🚀 Week 1 of building @TheOneGroupAI: Started with a simple idea—help small businesses actually use AI. Here's what happened.
Day 1-2: Setting up the foundation
I spent the first two days on infrastructure. Not the fun stuff, but the necessary stuff:
- Domain and basic website setup
- Calendly integration for booking calls
- Simple CRM to track leads
- Twitter/X account for building in public
The goal was speed over perfection. Get something live, then iterate.
Day 3-4: First client conversations
I reached out to 10 SMB owners in my network. Not to sell—just to learn. I asked one question: "What's one task that eats up your time but doesn't require your specific expertise?"
The answers surprised me:
- Follow-up emails after quotes
- Scheduling and calendar management
- Basic customer support responses
- Data entry from forms to spreadsheets
None of them said "I need AI." They said "I need time back."
Day 5-7: Building the first automation
I took one common task—follow-up emails—and built a simple AI system that could:
- Read incoming quote requests
- Draft personalized follow-ups
- Queue them for human review before sending
It wasn't fancy. But it worked. And that first client saved 2 hours per week.
Week 1 Lessons
Lesson 1: SMBs don't care about AI. They care about results. Frame everything in hours saved or revenue gained.
Lesson 2: Start simple. One task, one client, one win. Then build from there.
Lesson 3: Building in public creates accountability. When you say things publicly, you follow through.
What's next?
Week 2: Refine the offer, get 2 more clients, document everything. Follow along if you're building something too.
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Follow @TheOneGroupAI for weekly AI insights. | Read Week 2 →