Mapping Your AI Workflow
Turn your validated idea into a step-by-step plan you can actually build
+ Let AI do the heavy lifting for you
8 minutes
Does your idea pass the green light checklist?
12 minutes
The anatomy of every automation workflow
10 minutes
Understanding nodes and how they connect
10 minutes
Hands-on: Build meeting notes workflow
15 minutes
Let AI generate workflows, find customers
5 minutes
Your AI-assisted setup checklist before Week 2
You found your idea in Session 1. Today, you're turning it into a concrete blueprint you can actually build - with AI doing most of the work.
By the end of this session, you'll have:
You're building an AI business, so USE AI throughout the entire process. Let your AI co-founder do the research, analysis, and drafting. You just guide and validate.
You need a validated idea before this session makes sense.
Session 1 includes:
Before continuing, make sure you have:
If you don't have these β stop here and complete Session 1 homework.
Does your idea pass all 5 checks?
β Found Upwork listings with rates OR competitors with pricing pages
If nobody is paying for this, you won't be the first.
β Your solution involves 5-15 steps connecting multiple tools
Too simple = not worth paying for. Too complex = can't build as beginner.
β The tools you need have APIs or can be connected
If you can't connect the systems, you can't automate the workflow.
β Talked to 3 real people who confirmed this is painful
Online research validates the problem. Human conversations validate YOUR solution fits THEIR needs.
β You understand the workflow or can learn it quickly
You don't need to be an expert, but you need to understand the pain point.
Problem: "AI customer service chatbot" or "Social media automation"
Fix: Add niche specificity. "Customer service chatbot for HVAC companies that knows technical troubleshooting" or "Social media automation for real estate agents that pulls MLS listings"
Problem: No Upwork listings, no competitors, no proof anyone pays
Fix: Either (1) You haven't searched hard enough - try different keywords, or (2) It's not a real problem people pay for - find a different idea
Problem: The tool you need doesn't have an API or integration
Fix: Find alternative tools that do the same thing OR use web scraping (advanced) OR do this step manually for first customers while you figure it out
Problem: 20+ steps, needs custom AI training, requires coding
Fix: Build the MVP version first. What are the core 5-10 steps that deliver 80% of the value? Start there. Add complexity later.
Every automation follows the same basic structure:
What starts the automation?
Examples: New record in Airtable, form submitted, time-based schedule, webhook received
What data comes in?
Examples: Airtable record data, form responses, file attachments, API data
What decisions or generation happens?
Examples: Summarize text, extract key info, categorize, generate response, analyze sentiment
What systems get updated?
Examples: Update CRM, add to Airtable, send notification, create task
How does customer get results?
Examples: Email sent, Airtable updated, dashboard refreshed, Slack notification
After every client meeting, you spend 30 minutes writing up notes, extracting action items, and sending follow-up emails.
10 meetings per week = 5 hours wasted on manual note processing.
Automated workflow that takes raw meeting notes, uses AI to create clean summaries + action items, and automatically sends professional follow-up emails.
30 minutes per meeting Γ 10 meetings/week = 5 hours/week
Value: $50/hour Γ 5 hours Γ 4 weeks = $1,000/month in saved labor
Your price: $300-400/month
New record is added to Airtable "Meeting Notes" table
Tool: n8n Airtable Trigger node (watches for new records)
n8n reads the new record from Airtable
Data collected: meeting date, attendee emails, raw notes text
AI reads notes and creates clean summary + bullet list of action items
Tool: OpenAI API / Anthropic API / any LLM
Prompt: "Summarize these meeting notes into 3-4 key points and extract all action items with owners"
AI writes professional follow-up email with summary
Prompt: "Write a professional follow-up email including the summary and action items"
n8n sends email to meeting attendees
Tool: n8n Gmail node or Send Email node
Updates Airtable record with "Status: Email Sent" + timestamp + summary
Confirmation that workflow completed + archives summary for later reference
Simple enough to understand and build in a few hours
Airtable (free tier) + AI API ($3-5/month) + Email (free)
Total cost to operate: ~$5-10/month
Raw notes go in β Professional summary + email come out
Easy to test and see it working
Everyone has meetings. Easy to find customers.
