Solo Dev Automating SMB Workflows for 3 Years: From $1.1K–3.8K/Month to One Contract Matching a Month's Income
Kakachia777 · reddit · 2026-09-25
A developer with a software/ML/cybersecurity background shares three years of automating small-business processes with AI.
- By 2023 he had automated most of his own cybersecurity tasks and began taking SMB work — research, document/data processing, social content — earning roughly $1,100–$3,800/month.
- He later quit, paused client work to build his own AI software, and now builds each client's workflows inside that existing system instead of a fresh codebase.
- One contract/subscription now equals what a month of automation work used to bring in, with more capacity.
His take: tasks done twice a month in ten minutes aren't worth automating; the ones worth it happen daily/weekly, span multiple systems, and involve a judgment call. The real blocker is usually systems behind a login with no API, not the writing. He invites readers to describe the job eating their week and will reply with concrete steps and pricing.
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