r/agency

Most of what I've been finding is the same thing, and I want to put it down somewhere other than my Obsidian.

Founders doing real numbers, $30K to $300K+ a month, with AI "projects" open all over their business.

Half-built agents. Orphan n8n flows. A Notion board full of things marked "in progress."

They're not in progress...

They're in purgatory.

Last month I opened a founder's n8n workspace and found 14 half-built flows. Nine of them had no data destination.

He was paying three contractors to keep building more of them.

The idea was cool... Monday morning, those flows never showed up.

The review is always the same three findings:

1. No owner.
2. No success metric.
3. No home inside an existing workflow.

The pattern I watch happen in real time, inside these businesses, is always the same sequence.

• ChatGPT open.
• Claude open.
• n8n open.
• Zapier open.
• Youtube open.
• The course they bought in October open.
• The Loom their ops person sent open.
• The agent they started six weeks ago open.

Twenty tabs.

Zero systems in production.

The guilt kicks in around tab fourteen.

"I'm behind on AI."

So they buy another course.

Hire another freelancer... Spend the weekend on a new build.

Same outcome, more disguises.

But problem was never motivation. People running real businesses are not motivation-limited. The problem is nobody taught them order of operations. Every tool feels equally urgent, so nothing ships.

An AI operating system is not a stack of tools.

It's an architecture.

And before building any of it, one piece of paper has to answer three questions.

Question one. What process?

Not "what could AI do."

What specific, named process is eating your time, your team's time, or your revenue right now.

Lead routing. Sales call recap. Client weekly report. Objection tracking. Refund triage. Pick one. Name it like it has a job title.

"Automating marketing" is not an answer. It's a category. Categories don't ship.

Question two. What data?

Every agent eats data and produces data.

If you can't name both on day one, the agent dies on day thirty.

Input: where does it live right now?

Slack, Gmail, HubSpot, a Google Doc someone updates every Friday?

Who owns that source?

Is the format consistent, or is someone hand-fixing it weekly?

Output:

Where does it go?

Back into the CRM, into a Slack channel someone reads, into a Loom summary, into an inbox before Monday morning, into a folder nobody opens?

Agents don't die from bad prompts. They die from orphaned data. Input nobody maintains, output nobody reads.

Question three. What win condition?

One sentence. Measurable. Time-boxed.

• "Follow-ups sent within 2 hours of every sales call, 95% of the time, measured weekly."
• "Top 5 deals summarized in my inbox every Monday by 7am."
• "Objection tagged on every call transcript within 24 hours."

If the win condition is "save time" or "be more efficient," the project is already dead and you're paying for the funeral.

One process.

One data path.

One win condition.

Here's how I'd run it today:

Take those three questions, run them against every AI project open in the business, live or half-dead.

One by one.

Kill anything that can't answer all three in one sentence each.

For the ones that survive, pick one.

The one with the highest revenue leverage, not the one most interesting to build.

Ship that one in 14 days.

Everything else stays closed until it ships.

I'd love to hear where you actually land after running this

Especially which project you realize you've been avoiding because the data work is ugly.

That one is almost always the one with the highest ROI.

Our agency was paying for the official X API just to schedule and post tweets. That's $200/month on the Basic tier, $2,400 a year, for something that basically does a POST request on your behalf. At some point we looked at each other and asked why we were still doing this.

So we built a FastAPI backend that talks directly to X's internal GraphQL API, the same one your browser hits when you click "Tweet" on x.com. It uses your session cookies instead of API keys, spoofs browser-level TLS fingerprinting with curl_cffi, and dynamically scrapes X's JavaScript bundles on startup to stay current with their query IDs and feature flags. You deploy it on Render or Railway, point your n8n webhook at it, and you're posting tweets for basically the cost of a residential proxy.

We've been running this internally for a while and decided to open-source it: https://github.com/elnino-hub/x-automation

I want to be upfront about the tradeoffs because this is not a plug-and-play thing. Sessions can expire on you. Datacenter IPs get blocked almost immediately so you need residential proxies. X updates their TLS fingerprinting checks periodically, which means the hardcoded browser version in the code needs to be bumped when that happens. And if you're hammering it with more than 50 tweets a day, you will get your account locked. This is not a "set it and forget it" tool, it's more like something you maintain alongside your workflows.