Target: consultants, agencies, sales teams, coaches, executives
Airtable API is well-documented and n8n has native integration
Airtable gives you a real database with views, filters, and reporting
Better than spreadsheets - looks more professional to clients
Which steps save the most time? Which are currently most painful?
π° Money Step! This is what takes 20 minutes manually
Reading through messy notes, organizing thoughts, pulling out key points
π° Money Step! Another 10 minutes saved
Writing professional copy, formatting nicely, ensuring nothing is missed
π° Bonus Value! Ensures it actually gets done + creates searchable archive
No more "I'll send those notes later" that never happens. Airtable becomes the single source of truth.
The "money steps" are where you demonstrate value. This is what you emphasize when selling. "We save you 30 minutes after EVERY meeting - that's 20+ hours per month back in your calendar. Plus everything is organized in Airtable so you can search past meetings instantly."
Drag and drop nodes (building blocks)
Connect them with arrows to show data flow
No coding required (but you can code if you want)
Airtable node reads/writes database records
AI node processes text with LLMs
Email node sends messages
400+ pre-built integrations
HTTP Request node for any API
Pass data between steps automatically
Free self-hosted version
We provide free cloud hosting for this challenge
Unlimited workflows included
Think of n8n as digital plumbing
Water (data) flows from one pipe (node) to another. Each pipe transforms or moves the water. At the end, you get the desired output.
β’ Airtable Trigger - when new record added or updated
β’ Webhook - for real-time events from other apps
β’ Schedule - run on timer (every day at 9am)
β’ Manual Trigger - for testing
β’ HTTP Request - connects to any API
β’ Airtable - read/write database records
β’ Database nodes - MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
β’ File readers - CSV, JSON, Excel
β’ OpenAI - GPT models for generation/analysis
β’ Anthropic (Claude) - for complex reasoning
β’ Text Classification - categorize content
β’ Summarization - condense text
β’ Send Email / Gmail - email delivery
β’ Update CRM - HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive
β’ Create Task - Asana, ClickUp, Monday
β’ Post to Slack/Discord - team notifications
β’ IF conditions - make decisions
β’ Switch/Router - branch to different paths
β’ Merge data - combine multiple inputs
β’ Set variables - store temporary data
You can still connect to ANY service that has an API!
HTTP Request Node Settings:
Method: POST
URL: https://api.example.com/v1/data
Authentication: API Key
Headers:
- Content-Type: application/json
Body:
{
"input": "{{$json.your_data}}"
}
n8n will handle the request and give you back the response. You just need to read the API documentation to know what to send.
Don't worry if this seems technical now. We'll walk through this together in Week 2. For now, just know: if an API exists, n8n can connect to it.
Unlimited cloud-hosted n8n instance for Ai Titus+ members
Paid cloud hosting from the creators of N8N
Homework Task: Create your n8n account TODAY. Get familiar with the interface. Click around. Don't worry about building yet - just explore.
Hands-On: Meeting Notes Summarizer
The next few slides walk through building the actual workflow in Airtable + n8n
Follow along if you have your accounts set up, or use this as a reference for homework!
First, we need to create the database structure that will hold our meeting notes.
