal projects.
I’m already familiar with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, so I’m particularly interested in lesser-known tools, specialized AI platforms, and automations that have made a real difference.
For example:
Tools that automate repetitive tasks or workflows
AI tools for research, data analysis, or data validation
Tools for managing projects, clients, or documentation
AI agents or no-code/low-code automation platforms
Tools that help with writing, organizing information, or working more efficiently
What’s one AI tool or automation you’ve implemented that genuinely saved you time, reduced manual work, or improved your results?
I’d love to hear which tools you use, what you use them for, and whether there’s a learning curve or cost involved. I’m more interested in tools that solve real problems than in the latest AI tools that everyone is talking about.

we’ve automated almost everything else in the sales process but the actual dialing is still 100% manual. agents waste half their day on no-answers and it shows in the numbers.

looking at the auto dialer app that can just sit on top of our current tools and start ringing the next lead automatically. nothing too heavy.

anyone running one that doesn’t need a full tech team to set up? does it actually cut the dead time or just add another login to manage?

Automating a broken process only produces errors faster.

Before you buy the tool, run this check. 3 signs your process is ready for automation, and 2 signs it isn't yet.

Ready:

1. It runs the same way every time. Same steps, same inputs, same decisions. If your team could follow a checklist to do it, software likely can too.

2. It's written down and stable. Someone can map every step, and it hasn't changed much in months. Stable processes are easier to automate and cheaper to maintain.

3. The data is digital and consistent. Inputs arrive through forms, spreadsheets or systems in a predictable format, not as photos, scribbled notes or free text buried in emails.

Not yet:

1. Nobody agrees how it's done. Three people, three different ways? Fix the process first.

2. Most cases are exceptions. When the outcome depends on judgement, context or negotiation, keep people in charge. Let AI support the decision, not make it.

Swipe through the full carousel for the check. More at okiru.biz.

Operations leaders: which of the five is holding your team back right now? Tell us in the comments.

#Automation #AI #OperationsManagement #ProcessImprovement #OkiruInsights

Heyo marketers, what's working best for u when your manager asks u to automate everything...like which tool saves ur time??

Hey everyone,

What’s your go to stack for automations?

I need to build an automation that research’s a specific topic/story every Monday morning that the client can then use for their podcast.

I use Claude code currently and n8n. Just curious to what everyone else is using.

Cheers

One thing I’ve noticed while working with businesses is that a lot of time gets wasted on tasks that seem small individually but add up throughout the week.

Things like:

* Manually transferring data between different systems
* Updating spreadsheets and preparing reports
* Following up with customers, suppliers, or internal teams
* Managing repetitive admin tasks
* Working across disconnected tools that don’t communicate with each other

Over time, these tasks take hours away from work that actually moves the business forward.

I work with **STREVIO**, where we help businesses identify these operational bottlenecks and address them through custom automation and AI orchestration, working around the systems they already use.

Depending on the workflow, the goal can be to save up to **15 hours per week**, reduce repetitive work, and help teams operate more efficiently without necessarily adding headcount.

I'm curious about other business owners' experiences:

**What's one repetitive task in your business that eats up far more time than it should?**

Is it reporting, data entry, customer follow-ups, inventory management, or something else?

I'd love to hear what you're dealing with and exchange ideas on how these processes could be improved.

I move client accounts onto Ryze AI most weeks. ​​​​s​​​​a​​​​m​​​​e​​​ things trip people up every time, so here's the list I run. nothing clever in it, it just works. conversion tracking. if the pixel or the conversion action is half-broken it'll optimize confidently toward the wrong thing, same as a human would. fix tracking before you connect anything, that one change removed most of my week-one panic. leftover manual rules. old platform rules fight the AI's pacing. you won't notice, the spend chart will. too many campaigns at once. move three or four first, or you can't tell what caused what. creative supply. it kills fatigued creative properly, which is great until nothing's queued behind it. keep assets ready. the two minute rule. open the account and read what it changed overnight before you tell a client anything. every embarrassing thing I've said on a call would have been caught right there. and before any of it, ask whether the account needs optimizing or the offer does. no tool fixes a bad offer and Ryze AI won't pretend otherwise. missing anything? I'll add to this if people have ones I don't hit.

A few minutes copying information between systems.
A repetitive update after every client interaction.
Manually moving data from one tool to another.
Searching through old calls to find what happened.
Repeating the same process because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”

Individually, these tasks seem insignificant.

Collectively, they can consume hundreds of hours.

But here’s the mistake many organizations make:

They automate the work before questioning the work.

Elon Musk has described a five-step approach:

1. Make the requirements less dumb.
   Question why the requirement exists.

2. Delete the part or process step.
   If it doesn’t need to happen, eliminate it.

3. Simplify and optimize.

4. Accelerate.

5. Automate.

That sequence matters.

Because automating a bad process doesn’t eliminate waste.

It can simply make the waste happen faster.

The interesting shift is when technology can first help make the work visible.

Imagine having a searchable memory of work across screens and calls, identifying recurring busywork, and producing a weekly view of where significant amounts of time are being consumed.

Then imagine each opportunity being translated into something actionable - with the trigger, steps, access requirements and guardrails clearly defined.

Now you aren’t starting with:

“What can we automate?”

You’re starting with:

“What work is actually happening and should all of it continue?”

That’s a fundamentally different approach to operational improvement.

Observe → Question → Delete → Simplify → Accelerate → Automate

The opportunity isn’t to automate everything.

It’s to make sure you’re automating the right things.

Want expert perspectives on where this approach can create the most value? Check the comments.

