Back in August 2025, I found Nate's YouTube channel. I was curious about AI automation but had no idea where to start. I joined AI Automation Society and started learning. Two weeks in, I saw Nate post about a hackathon event. Did not have a clue what that meant. The catch: it was only available in the paid community, AI Automation Society Plus. The very first week, a hackathon dropped: build a lead gen system in 2 weeks. 119 builders entered. I had no business competing. One month into my automation journey. Zero tech background. But I went all in. Every night after work. Debugging until 3am. Stuck on nodes for hours. Asking Claude, ChatGPT and pretty much any LLM I could talk to explain code like I was 5. I used multiple because I kept hitting my context window... anyway. My final build scraped Google Maps, enriched leads with Hunter + Apollo, scored them, and pushed qualified ones into cold email campaigns — all automated. 50 leads scraped, enriched, and loaded in under 60 seconds. I won first place. $1,000. This began a crazy journey! But what does any of this matter to you? I have a feeling I was once in the same place as many of you. Are you still watching tutorials... or are you actually building? What's stopping you from going all in? For me, it was fear. I didn't think I was ready. I thought I needed to learn more first. But here's what I realized — you don't learn by watching. You learn by doing. I call it massive imperfect action. The hackathon forced me to build. The paid community gave me the structure to finish and be rewarded for hard work. This is why I took the leap of faith and what AIS+ provided for me: → Structure — actual courses that walk you through building real systems → Accountability — hackathons and challenges that force you to ship → Access — Nate and other advanced builders who answer questions and give feedback → Momentum — being surrounded by people who are actually building, not just watching I'm not saying the free community isn't valuable. It is. I started here.

• Fermi.ai officially launched AI-first edtech platform for high-school STEM launched by Peeyush Ranjan (ex-Flipkart CTO & ex-Google) and Mukesh Bansal (Myntra cofounder), live in India & US in pilot mode focusing on concept-driven learning. Why it matters: New entrant in AI learning space blending personalized education with reasoning-first approach. • Blockit AI launches with $5M seed funding AI calendar scheduling startup Blockit emerges from stealth with $5M seed led by Sequoia to automate meeting negotiations with intelligent agents. Why it matters: AI productivity tool backed by top VC; targets a high-frequency pain point in professional workflows. • Gusto brings payroll into ChatGPT Payroll SaaS Gusto launched its app inside the ChatGPT app directory enabling payroll tasks directly via natural language within ChatGPT. Why it matters: Expands AI workflows into core SMB operations, blurring lines between HR software and AI platforms. • Motorola Signature phone + Moto Watch India launch Motorola launched its Signature flagship smartphone and accompanying Moto Watch in India on January 23, incorporating next-gen hardware and features. Why it matters: Adds to regional premium hardware ecosystem amid growing AI-smart device demand. 💰 Funding, Acquisitions & Economic Moves • Blockit AI raises $5M seed (launch + funding) Blockit’s $5M raise signals strong investor confidence in AI meeting automation. Why it matters: Shows continued early-stage investor appetite in AI productivity startups. • Datavault AI completes acquisition of API Media Datavault AI closed its acquisition of API Media, expanding AI data-monetization offerings into live event tech. Why it matters: Signals consolidation in AI-driven data and engagement infrastructure. 🧠 Industry & Policy Developments (Davos + Big Tech) • IMF warns AI tsunami hitting jobs market IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva at WEF 2026 highlighted AI’s accelerating automation effects, especially on entry-level jobs.