Click the "+" button to add these fields:
Field 1: Meeting Date Type: Date Format: Local (MM/DD/YYYY) Field 2: Attendee Emails Type: Long text Description: Comma-separated email addresses Field 3: Raw Notes Type: Long text Description: Paste your messy meeting notes here Field 4: AI Summary Type: Long text (Leave empty - AI will fill this) Field 5: Action Items Type: Long text (Leave empty - AI will fill this) Field 6: Status Type: Single select Options: Pending, Processing, Email Sent, Failed Field 7: Processed At Type: Date and time (Leave empty - n8n will fill this)
βββββββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββββββ β Meeting Date β Attendee Emails β Raw Notes β AI Summary β Action Items β Status β Processed At β βββββββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββββββββΌββββββββββββββΌββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββΌββββββββββββββββ€ β 10/10/2025 β john@co.com, β [Your notes]β (empty) β (empty) β Pending β (empty) β β β sarah@co.com β β β β β β βββββββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββββββββ΄ββββββββββββββ΄ββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββ΄ββββββββββββββββ
appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"Click "Create New Credential" β Enter: Name: My Airtable Account API Key: [paste your Airtable API key] Click "Save"
Base ID: [paste your Base ID from Airtable] Table: Meeting Notes Trigger Field: Status Trigger Value: Pending Poll Times: Every Minute: ON This means: "Watch for new records where Status = Pending"
Click "Create New Credential" β Enter: API Key: [paste your OpenAI API key from platform.openai.com] Click "Save"
Resource: Chat
Operation: Message a Model
Model: gpt-5-mini (cheaper and faster)
Prompt:
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
You are a professional meeting notes assistant.
Please read these meeting notes and provide:
1. A clean 3-4 sentence summary of the key discussion points
2. A bullet list of all action items with the person responsible
Meeting Notes:
{{$json.fields["Raw Notes"]}}
Format your response as:
**SUMMARY:**
[Your summary here]
**ACTION ITEMS:**
- [Action 1] - Responsible: [Name]
- [Action 2] - Responsible: [Name]
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Note: The {{$json.fields["Raw Notes"]}} pulls the data from Airtable!
Resource: Chat
Operation: Message a Model
Model: gpt-5-mini
Prompt:
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Write a professional follow-up email based on this meeting summary.
Keep it friendly, concise (under 200 words), and include:
- Brief thank you for attending
- The summary
- The action items
- Encouraging next steps
Meeting Date: {{$('Airtable Trigger').item.json.fields["Meeting Date"]}}
Meeting Summary:
{{$json.message.content}}
Write the email subject line and body:
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Note: We're using the OUTPUT from the previous OpenAI node!
From Email: your-email@gmail.com
To Email: {{$('Airtable Trigger').item.json.fields["Attendee Emails"]}}
Subject: Meeting Follow-Up - {{$('Airtable Trigger').item.json.fields["Meeting Date"]}}
Text (Extract from AI response):
{{$json.message.content}}
SMTP Settings (for Gmail):
Host: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 465
Secure: SSL/TLS
User: your-email@gmail.com
Password: [your Gmail app password - not regular password!]
You need to create an "App Password" in Gmail:
Credential: [Select your Airtable credential]
Operation: Update
Base ID: [same as before]
Table: Meeting Notes
Record ID: {{$('Airtable Trigger').item.json.id}}
Fields to Update:
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Status: Email Sent
AI Summary: {{$('OpenAI').item.json.message.content}}
Processed At: {{$now.toISO()}}
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
This marks the record as complete and stores the summary!
You now have:
Meeting Date: Today's date Attendee Emails: your-test-email@gmail.com Raw Notes: ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ Client Meeting - Project Kickoff Attendees: John, Sarah, Mike Discussion: - Project timeline: 8 weeks starting Nov 1 - Budget approved: $50k - Sarah will lead design, Mike handles dev - Weekly standup meetings every Monday 10am Action Items: - John: Send contract by EOW - Sarah: Create initial mockups by Oct 20 - Mike: Set up dev environment this week - All: Review project charter by Friday ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ Status: Pending (should be default)
Professional follow-up email with:
Congratulations! You just built a working AI automation that saves 30 minutes per meeting. This is what your customers will pay $300-400/month for!
Stop Doing Everything Manually
You're building an AI business. Use AI to BUILD your AI business!
The next few slides give you copy-paste prompts to let AI do the heavy lifting. You just guide and validate.
Don't map your workflow manually - let AI generate it for you!
