Hey everyone, I’m 16 and currently learning AI automation with n8n, planning to start freelancing soon. One thing I’ve realized is that technical skills are getting commoditized, and what really makes the difference are the non-technical (soft + business) skills. So instead of focusing only on tools, I want to apply the 80/20 principle — focusing more on the small set of skills that actually drive results. The problem is… I don’t clearly know what those high-impact skills are yet. Would love to learn from people already doing this: What non-technical skills have made the biggest difference in your freelancing journey? If you had to start again, which skills would you prioritize first? Any specific frameworks or ways to practice these skills as a beginner? What mistakes should I avoid early on? I’m trying to build a strong foundation early instead of just chasing tools. Really appreciate any guidance

Hey everyone, I’m 16 and just starting out with AI automation freelancing. One thing I’ve realized early is that problem discovery seems more important than the tools themselves because if you don’t understand the real problem, the solution doesn’t matter. Right now, I feel stuck on how to actually learn this skill properly. I want to avoid random trial-and-error and build a more structured approach. So I wanted to ask people here who already work with clients: How did you learn problem discovery in the beginning? Did you follow any framework, or was it mostly experience? What mistakes should I avoid early on? How do you identify the real problem vs what the client says? Any exercises or practice methods you’d recommend (without needing real clients)? I’m not looking for shortcuts — just a smarter way to learn this skill without wasting time. Would really appreciate your insights

The workflow: → Trigger: Student submits Google Form → Step 1: Name + email saved to Google Sheets automatically → Step 2: Welcome email with course link sent via Gmail instantly What I learned: I originally had the Gmail node first — before saving to Sheets. That was wrong. If the email sends but the save fails, you lose the client record forever. Always save data first, then send. Also: I'm only 16 and this is Scenario 6 for me — this is the first one I actually built live in N8N and got all 3 nodes showing green checkmarks. That felt really good Tools used: N8N + Google Forms + Google Sheets + Gmail — all free to start

Hi everyone I recently received advice from an experienced automation developer: “Focus deeply on mastering automation thinking before tools.” That really stuck with me. As a beginner in AI workflow automation (planning to freelance in the future), I want to build the right foundation instead of just learning tools like n8n or Zapier randomly. For those with experience: How did you personally develop automation thinking? What exercises or practices helped you most? How can I train myself to think in systems instead of just steps? I’d really appreciate practical guidance. I’m serious about mastering this properly.