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What you'll learn
  • Understand the automation tool landscape
  • Build your first multi-step automation
  • Identify automation opportunities in your daily work
  • Know when to use simple automation vs. AI agents
AutomationBeginnerCourse

Learn automation basics

Explore tools like n8n, Zapier, and MCPs so your apps, notes, and reminders can work together.

90 min
Zapiern8nMake
by 10xCareer Team

Overview

Automation connects your tools so they work together without manual effort. This guide covers the landscape and helps you pick the right starting point.

Tools covered

  • Zapier — Easiest to start, best for simple triggers and actions
  • n8n — Open-source, more powerful, self-hostable
  • Make (Integromat) — Visual builder with complex logic support
  • MCPs (Model Context Protocols) — Connect AI models to external tools

What you'll learn

  1. The automation mindset: spotting repetitive patterns in your work
  2. Triggers, actions, and conditions — the building blocks
  3. Your first automation: connecting two tools you already use
  4. When to use simple automations vs. AI agents

Why this matters

Automation is the bridge between "I know AI exists" and "AI works for me while I sleep."