The repo has everything you need to get it running, including a health check endpoint you can ping every 14 minutes to keep your container alive, a debug endpoint that shows you the raw X response when things break, and an IP check endpoint so you can verify your proxy is actually working. Environment setup is straightforward if you've deployed a Python app before.

The hardest part isn't the code itself. It's understanding why things break. If you don't know what a JA3 fingerprint is or why your session token expired after you changed networks, you're going to have a rough time debugging. That's kind of the gap with this whole approach to automation. The people who can run it don't need much help, and the people who want it usually need more support than a README can provide.

If anyone has questions about the setup or runs into issues getting it deployed, happy to help in the comments. And if you just want someone to handle this kind of infra for you, my agency does this stuff too, but genuinely, the repo should be enough for most technical folks here.

Running a small performance marketing agency (just me and one other guy). We manage Meta ads for aesthetic clinics across Australia.

Currently paying ~$300 USD/month for GHL Agency plan + SMS costs and honestly only using two features:

1. Webchat widget on client landing pages - when someone lands and has a question it routes to SMS so we can reply. Basically a janky live chat.

2. 3-step SMS drip - our sales guy cold calls, when they don't pick up we fire them into a short SMS sequence over a few days.

We're sending roughly 1,400-1,500 SMS/month to Australian numbers.

Tried Salesmsg but at that volume it's $250/month which isn't much better & GHL is already setup.

Make + Twilio is an option but I'd need to rebuild the drip from scratch and Twilio is pretty bare bones for managing replies and having an actual inbox.

Is there a tool that covers both of these without paying for a full CRM/agency platform I don't need? Preferably something already set up for SMS workflows rather than pure infrastructure & works with subaccounts like GHL would be great.

Open to anything - just feels insane to pay $400 USD for two features + SMS.

My brother and I run an agency that focuses on A/B testing, basically conversion rate optimization for e-commerce stores. We handle everything from the moment a visitor clicks on your ad. We don’t deal with the ads themselves.

Explanation:
We make changes to the store and test what performs better.

Example:
What generates more sales? a red or a blue “Add to Cart” button? Using a tool, we split the traffic so that 50% of visitors see the red button and 50% see the blue one. We track everything such as sales, AOV, and add-to-cart rate. This allows us to clearly determine what performs better in the end.

That’s a simplified example. Usually, the implementations we test have a much bigger impact. We build and code everything ourselves. We also create custom solutions for Shopify apps so our clients don’t have to keep paying for those apps.

Our ideal clients are Shopify e-commerce stores doing between $1M and $10M per year. Anything below $1M usually doesn’t make much sense. We work long term with our clients, so these are not one-month projects. Our clients stay for years. We also don’t use contracts or minimum commitments, anyone can leave month to month.

However, we have a major problem with acquiring new clients, and that’s what this is about.

We have a 70%+ closing rate once we get on a video call, but getting to that call is the hardest part. As I mentioned, our clients stay for years. We worked with our very first client until the end of 2025, which was four years, and our second-ever client is still working with us. So the service itself isn’t the problem. Clients are happy, and we deliver real value.

We’ve worked with people from Shark Tank and an NBA Allstar. We’re also partnered with someone who worked for years with Gary Vee and Matt Higgins. I’m not trying to flex, it probably sounds better than it actually is, I’m just a bit frustrated right now.

My question to you is how I can restructure our product or service to make it more attractive to smaller stores or dropshipping stores.

I see tons of dropshipping stores every day where I can instantly identify ten conversion killers on the product page. But how do I best reach these stores? What kind of service would be most attractive to you?

Let’s assume trust is not an issue and you trust the website and our expertise right away.

What kind of offer appeals most to you?

Monthly collaboration?
A one-time rebuild of the store or product page, fully conversion optimized?
A course or PDF explaining how to do it yourself?
Simple consulting or video calls where we go through the store together and identify issues?

I’m trying to figure out the best way to package and sell our knowledge.

