Howdy ,
Most people are using AI like a smarter Google.
That’s fine for quick answers but it completely falls apart when you want consistent, repeatable results.
If you actually want AI to do work for you, you need structure.
The model I’m using here separates things into clear layers:
- You define the goal
- AI handles thinking and coordination
- Work is organized into outcome-based pillars (Research, Blog Posts, Excel, etc.)
- Each pillar uses skills, agents, and tools to get the job done
- A data layer stores everything so results improve over time
- Automation runs it all without constant input
This isn’t theory. It’s how you move from “asking AI questions” to building systems that produce real output on demand.
The diagrams below show how the pieces fit together and how the work actually flows from start to finish.
Once you see it this way, a lot of confusion disappears.
You stop asking:
- “What prompt should I use?”
- “Which AI tool is best?”
And start asking:
- “What outcome do I want?”
- “What needs to run to produce it reliably?”
- “Where does the data live so it improves over time?”
That shift is everything.
Because the real value isn’t in any single tool, it’s in the system you build around them.
Get the structure right, and you can swap tools, improve pieces, and scale output without starting over.
Get it wrong, and you’ll keep reinventing the wheel every time you sit down to use AI.
Build it once. Let it run. Then focus on what actually matters.
Want to talk through your approach? Join the Hero Club and you can get feedback from us and others.
Now on with the show…
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
What can you do with AutoHotkey❓
Years ago I created this video explaining why you should Learn AutoHotkey.
Honestly not much has changed since then! I would probably just mention that AI can write the code!
Why you should learn AutoHotkey: What can AHK do?
Fast XP File Search
I’ve come to feel that AI can do pretty-much anything you want (if you know how to use it properly).
While the Windows Explorer search is extremely powerful, it also assumes you’re Einstein and have memorized the key terms.
I’ve been using a tool since 2013 that mimics the Windows XP Search. It’s a great tool but they now sell it for $100!
So last week I decided to see if AI could mimic it for me however AutoHotkey is slow at looping over files so I asked AI if it could come up with a solution that used a faster language for doing the search.
Of course I can! (Claude is so awesome!)
After a bit of work, I had a tool that, in my opinion, surpassed the $100 version.
You can check it out in this video.
This $8 File Search Tool DESTROYS the $100 Competition 💀XP File Search
Besides being “simple” it has some great advanced features like:
- Filtering your list of files
- Peaking inside Archive files like .zip, .7z, .tar, etc.
- Search by File type (Documents, media, Archive, code, etc.)
- Excluding files
- Being crazy fast❗
I’m selling my version of XP File Search for $7.99.
Couple great AutoHotkey Hotkeys
During a Hero call I shared a couple gems found in my main script. In this short video you can see how to easily toggle any GUI to be Always on Top and how to easily Launch Explorer from a specific folder.
Make ANY Window Always On Top With ONE Line of Code 📌 AutoHotkey Magic
You can learn simple tips like this in our Intro to AutoHotkey Course
Improving People’s Lives: Story #93
I’m helping some small businesses understand what matters most in marketing.
I created this video which explains the differences between Facebook Pixel and Google Tag.
Meta Pixel vs Google Tag for Small Business Ads Setup
📚 What we’re reading
- 10 VS Code extensions I can’t live without
- 5 Windows features that change how you work
- Android Auto isn’t just for maps
- Google apps you’ve probably never heard of (but should know about)
🤖 AI News that you Need to Know
- Labor market impacts of AI (video summary here)
- Voice Controlled Apps (Thanks Thomas Kahn)
- AI can read your palm (Thanks Ryan Wells)
- How to Uninstall Copilot on Windows 11
⚡️Productivity tips:
9 time-saving Excel shortcuts that most cheats miss
🤣 A spot of Humor:
Admit it, you’d like to try some of these waffles
Clients say…
How can I pay more for this? — Kelly Coughlin
AHK Hero 🦸
Consider joining the 🦸Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc. Currently we have over 554 hours of recordings teaching AutoHotkey that is exclusive to Hero members❗
You can watch 1 hour a day for a year and not repeat content! That’s a lot of Learning!
During this Friday’s call we’re planning to discuss:
- Help Hero Members with their Questions & Code
- Outline of AI Workflow & Claude Code tools you can use
- Automatically removing Ghost icons from System Tray
- Encoding Tester and Fixer
- Using Hooks in Claude code
- Updates to AHK Windows XP Style Search tool
- Firefox Cookies taste great! YouTube Transcript Scraper
- Using Agents in Claude Code Discuss Tests:
- Smoke test: Will it run? Full pre-ship validation (3 layers)
- Sanity-tester: Did this change break anything?
- Unit-tests, Functional tests: Generate / updates tests for new code
- Reviewer: Deeper single-file correctness review
- Refactor Planner: duplicates, dead code, include chains
- Claude Scheduler (maybe not needed because of Claude Routines?)
They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and 3 hours a week where we help people with their automation issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to Automation with AI)
🗣️ 💭 Quotable quotes
- Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time — Thomas Edison
- Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe, It Can Achieve — Napoleon Hill
- Learn some basic self-defense, today. The first thing a mugger does to a mark is knock you down –most people can’t handle any jostling at all, and freeze. The simple confidence of knowing what your options are — and where the soft targets are on an attacker — can save your life — John Carlton
⏩SHARE WITH A FRIEND⏩
Do you know someone that would benefit from learning useful automation tips like the gems in today’s issue? Take a second and forward this newsletter and bask in the glow of their undying gratitude. Was this email forwarded to you?
Sign up for this Newsletter here. We never share your email with anyone. Ever!
the-Automator Dedicated to Multiplying your Income
Joe, Isaias, Irfan and staff
 |  |  |  |
P.S. If you found the intro daunting, you shouldn’t. It’s much simpler than you think!
I actually created that flow to help simplify how you think about AI projects. Join our hero calls and I can first-hand explain just how easy it is!
