Build AI agents and automations
Wire up agents and internal tools that do real work for you.
3 steps to get you moving, each with a resource worth your time and more waiting underneath
Think of this as a friendly starting line, not the last word. Each step gives you the gist, then a resource worth your time from founders who've actually done it. There's always more underneath, more questions and more resources, whenever you feel like digging in.
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1
AI AgentsWhat actually is an AI agent, in plain language?
The gist An AI agent is software that uses an AI model as its brain to pursue a goal: it plans the steps, uses tools (your email, browser, spreadsheets, code, APIs), checks its own work, and keeps going until the job is done. A chatbot answers you; an agent acts for you. Think of it as a tireless junior teammate that can read, click, write and call other software, but still needs clear instructions and supervision.
Building Effective AI Agents Anthropic The most-cited definition of workflows vs agents, written by the team behind Claude. -
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Workflows & AutomationWhat's the difference between automation (Zapier, n8n, Make) and AI agents?
The gist Tools like Zapier, Make, and n8n run fixed recipes you design in advance: when X happens, do Y, then Z, the same steps every single time, which makes them cheap and reliable. An AI agent adds a language model that can read the situation, make decisions, and choose its own next steps, which makes it flexible but also slower, pricier, and less predictable. Most founders actually need a plain workflow with one smart AI step inside it (e.g. 'summarize this email' or 'draft a reply'); save true agents for tasks that genuinely require judgment.
AI Agents, Clearly Explained Jeff Su The clearest 10-minute, jargon-free walkthrough of the LLM → AI workflow → AI agent ladder, with real examples a non-technical founder can follow. -
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Databases & Internal ToolsWhy use AI to build databases and internal dashboards instead of buying SaaS?
The gist The math has flipped: AI coding tools have collapsed the cost of custom software, so a founder can now get a tool shaped exactly to their workflow for less than a year of SaaS subscriptions. Retool's own research found 35% of teams have already replaced at least one purchased tool with something custom-built, and small companies are quitting Salesforce for Claude-built CRMs. Buying still wins for commodity needs like email and payroll; building wins when the workflow is your edge or the SaaS forces you into its shape.
The Build vs. Buy Shift: AI, Shadow IT, and the SaaS Replacement Era Retool Hard survey data on the shift: 35% of teams already replaced a bought tool with a built one, 78% plan to build more.
