Summary
Nick Saraev interviews Justin Lob, an AI automation agency owner who grew his business to $20,354 per month in February 2026 while simultaneously holding a full-time supply chain consulting job. Lob describes his journey from experimenting with Spotify’s API and Make.com to build a personal music recommendation system, to discovering he could package similar automation skills as a service business. He joined Maker School and went from zero to a fully operational agency within roughly six to eight months.
On the tools side, Lob keeps his stack deliberately simple: Airtable for a self-built CRM, ClickUp for project management, Instantly for cold email outreach, and Upwork for lead generation. He describes himself as tool-agnostic with clients — he evaluates what outcome they need, then selects the delivery mechanism he knows best, rather than chasing the latest agentic frameworks. He and Saraev discuss why Make.com workflows still outperform more complex agent setups for many real client needs.
The conversation offers a candid look at the realities of running a service business during a day job, including working before 9am, after 5pm, and most weekends during peak growth. Lob recently left his full-time role after crossing his income threshold. For practitioners curious about the commercial side of AI automation — pricing, client acquisition, delivery, and when to graduate from a side hustle — this interview provides specific, ground-level detail.
📺 Source: Nick Saraev · Published July 10, 2026
🏷️ Format: Interview