I’m thinking of going this route but want to see if there are any case studies on success. I have a few customers asking about our services being faster and cheaper so this may fit those customers.

This is the closest I've ever felt to being a CEO. Because when you hear that word — CEO — you basically picture somebody who just sits around, thinks, and doesn't really do much. And that's kind of where I'm at right now.

Over the last six years building Symphony Advertising, I've been able to delegate most of the roles and responsibilities I used to carry myself. For context: we're at roughly $72K MRR, 8 employees, about a 37% profit margin. And all I really focus on now is creating content, sales, and helping the team with escalations.

The biggest unlock was promoting two account managers from within who now handle the client relationships and the teams underneath them. That didn't happen overnight. It took years to build a team that can more or less run on its own.

And now I'm at a point where I literally don't know what to do with my time.

I think that was the point. I didn't know that was the point while I was building toward it, but here I am. I can pull back. I don't have to go as hard. But it doesn't feel right. It honestly feels like a breakup — like, where is that thing I was talking to every day for six years? I don't see it anymore.

I don't want to say I feel lost, because I know the moves I'm making. The organic content push is the strongest it's ever been. I've launched company social media accounts, created a Spanish-only TikTok for our Spanish-speaking clients, and I'm still posting consistently on my personal channels. I'm YouTubing, doing personal day-in-the-life vlogs, writing on LinkedIn. The content engine is running.

So this might be one of those "take one step back to take three steps forward" moments. But it definitely feels weird. It definitely feels off.

Just sharing this in case anyone has been through it or has any pointers. Appreciate any thoughts.

Yesterday I made a post about not knowing what to do with all my time. And I got some pretty good feedback from the reddit community

So what I am doing - is writing out what my responsibilities are. Because yes, I have them. They are just more invisible. It's not as concrete. Building a google ads campaign is much more tangible than "improve brand positioning".

Also , i did use whispr flow to write out my post yesterday, and then claude to clean it up. I can see that that is not the reddit way. So here I am, typing it out

My Responsibilities, in no particular order

1. Create awareness through organic content on tiktok, instagram, facebook, linkedin and youtube
2. Sales with any interested potential client. Or more importantly, acting as the filter between who we can actually help and who we can not
3. Pricing Strategy - when to increase/decrease pricing as well as the services we offer
4. Finances / Make sure we get paid
5. Promote People, Hire People, Fire People
6. Allow our team to handle their clients. Aka me not get in the way. They learn better this way
7. Handle any escalation - right now we have two account managers. Our team directly goes to the account managers with any problems. If those problems can't be resolved by them, it goes to me. This could be a strategy issue, a cancellation issue, a one off issue, etc
8. Spot check Client accounts, as well as step in with a review/loom review/call when needed
9. Make sure our employees have the tools/environment and support they need to succeed. Making sure this is a place they want to work at
10. Think about what moves to make for the business, our employees, and our clients

Some of the goals I have are below

1. Hit 80k/MRR by end of Q2
2. Stretch goal of 100k, at some point this year
3. Continue to train and provide support to Account Managers
4. Make sure the new hire gets up to speed and provide any support needed whether from me or team
5. Pay off tax balance
6. Continue to build out content engine
7. Continue to build out cash balance to be closer to 3 months worth of payroll (currently at 1)

That's it. Those are my responsibilities and my goals. I've successfully built a business that can more or less function without my direct involvment on the execution side. It just caught me by surprise. I use to have 15-20 task to do everyday on my asana task. It would pile up. I'd work all day.

Now, i have 2-3 task.....and they're usually the same. Create content. Sales follow ups. And the few escalations that come my way.

I use to get every single text and email that came into the company number and email. Now i've removed myself from those notifications and only get the escalations. Or sometimes just the nice alerts that a client has upgraded.

I use to create the invoices. I use to do the payroll. I use to build the google ads account. I use to do the monthly loom reviews. I use to take on the client calls. I use to take the website lives. I use to set up the SMTP. I use to provide the budget recommendation.

I'm accepting my new role and identity. I am operating more like a ceo than a executioner.

Hey everyone, I've worked as an account manager and Klaviyo Specialist in three different agencies, all of them from EU. Most of the brands I worked with generates 7-8 figure/year and I have enough case studies which I can showcase.

