How I would start working with AI

Hey everyone, this is Allan. After a lot of days without recording daily updates, I’m back and trying a new format: I’ll start each video by answering a question you’ve asked me, then do a bit of building in public and share some things about my own finances and how that relates to my work.

Automation vs Systems

Today I’m answering a question from a friend, Antonny. He asked whether I would recommend starting with automations or with building systems. He’s a designer and freelancer like me, but his design work has slowed down, so he’s looking at AI, specifically Claude Code, to find a new way to work.

In my own experience I learned automations before AI was a thing. Back then we didn’t have ChatGPT, or it wasn’t very good. Learning automations in business without AI was really important. Now, if you try to solve something that’s too small, AI may already have a solution, or your prospective client might already have a tool that does it. It depends a lot on who your client is and what value you can provide.

For example, an automation that pulls leads from a website into an email‑marketing tool is fairly easy. But an automation that sends those leads as custom conversions to the Meta API with a conversion token is more advanced. Your client might not know that’s possible or be able to do it on their own. I would start with automations only if you can prove real value to the client. Otherwise, building small systems is the way to go right now.

Advice for Beginners

I tried to teach my brother how to work with Claude Code using real projects. I suggested he propose a system to the gym where we train Jiu‑Jitsu, build a simple system, charge a modest monthly subscription, and keep it running. He was able to do that with AI, something the gym owners couldn’t do themselves. It wasn’t a highly scalable system, but it gave him hands‑on experience.

If I were a beginner in AI, automations, or programming, I would focus on building small systems that solve specific problems and study as much as possible. As AI advances, you need solid foundational knowledge and technical skills to stay relevant.

Financial Update

I’m also sharing something I was a bit ashamed of: my revenue. In August I earned a little over five thousand reais. The real is about five times weaker than the US dollar, so it sounds low, but it’s actually above what most Brazilian citizens earn monthly. My cost of living is low because I live in a small city and stay at my parents’ house.

Running my freelance business costs me for AI subscriptions, internet, servers, and hosting for clients. I’m also carrying about $5,000 in debt and can only pay around $100 a month after covering my expenses. In August the leftover was $158, which is the best month of the year for me. I’m trying to increase that amount month after month and will share updates regularly. The financial part will be weekly because my income comes in a few days throughout the month.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them in the next video. That’s it for this video.