u/NickPilgui

Hey guys,

I'm 17 years old, currently based in the CIS region and about to relocate to Europe, and I've spent the last few months going deep into building AI workflows, RAG agent, and n8n automation (already built stuff like feedback triage system, automated prompt enhancers, news summarizes, an AI dispatcher system, and paperwork/document flow automation for real estate and architecture firms)

Here is my issue: I'm tech-heavy, but I lack real-world market exposure. I want to see how actual businesses run, what real operational bottlenecks look like, and how founders think

Full transparency on where I'm at: a few months ago I got a real estate agency in France (Vingt ) interested in installing an automated document flow system, but I never even got to the call because I dropped the ball on follow-up. Same thing happened with an architecture firm in France that was close to implementing an automated paperwork process - the deal goes because my follow-up wasn't there. So the technical side is solid, I just need to get better at the business/relationship side, which is a big part of why I want to actually work inside a business for a bit instead of just building in isolation.

My offer: I want to work as an uppaid Apprentice / AI Automation Operator for 1-2 founders or small agency owners for the next few months

— What I can do: Building n8n workflow, integrate Gemini/Claude APIs, auto-classify lead/feedback, set up internal notification bots and AI dispatcher system, clean up manual/paperwork-heavy princesses

— What I ask in return: Mentorship, real feedback on my works, and a honest testimonial if I deliver value

I'm not selling anything, no agency pitches, no hidden upsells. Just a hungry kid who wants to grind and solve real problem for you

If you have a repetitive manual task eating up your time, drop a comment. I'll build it for free

Hey everyone, first post here

Selling an IT product to HVAC company owners, starting with companies in Texas. Only targeting shops with 5-25 employees where I found an actual Google review complaining about phone handling or not being able to get through- that's my filter, not a blind list

Problem is I don't know what channel actually gets me to the owner at this size. Cold email, LinkedIn, or just calling the business line and asking for them directly?

If calls work, no idea what the structure should look like. Lead with pain point right away or build up to it? How do you get past whoever answers without sounding like every other IT vendor calling them?

Not trying to sell on call 1. Just want them curious enough to book a demo or take my direct like to call back and vet me first. Don't want this to fell like a genetic script, want them to feel like I actually looked into their business

Anyone done cold outreach into traders/local owners (not enterprise SaaS )? In this an SDR notion or does it need to be AE from call 1 given how small the account is? And has anyone actually tried call for HVAC / trades - does it still work or is it dead for this segment?

Building a voice AI concierge that catches missed calls/leads for small businesses and qualifies them 24/7 - currently targeting HVAC companies in the US

Here's what I've actually tried:

- 450 cold emails to real estate agent / agencies: 1 reply, and my follow up kille even that

- 50 cold DMs on social to solo realtors, using a "question as a colleague" framing: 2 replies

- Both channels: near-zero signal despite the volume

I'm now finding HVAC companies through a mlde targeted method: Google Maps reviews wherte the customer explicitly companies about missed calls, unanswered voicemail, or being handles by a cheap/robotic AI agent. That's much sharper signal of actual pain than cold outreach even gave me. Problem is, these owners are almost invisible on Reddit — I can count on one hand the HVAC business owners I've actually seen post here

Constraint I'm working with: I'm not in the US, I can't attend local meetups, trade shows, or chamber of commerce events. No existing network in this space. It's me and a laptop

u/Deepak-AvairAI already gave me solid direction on this earlier (thank you, seriously) — his core advice was to find people already voicing the pain publicly rather than cold-pitching strangers. That part working. What I haven't solved is the actual channel: where do people who talk to HVAC/home services business owners regularly actually hang out online, if not Reddit?

Not looking for generic "do warm outreach" advice - looking for specific channels, communities, or tactics from people who've actually built a network in a vertical they weren't personally embedded in

If you were starting from zero, no local presence, no industry contacts - where would you actually go looking?

Found a specific angle for outbound and want a gut check I burn it

Searching Google Maps reviews for HVAC companies in Arizona, filtering for one specific complaint: customers saying calls went unanswered, texts got ignored, or dispatcher was rude/unhelpful. Company size 11-50 (per LinkedIn), so real business, not a solo operation, but small enough that a missed call actually matter to revenue

I have a SaaS that fixes exactly this (24/7 intake, never miss a lead). Ready to deploy same-day, no real setup lift on their end

Planned outreach: SMS + personal Gmail + the lead form on their own site. Ask for nothing except 2 lines as a testimonial if they end up loving it

Where I'm stuck: some of these reviews are from a year ago, some from yesterday. And I'm assuming an owner running an 11-50 person shop in the middle of summer peak season is going to see a cold message and ignore it or get annoyed, especially if I frame it as "test this out"

Questions:

1. Does review recency matter that much, or is a year-old complaint still a valid opening?

2. How do you frame "try this free/cheap" to a busy owner without is sounding like extra work for them?

3. Monday morning vs Monday evening vs another day entirely— when do these owners actually read outreach?

Happy to share what happens either way