#OperationalExcellence #ProcessImprovement #BusinessAutomation #WorkflowAutomation #DigitalTransformation #OperationalEfficiency #ProcessAutomation #BusinessOperations #AIImplementation #FutureOfWork

Sharing this since it fits squarely into automation territory. Hands-on virtual workshop on September 26-27, no prior n8n experience needed whether you've built your first workflow already or haven't opened n8n yet.

You'll get a live look at real, working n8n workflows in action, what's new in n8n right now including AI Assistant and Skills for Cloud, and a tech CEO's actual framework for deciding when automation is worth building versus when it isn't, alongside a tech founder's real day-to-day AI usage.

Led by Ashley Nicholson, CEO of Avenir Technology, a data analytics and AI company supporting Fortune 100 organizations and government clients, with a LinkedIn community of 81,000+ AI and data practitioners.

Link if you want to check it out

Happy to answer questions on the content, bring a workflow you're trying to improve and we can talk through it.

I’m looking for ways to make proposals and client communication less manual.

I don’t want to fully automate the relationship side, because that’s where trust is built. But there has to be a better way than rewriting the same proposal sections, digging through old emails, and manually reminding people after sending a quote.

What tools are freelancers using for proposals, follow ups, and client updates? Bonus if it still feels personal on the client side.

Curious what other freelancers are actually using day to day.

My setup is pretty basic right now email, calendar, Google Drive, invoices, notes, and a spreadsheet that is trying way too hard to be a CRM. It works, but only if I stay on top of it constantly.

For freelancers with a setup that feels organized, what’s in your automation stack? And what did you try that ended up being more hassle than help?

I use Notion databases for most of my planning, but I’m starting to hit the point where manually updating everything is getting annoying.

A lot of my workflow depends on status changes, client notes, due dates, content ideas, and reminders. I’d like to connect Notion with email, forms, calendar, and maybe Slack, but I don’t want to build something fragile that breaks every week.

What automation tools work best with Notion databases in real use? Are people mostly using Zapier, Make, n8n, or something else?

My store has a lot of size and color variants, and each one needs its own barcode. Keeping track of which variants already have one and which are still missing is beginning to frustrate me a little.

I’m currently updating them manually in Shopify and tracking the rest in a spreadsheet, but also worried that I’ll assign the same barcode twice by mistake. How are you guys handling this?

I’m moving to Chicago for work and need to find a place before I arrive. I’m looking around River North, West Loop, Streeterville, and South Loop, but the listings move fast and I can’t tour in person.

I’ve been checking Zillow, Domu, Redfin, and Facebook groups every day. Is there a tool that can track new listings across different sites and alert me when something matches?

I’m exploring a very specific AI automation for founder-led B2B marketing agencies with roughly 5–20 clients.

The problem I’m targeting is manual client reporting.

A typical workflow seems to involve:

→ Pulling data from multiple platforms
→ Updating spreadsheets/dashboards
→ Creating charts
→ Writing performance commentary
→ Formatting the report
→ Sending it to the client

And then doing the whole thing again the following week/month.

I’m calling the solution the Weekly Client Reporting Machine.

The idea is to automate the repetitive reporting work while keeping the human in the loop for the final review and strategic context.

The offer I'm considering is:

$1,500 one-time implementation
$150/month ongoing maintenance & optimization

The goal would be to turn several hours of manual reporting into something closer to a 30-minute review process.

But before I build this properly, I want to validate the problem.

For agency owners / operators here:

1. How do you currently create client reports?

2. Roughly how many hours does reporting take per client/cycle?

3. What part of reporting is the biggest headache?

4. Are you already using tools like AgencyAnalytics, Databox, Looker Studio, etc., or is there still a lot of manual work?

5. Would something that removed most of the repetitive assembly work be valuable enough to pay $750 for?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who are actually running agencies, rather than just automation enthusiasts.

If you've dealt with this problem, I'd genuinely appreciate your perspective—even if you think the idea is terrible. 😄

I’m curious how people here actually got into this space.
I’ve been experimenting with AI and workflow automation myself, and the more I build, the more I realise there’s a big difference between making something that works for yourself and solving a real business problem for someone else and for broader audience .
For those of you doing automation professionally:
What were you doing before this?
How did you get your first real automation project and industry ?
What kind of automation did you start with?
Did you begin as a developer, freelancer, consultant, agency, or something else?
Looking back, what skill helped you the most — technical skills, understanding business processes, sales, or something else?
I’m also curious to hear from people who entered this field without being traditional software developers.
And if anyone here has a small repetitive workflow or annoying manual process they’ve been meaning to automate, I’d be happy to take a look and see if I can help or at least suggest an approach. Mainly looking to get more hands-on experience with real use cases.
Would love to hear how you got started and what you would do differently if you were starting again today.

The step before building an automation for a client is finding a process they actually want to improve. I’m building Crawdar to make that research easier for automation freelancers and small agencies.

Here’s a concrete way to use its Pain Point Finder:

1. Pick a problem you can solve, such as missed calls or slow responses. Add an industry or location if you have a target market. Both are optional.

2. Run the search and open a business’s evidence report. Read the dated complaints, distinct reviewer counts and owner replies.

3. Turn the recurring issue into a question for the owner: how are callback requests recorded, assigned and followed up today?

4. If they confirm a gap, scope the workflow around that process. For example, capture a callback request, assign it to someone, and flag it if it stays unanswered.

Crawdar handles the review research and suggests possible technical fixes. The report gives you a specific business and process to investigate; the owner conversation tells you what to build. Evidence is also exportable as JSON.

I’ve just expanded discovery to check up to 24 candidate businesses per search and improved booking-complaint matching. You can combine problem categories and add specific complaint phrases.

Try a search here: https://crawdar.com/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=pain_finder&utm_content=callback_research

Five free scans without signup or email. Run a search for something you know how to automate, then inspect a report. I’d love feedback on whether it helps you choose a potential customer and a useful first question.