Learn AI Automations Before You’re Replaced by Them ⏐ Ep. #192

The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs

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I sat down with Michael Shimeles to talk about the most approachable path into building with AI. We got into why you don’t need to be technical to start building powerful AI automations, how to sharpen your edge as a non-developer, and why “just building stuff” is the most important thing you can do right now. We covered tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Make, n8n, and Gumloop, and even talked about wrapping these workflows in simple web apps. We also explored AI-first product ideas, smart ways to escape the “tech bubble,” and how beautiful design can become your moat.

You can find Michael on X at x.com/rasmickyy and check out what he’s working on at rasmic.xyz

Here are direct links to all the tools, platforms, and APIs mentioned in the episode:

🛠️ AI Models & LLMs

• Claude (Anthropic / Cloud Code): https://claude.ai
• ChatGPT / OpenAI: https://chat.openai.com
• Gemini (Google): https://gemini.google.com
• Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai
• Grok (xAI / Twitter): https://x.ai

⚙️ Automation & No-Code Tools

• N8N (Workflow Automation): https://n8n.io
• Make.com (formerly Integromat): https://www.make.com
• Zapier: https://zapier.com
• Gumloop: https://gumloop.com
• Replit (Browser-based IDE & AI dev): https://replit.com

💳 APIs & System Integration

• MCP (Multimodal Communication Protocol): https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol
• Linear (Project Management): https://linear.app

Timestamps below. Enjoy!

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00:00 Unlocking Automation for Everyone
03:06 The Future of AI Agents
05:53 Navigating the Learning Curve of Vibe Coding
08:45 Building Useful Automations
12:04 Finding Opportunities in Your Industry
14:57 The Importance of User Experience
17:52 Leveraging AI Tools for Design
20:44 Understanding MCP and Its Impact
23:42 Embracing Change and Continuous Learning