The Biggest Hurdle in AI Automation: Clients Don't Know Their Own Processes
akl773 · reddit · 2026-08-12
An AI automation builder notes that the biggest hurdle isn't models or frameworks, but clients' inability to accurately describe their own workflows.
Using a restaurant example, asking for the ordering process yields three different versions from the owner, manager, and staff. A menu PDF might have the same dish with different prices and names across outlets. Processes existing merely as habits cannot be automated.
Thus, most of the developer's time is spent acting as a consultant: sitting with staff to map out rules and getting executive sign-off. The frustrating part is clients often refuse to pay for this "discovery phase" because it feels like meetings rather than software. The author asks the community how to handle billing for this crucial step.
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