Remember when ChatGPT first came out and it felt revolutionary? Well, that was just the beginning. Things are moving so fast in the AI world that by the time you figure out one tool, three new ones have launched. That's exactly why I brought Charlie Guo on the show—he's an AI engineer who actually understands this stuff and can explain it without making your head spin.We talked about what's actually happening behind the scenes with AI right now, why most "AI agents" aren't really what they claim to be, and Charlie's brilliant system for turning your random thoughts into polished blog posts. If you're feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up with AI while juggling your business and family, this episode will help you cut through the hype and focus on what can actually save you time.Feeling overwhelmed in your business? Take the Business Overwhelm Diagnostic. Top TakeawaysAI got way better at thinking things through, which is likely why we’ve seen an explosion in tools and use. They are much better at “reasoning” now.Most "AI agents" are just fancy automation tools that follow scripts you set up, not true assistants that can figure things out on their own and take action without your constant guidance.AI is finally starting to connect to your actual apps (like your email, calendar, and project management tools), which means we're getting closer to having a real digital assistant that can do stuff for you.You can turn car ride rambling into first drafts by recording voice memos of your ideas, then having AI organize them into actual articles—no more staring at blank screens.Let AI handle the grunt work, but keep the good stuff for yourself—use it for research and organizing, but don't let it write your insights or replace your personal voice that connects with people.Test AI with your own tasks every few months to see what it can actually do for your specific business instead of getting caught up in all the marketing hype about what it might do someday.Show NotesThe State of AI EngineeringTutorial: How to streamline your writing process with Whisper and GPT-4Dealing with AI Fatigue

I’m wrestling with whether I’m becoming too dependent on AI for critical thinking, especially after it helped me create an entire quiz for my business. While I don’t use it for actual writing, I’ve noticed I’m defaulting to AI for brainstorming, research, and problem-solving more quickly than I used to. I’m exploring the line between helpful automation and potentially weakening my own thinking muscles.What do you think? Send feedback to https://streamlinedfeedback.com This episode description was written by Claude AI.This was also published on my Audio Notes only feed, Joe’s Audio Notes. Let me know if you want to see more episodes like this. 

Remember when coding meant years of computer science classes and debugging late into the night? Well, things have changed. I recently sat down with Susan Bowles, founder and fellow solopreneur, to dive into the world of "vibe coding" — essentially describing what you want to AI and having it write all the code for you.While I had a nearly flawless experience with ChatGPT writing 2,000 lines of WordPress code for an underscoped client project, Susan's journey with Google Scripts was more of a write-test-fail-repeat cycle. We explored how this technology is reshaping not just how we build things, but potentially eliminating entry-level programming positions while creating new challenges around security and best practices.The conversation took an interesting turn when I shared my recent Claude horror story — what started as a simple quiz creation turned into building an entire WordPress plugin, only to realize I should have just used Gravity Forms from the beginning. Sometimes the smartest tool isn't the shiniest one.Special thanks to Kit for letting us use their studios! Learn more about them hereWant my AI Swipe file? Go here: https://streamlined.fm/automationTop TakeawaysVibe coding works best when you already understand the fundamentals — AI is great at writing code, but terrible at making decisions about what that code should actually doSecurity remains a major blind spot — AI will happily tell you to put API keys in plain text unless you know enough to question itThe technology excels at helping you execute cool ideas quickly and get to beta testing faster, but shouldn't be the foundation of a fundable businessShow NotesPart 2 of this conversation on "Calm is the New KPI"My previous episode: "I Vibe Coded a Client Project"Cortex podcastAustin ChurchChatGPTClaudeLovableZapierMake.comConvertKit (now Kit)streamlinedfeedback.comDisclaimer: Claude pretty much wrote this whole description based on the transcript.

I always say to use what you’ll actually use. For Famous Ashley Grant, that’s Google Workspace. And today, she’s telling us all about how she uses it to manage literally everything in her life – from client work to meal planning.Ashley's story hit home for me. Before implementing her system, she was constantly working too many hours, missing deadlines, and snapping at loved ones over simple questions like "what's for dinner?" Now she has a full system inside Google Sheets – and you’re going to learn exactly how it works. Want access to my database of 40+ automations and AI prompts for free? Get it here: https://casabona.org/streamlined Top TakeawaysHaving a central system for capturing tasks, ideas, and deadlines frees up mental space and reduces stress - Ashley calls her client work "quests" and "quest givers" to make tracking work more funTreating yourself as a "client" in your productivity system ensures your personal projects actually get completedQuick capture is essential - immediately add things to your system when you think of them or receive them (like license renewal notices)Check out my other shows at https://network.streamlined.fm Show NotesFamous Ashley GrantFamous Ashley on InstagramFamous Ashley on FacebookFamous Ashley on XFamous Ashley on LinkedIn

It’s an Automation AMA! From scheduling social media content to making kids' lunches (yes, really), fellow solopreneurs shared their biggest time-wasters. I ended up creating custom automation solutions for everything from podcast guest research to email management.Special thanks to Kit for letting me record in their Studios! I highly recommend them for email and newsletters!Get my free automations database at **https://streamlined.fm/automation** (powered by Kit, natch)Top TakeawaysSocial media scheduling can be mostly automated using a this kind of workflow: keep video details in Notion or Google Sheets, trigger Zapier when updated, and automatically schedule posts through Buffer or similar tools.Email overwhelm has multiple solutions including using Sanebox and Todoist for organization, plus Zapier watching for specific emails by subject or sender to automatically process them with custom workflows.Podcast guest research becomes manageable with tools like PodMatch for automated guest suggestions, intake forms for self-selection, and Google Alerts or PodScan to identify experts in your niche.AI transcription and summarization saves hours on client calls by automatically processing Zoom transcripts through ChatGPT with custom prompts for different call types (discovery, coaching, etc.).YouTube chapter creation gets easier when you use tools like Ecamm Live's marker button during recording, then search edited transcripts for your noted timestamps instead of relying on AI timing.The "one platform, do it well" approach beats spreading yourself thin across all social media—pick LinkedIn or another single platform and focus your automation efforts there.Show NotesSee the entire conversation hereHow I Keep my Email at Inbox ZeroAutomate Email Management with SaneBoxMy Brown M&M for Podcast Guest PitchingGrowth in Reverse PodcastPodMatchSanebox - Email filtering serviceTodoist - Task managementBuffer - Social media schedulingZapier - Automation platformNotion - All-in-one workspaceEcamm Live - Live streaming softwarepodscan.fm