--- title: Automation --- > Every great software developer, for example, now has an army of robots working for him at nighttime while he or she sleeps, after they’ve written the code, and it’s cranking away. ~ Naval Ravikant Automation, as I understand it, is the use of [[Knowledge/Programming/API]] to link together all the services and the services that make them available. In a nutshell, it's about exchanging information between applications, keeping human involvement to a minimum. ## White-hat Automation With the ability to send thousands of messages and eliminate more activities in favor of automation, it's easy to get to a place where we simply overdo it. I myself follow a simple rule: I do not automate the process of building relationships. **I use bots to give me the space to be able to give more time and attention to others. ## Scenario design I use all my skills, both technical and knowledge of business and relationship building, to create automation scenarios. **Most important stack [[Optimization/Tools/Tools]]:** - [[Optimization/Tools/Airtable]] - databases - [[Optimization/Tools/Notion]] - task management, notes and activity panels - [[Optimization/Tools/MakeHQ]] i [[Optimization/Tools/Zapier]] - connecting a servies - [[Optimization/Tools/Raycast]] - macOS automation - [[Optimization/Tools/Buffer]] - social media publication - [[Optimization/Tools/Sendgrid]] - transactional emails and newsletters - [[Optimization/Tools/Keyboard Maestro]], [[Optimization/Tools/Better Touch Tool]] i [[Optimization/Tools/Hazel]] - automation in macOS - [[Optimization/Tools/Shortcuts]] - automation on the [[Optimization/Hardware/iPhone]] - [[Optimization/Tools/Webflow]], [[Optimization/Tools/Framer Sites]] [[Systemflow]] i [[Carrd]] - websites - [[Tailwind CSS]] i [[Tailwind UI]] - low-code website development - [[Optimization/Tools/Slack]] - communication with bots (both ways) ## My robot team My automations improve with each iteration. This means that every now and then I use new tools and the knowledge I've gained to replace old scenarios with new ones. Currently, each scenario is assigned to an Avatar - a bot with certain characteristics, abilities and responsibilities. Each of them can undertake tasks independently or, if they need the help of another bot, they can ask it for help. The names of the robots are nothing but a kind of 'category' thanks to which it is easy for me to create scenarios and arrange 'user stories'. ### Claire - Office ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/g15SCJixXvzEcGXz1Fi7/Claire-Office.png) She is responsible for the scenarios related to my virtual office. She is the one who takes care of issuing documents, payment reminders or organizing the tools I use for daily tasks (which she is also able to assign to me herself!). Her most important tools are [[Optimization/Tools/Superhuman]] and [[Optimization/Tools/Notion]] ### Jenny - Social Media ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/2RHdid3HgnubEWBbFGBz/Jenny-Social-Media.png) Jenny helps me run social media. She takes care of scheduling, content preparation, and reminders for new comments. Her main tools are [[Optimization/Tools/Airtable]] and [[Optimization/Tools/Buffer]]. ### Nicky - Designer ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/NmnfAQuQDP3pQLETM4fL/Nicky-Designer.png) Nicky is a designer who creates almost all the graphics that appear on all my social media. He uses templates and [[Projects/EasyBanner]] to create creations and submit them to the other bots or directly to my clipboard with the help of [[Optimization/Tools/Keyboard Maestro]] ### Ellie - Researcher ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/30DlrdWqwsrOkAr42ReG/Ellie-Researcher.png) Ellie helps me stay on top of knowledge sources from my [[Foundations/Knowledge acquisition system]]. She visits blogs, newsletters and websites, gathering information that may be useful to me or for the materials I create. Ellie is also adding new entries to my project [brain.overment.com](https://brain.overment.com) and to the [[Projects/Ahoy!]] resources. ### Luke - Content ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/hs32tUAIugXVHnxgJjDM/Luke-Studio.png) Luke's role is to help me prepare materials. Initially only video and now also articles and audio files. He takes care of transferring files between services, creating backups and preparing material structures. E.g., after recording material, he creates an entry for me in Airtable with properly prepared links, updates the notes in brain.overment.com and, with Claire's help, adds tasks for me to complete the content before publishing it. ### Rose - Newsletter ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/Bj4t3VyAuX4IZFC8aZ9f/Rose-Newsletter.png) Rose helps me with everything related to expanding and running all email communication. E.g., she plans [[Optimization/Tools/Sendgrid]] campaigns or together with Nicky and Jenny, they post information about it on social media. ## Tony - Developer ![avatar](https://space.overment.com/Tony-Programmer-qiFwc/Tony-Programmer.png) Tony focuses on helping me with programming and product development. He makes it easy for me to organize and manage projects or operate tools typically associated with programming (e.g. terminal or IDE ([[Optimization/Tools/Intellij]]) ## Managing an increasing number of scenarios As the scenarios, macros, shortcuts and list of tools I use grow, there are times when, in short, I start to get lost in them, or at least notice that I don't use some of them. How I address this problem is described on [[Projects/Ahoy!]] in this post: https://community.ahoy.so/c/integromat/jak-zarzadzac-rosnaca-liczba-scenariuszy-automatyzacji. I have also included various working techniques that make it easier for me to build new scenarios and macros. One of the most important elements of this process **is to remove rather than add**. This is a reference to the 'Hack Away the Unessentials' that [[Knowledge/People/Bruce Lee]]. taught me so much about ## Links - [[Optimization/Automation/Microservices]] - [[Optimization/Automation/Tools]] - [[Optimization/Automation/Scenarios]]