You are a workflow automation expert specializing in n8n and AI integrations. I need you to design a detailed step-by-step workflow for my business idea: **MY BUSINESS IDEA:** [Paste your validated business idea here - include the problem, who it's for, and what solution you want to build] **CREATE A WORKFLOW WITH:** - 5-10 clear steps (not too complex for a beginner) - Specify the trigger (what starts it - Airtable new record, webhook, schedule, etc.) - Each step should include: * What happens in this step * Which tool/API handles it (be specific - Airtable, OpenAI, HubSpot, etc.) * What data goes IN to this step * What data comes OUT of this step - Highlight where AI is used and what prompts to use - Final step showing how customer receives the output **ALSO PROVIDE:** - List of all tools/APIs needed - Which n8n nodes exist for each tool (or if HTTP Request is needed) - Estimated cost to operate per month - Which steps are the "money steps" (save the most time) Format this as a clear numbered list I can follow when building in n8n.
β’ ChatGPT Plus (GPT-5)
β’ Claude (Sonnet or Opus)
β’ Perplexity (has web search)
Takes 2-3 minutes. AI generates your entire workflow map!
Don't manually search - use AI deep research tools to find specific targets!
OpenDeepResearch: https://www.opendeepresearch.dev/
Free tool that does extensive web research and finds specific people, companies, and contact info
I need you to find 5 specific potential customers for my business using deep web research. **MY BUSINESS:** [Describe your business - what problem you solve and for who] **TARGET CUSTOMER PROFILE:** - Industry: [e.g., Real estate, SaaS, Consulting] - Job titles: [e.g., Sales Director, Operations Manager] - Company size: [e.g., 10-50 employees] - Location: [if relevant] **RESEARCH AND FIND:** For EACH of the 5 targets, provide: 1. **Specific Person Name** OR **Company Name** 2. **Why they're a good fit** (based on LinkedIn, company website, or other sources) 3. **Contact method** (LinkedIn profile URL, company email format, or phone if available) 4. **A specific pain point** they likely have (based on their industry/role) 5. **Source link** where you found them **SEARCH THESE PLACES:** - LinkedIn (search by job title + industry) - Company websites and "About Us" pages - Industry directories - Facebook/LinkedIn Groups related to [your niche] - Local business listings (if location-based) Make these REAL people or companies I can actually reach out to, not generic categories.
Go to: https://www.opendeepresearch.dev/
Free to use, no signup required
Use the prompt from the previous slide
Be specific about your target customer profile
OpenDeepResearch will:
Check each target they found:
This saves 2-3 hours of manual searching! You go from "I need to find real estate agents" to "Here are 5 specific agents with LinkedIn profiles and their pain points."
Don't manually Google each API - let AI research everything for you!
I need you to research the technical feasibility of my workflow by finding all necessary APIs and tools. **MY WORKFLOW:** [Paste your workflow steps here - the one AI generated for you] **FOR EACH TOOL/SERVICE IN THE WORKFLOW:** Research and provide: 1. **Does an API exist?** (Search for "[tool name] API documentation") 2. **API Documentation URL** (direct link) 3. **Authentication method** (API key, OAuth, etc.) 4. **Pricing/Rate limits** (free tier? cost per request?) 5. **Does n8n have a pre-built node?** (Search "n8n [tool name] integration") - If YES: Link to n8n node documentation - If NO: Can we use HTTP Request node? (check if REST API available) **ALSO FIND:** - Alternative tools if primary choice doesn't have API - Free alternatives for testing - Estimated monthly API costs based on usage **OUTPUT FORMAT:** For each tool, create a checklist: β [Tool Name] - API: [Yes/No] - [Documentation URL] - n8n Node: [Yes/No] - [Link or "Use HTTP Request"] - Cost: [Free tier or $X/month] - Auth: [API key/OAuth/other] This research will tell me if my workflow is technically buildable.
AI will research all your APIs in 3-5 minutes. You'll know immediately if your workflow is technically feasible!
Don't guess your pricing - let AI calculate it based on value and market research!
