Been building AI automations for months, but still feel like I'm missing something. how did you actually get started?
I'm 20, and I've been building AI automation systems for a while now. Stuff like lead qualification flows, AI voice agents, automated proposal generation, WhatsApp bots, LinkedIn prospect research tools, multi-step workflows connecting Airtable, Google Sheets, Slack, Gmail, PandaDoc. Built in n8n, Make.com, Voiceflow, Relevance AI.
I also do web development, built two complete client websites this year with SEO, branding, the works. One for a consulting firm, one for a law firm.
But I have zero paying automation clients. And honestly I don't know why.
I submitted my first bid on Freelancer yesterday (intend to increase my outreach from here.)
But the problem is when I actually sit down and browse projects, I don't feel confident I can deliver them properly. There's this gap I can't close.
I feel like I'm missing something some skill, some confidence, some piece of the puzzle that experienced people have that I don't.
I would love some advice from people who are successfully freelancing or own an automation agency.
How did you actually get started? What did your first paid project look like? Did you niche down or stay broad? What skills did you learn? And what should I be doing right now? I just feel like I don't know enough to build something real.