Problem is, I worked as an executor, and I don't know how agencies acquire clients. I've seen CEOs brag about their results on Linkedin, X but barely get any engagements on their posts. I've seen YouTube videos of agency owners with views less than 500.

If I want to start an agency tomorrow, what should I start with?

I'll do :

1. One time Klaviyo setup that includes basic to advance flows

2. Monthly retainers for optimisation and campaigns

I’m looking to acquire a small to mid-sized agency in the B2B sales / growth marketing space.

What I’m looking for:

Owner/operator-led

Minimum ~12 months in business

B2B sales or marketing focus

Proven ability to generate demand (doesn’t need to be perfect)

Examples:

Cold email / outbound agencies

Appointment setting / sales dev

Social growth / content-led demand gen

I’m not looking to replace you. Ideally you stick around for at least 12 months and help scale what you’ve built.

If this sounds like you (or someone you know), shoot me a DM.

Hey everyone, a lot of business owners struggle with documenting everything going on in their business. I built this AI interviewer that will map your business for you in real time just through an interview. The interviewer will ask you questions and then also show you where AI fits.

At the end you will get your portal and will have documented your entire business.

It’s free, test it out and would love your feedback.

I may get downvoted for this, but as a designer (who is not opposed to using AI or vibe coding), I'm already getting tired of the same AI-generated websites that are easy to spot.

Much like image generation, there's an "uncanny valley" feeling to the websites, and I was able to narrow some of the tell-tale signs:

• They all seem to pull from the same Tailwind, Radix, or Shadcn component libraries
• Overall minimal and safe design
• Rounded cards with thin borders
• 3-column feature grid
• Soft shadows
• Gradient hero
• Fade-in scroll animations
• All pull from component libraries from either Tailwind, Radix, or

It feels like so much humanity and personality are taken away, even if technically all the visual brand elements are being used.

So I implore you agencies - if you're going to use AI more for website generation, please work on prompts and specific elements that add a little more life to these sites.

Hey!

Just wondering, in case a specific PPC agency owes me money, is there anything I can do? Should do?

Goal post to when I was supposed to get paid got delayed and delayed. Worked with this agency for a LONG time, good friends etc but obviously work is work.

I'm outside of US, getting paid month by month, no contract, freelancing.

I’m wondering how everyone here is handling content production for advertising. More specifically video content. We’re creating really good static ads at a fast pace but are struggling with video content.

We outsource the shoots with a shot list and then handle the editing but both the pace and creativity feel mediocre. Curious to hear how others are doing it.

Dear agency owners,

Do you run ad on Reddits to get clients for your agency?

If so from which subreddit?

Thanks

And give me the data too! I've been considering firing this client anyway because they got my "just starting" price, but now I can't wait to fire them. But first.... I'm going to kindly show them all the data, ROI reports that drop on Monday, and then fire them. I can't wait. I'm salivating. Tell me your best "worst" client story and how you handled it.

As the title suggest.

I'm building a fully automated client acquisition system that produces good quality enquiries with lead scoring using AI conversations.

Its the most detailed system I've ever built. Yet, when I see my own inbox, I'm flooded with generic lead generation companies. I don't even know how I'd describe it to a prospect other than, "I help you generate consistent, quality enquiries". is that enough to sell a system like that?

Just curious what you guys are you using as your GTM strategy/engineering setup.

I have been leveraging cold emails + calls, and that helps me land 1 new client a month + 1 project a month, but I am looking to improve and see what others are trying out there.

TIA :)

What are we doing about the third party coverage required for successful LLM results? I'm interested in whether you're partnering with PR agencies, how you're advising clients?

I have been using apollo for prospecting and instantly for outbound + a few other tools for automated outbound flows. But the prospecting tool has been Apollo.

what I've noticed is that the filters are just absolute crap and it takes forever to find the right data. I've followed numerous tutorials and even then, the final list is pretty vague.

I work in three niches primarily - sports companies, edu/learning institutes, private schools etc., and reno companies. each with a complete offer and such.

I've been looking into clay, and it's criminally expensive. any suggestions?