Help me calculate the optimal pricing for my automation service based on value delivered and market comparables. **MY SERVICE:** [Describe what your automation does and who it's for] **TIME SAVED:** - [X] hours per week per customer - [Describe what tasks are being automated] **RESEARCH AND CALCULATE:** 1. **Value-Based Pricing:** - Assume the customer values their time at $50-100/hour - Calculate: [hours saved] Γ [hourly value] Γ 4 weeks = monthly labor cost saved - Suggest my price at 30-40% of labor cost saved 2. **Competitor Research:** - Search for similar automation services or tools - Find 3-5 competitors and their pricing - List: Company name, what they charge, URL to pricing page - Analyze: Where do I fit in this range? 3. **Pricing Model Recommendation:** - Should I do: Setup fee + monthly, pure monthly, tiered plans, or usage-based? - Suggest specific numbers (e.g., "$500 setup + $600/month") 4. **First Customer Discount:** - Suggest a discounted price for first 3-5 customers - Explain when to raise prices **OUTPUT:** - Recommended starting price: $X/month - Pricing model: [specific structure] - Competitor comparison table - Value justification (what customer is getting) - When to increase pricing
AI does the market research and calculations. You get confident pricing backed by data, not guesswork!
Don't write cold messages from scratch - let AI draft personalized outreach!
Help me write personalized outreach messages for my first 5 target customers. **MY SERVICE:** [Brief description of your automation and who it helps] **VALUE PROPOSITION:** [What problem you solve and time/money saved] **TARGET CUSTOMER INFO:** For each person/company: - Name: [Their name or company] - Why they're a good fit: [Specific reason based on their role/industry] - Pain point: [What they're struggling with that you solve] - Where I'm reaching out: [LinkedIn, email, phone, etc.] **WRITE 5 PERSONALIZED MESSAGES:** For EACH target, create: 1. **Subject line** (if email) or **Opening line** (if LinkedIn/message) 2. **Message body** (3-4 short paragraphs): - Hook: Reference something specific about them/their company - Problem: Call out the pain point they have - Solution: Briefly explain how you solve it - Call to action: Ask for 15-min call or demo **REQUIREMENTS:** - Keep each message under 150 words - Friendly but professional tone - Don't be salesy - focus on helping them - Include specific details about THEIR situation - End with easy yes/no question or calendar link **ALSO PROVIDE:** - Follow-up message if no response after 1 week - Response template if they say "tell me more"
AI writes personalized messages for each target. You just review, tweak if needed, and send!
Here's how AI helps you with EVERYTHING:
Time Saved: What would take 6-8 hours manually, AI does in 30-45 minutes.
Quality: AI has access to more data and examples than you could research alone.
You Focus On: Validating AI's outputs, talking to humans, and building relationships.
7 AI-Assisted Tasks. Budget 3-4 hours total (AI does most of the work!).
Session 3 (Week 2) we start BUILDING. If you don't have your workflow mapped and accounts set up, you'll be stuck watching instead of doing.
What to do:
Output: Complete numbered workflow with tools, nodes, and data flow documented
What to do:
Output: List of 5 specific names with contact methods and why they're good fits
What to do:
Output: Checklist confirming every tool in your workflow is technically buildable
What to do:
Output: Confident pricing decision backed by data: "$X/month because..."
What to do:
Output: 5 personalized outreach messages ready to send when your MVP is built
Manual task:
Manual task:
Session 3 is 100% hands-on. We'll:
You'll spend Session 3 creating accounts and getting setup while everyone else is building. Don't let that be you!
Pro Tip: If you followed along with the Meeting Notes demo (slides 16-25), you already have a working example to reference! Use it as a template for your own workflow.
Slides 16-25 contain the complete step-by-step guide for building the Meeting Notes Summarizer. Use this as a reference when building YOUR workflow!
β Jump to Build Demo
You just turned your idea into a concrete, AI-researched plan. You saw how to build a real workflow. You have your customers, your pricing, and your outreach ready. Now go set up your tools and get ready to BUILD in Week 2! π
Remember: AI is your co-founder. Use it constantly!
See you in Session 3 where we build YOUR workflow together! πͺ