Remember when coding meant years of computer science classes and debugging late into the night? Well, things have changed. I recently sat down with Susan Bowles, founder and fellow solopreneur, to dive into the world of "vibe coding" — essentially describing what you want to AI and having it write all the code for you.

While I had a nearly flawless experience with ChatGPT writing 2,000 lines of WordPress code for an underscoped client project, Susan's journey with Google Scripts was more of a write-test-fail-repeat cycle. We explored how this technology is reshaping not just how we build things, but potentially eliminating entry-level programming positions while creating new challenges around security and best practices.

The conversation took an interesting turn when I shared my recent Claude horror story — what started as a simple quiz creation turned into building an entire WordPress plugin, only to realize I should have just used Gravity Forms from the beginning. Sometimes the smartest tool isn't the shiniest one.

Special thanks to Kit for letting us use their studios! Learn more about them here

Want my AI Swipe file? Go here: https://streamlined.fm/automation

Top Takeaways

• Vibe coding works best when you already understand the fundamentals — AI is great at writing code, but terrible at making decisions about what that code should actually do
• Security remains a major blind spot — AI will happily tell you to put API keys in plain text unless you know enough to question it
• The technology excels at helping you execute cool ideas quickly and get to beta testing faster, but shouldn't be the foundation of a fundable business

Show Notes

• Part 2 of this conversation on "Calm is the New KPI"
• My previous episode: "I Vibe Coded a Client Project"
• Cortex podcast
• Austin Church
• ChatGPT
• Claude
• Lovable
• Zapier
• Make.com
• ConvertKit (now Kit)
• streamlinedfeedback.com

Disclaimer: Claude pretty much wrote this whole description based on the transcript.

I always say to use what you’ll actually use. For Famous Ashley Grant, that’s Google Workspace. And today, she’s telling us all about how she uses it to manage literally everything in her life – from client work to meal planning.

Ashley's story hit home for me. Before implementing her system, she was constantly working too many hours, missing deadlines, and snapping at loved ones over simple questions like "what's for dinner?"

Now she has a full system inside Google Sheets – and you’re going to learn exactly how it works.

Want access to my database of 40+ automations and AI prompts for free? Get it here: https://casabona.org/streamlined

Top Takeaways

• Having a central system for capturing tasks, ideas, and deadlines frees up mental space and reduces stress - Ashley calls her client work "quests" and "quest givers" to make tracking work more fun
• Treating yourself as a "client" in your productivity system ensures your personal projects actually get completed
• Quick capture is essential - immediately add things to your system when you think of them or receive them (like license renewal notices)

Check out my other shows at https://network.streamlined.fm

Show Notes

• Famous Ashley Grant
• Famous Ashley on Instagram
• Famous Ashley on Facebook
• Famous Ashley on X
• Famous Ashley on LinkedIn

It’s an Automation AMA! From scheduling social media content to making kids' lunches (yes, really), fellow solopreneurs shared their biggest time-wasters. I ended up creating custom automation solutions for everything from podcast guest research to email management.

Special thanks to Kit for letting me record in their Studios! I highly recommend them for email and newsletters!

Get my free automations database at **https://streamlined.fm/automation** (powered by Kit, natch)

Top Takeaways

• Social media scheduling can be mostly automated using a this kind of workflow: keep video details in Notion or Google Sheets, trigger Zapier when updated, and automatically schedule posts through Buffer or similar tools.
• Email overwhelm has multiple solutions including using Sanebox and Todoist for organization, plus Zapier watching for specific emails by subject or sender to automatically process them with custom workflows.
• Podcast guest research becomes manageable with tools like PodMatch for automated guest suggestions, intake forms for self-selection, and Google Alerts or PodScan to identify experts in your niche.
• AI transcription and summarization saves hours on client calls by automatically processing Zoom transcripts through ChatGPT with custom prompts for different call types (discovery, coaching, etc.).
• YouTube chapter creation gets easier when you use tools like Ecamm Live's marker button during recording, then search edited transcripts for your noted timestamps instead of relying on AI timing.
• The "one platform, do it well" approach beats spreading yourself thin across all social media—pick LinkedIn or another single platform and focus your automation efforts there.

Show Notes

• See the entire conversation here
• How I Keep my Email at Inbox Zero
• Automate Email Management with SaneBox
• My Brown M&M for Podcast Guest Pitching
• Growth in Reverse Podcast
• PodMatch
• Sanebox - Email filtering service
• Todoist - Task management
• Buffer - Social media scheduling
• Zapier - Automation platform
• Notion - All-in-one workspace
• Ecamm Live - Live streaming software
• podscan.fm