Alex Cinovoj
Founder & CTO, TechTide AI · CTO & Co-Founder, CPG Playbook
AI & Infra Engineer. Building AI that survives outside the demo.
- Lovable Senior Champion
- 9 Anthropic Academy course completions
Logs over vibes. Production over theater.
Season 1 Archive
AI builders and the patterns we learn from each other.
We publish the logs, the lessons, and the systems that actually survive contact with production.
Logs over Vibes — a new podcast from Alex Cinovoj and Shane Spencer. Coming soon. Season 1 aired as Automation Vibes (2025).
Logs over vibes. Production over theater. Practical lessons for turning AI experiments into systems that work.
Latest Issue
Tactical notes, field observations, and practical lessons from the Automation Vibes newsletter.
Automation Vibes Weekly #9
A case study sprint on using Claude Code to turn messy inputs (like notes or a CSV) into a clean deck, a working spreadsheet, and a polished SOP.
Read the latest issueLatest Podcast
The latest Automation Vibes Season 1 episode, with notes you can skim before you hit play.
Episode #10 · October 14, 2025
Episode 10: The Heartland Automation Wave
Season 1 finale. The Heartland Automation Wave is here. We dive into 8 verified case studies from Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Indiana, from pizza chains automating 71% of calls to 11 employee shops turning weeks into hours. Then we look back at all 9 episodes and connect the dots: the frameworks are working.
Show Notes
Episode 10: The Heartland Automation Wave
Season 1 Finale
In this finale episode, we explore the automation revolution happening across America's heartland. From Ohio to Indiana, businesses are transforming their operations with AI and automation.
Featured Case Studies:
- Pizza chains automating 71% of customer calls
- 11-employee shops reducing weeks of work to hours
- Verified results from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and more
Episode Highlights:
- 8 real-world automation case studies
- Regional business transformation stories
- Season 1 recap: connecting all the frameworks
- Key takeaways from 9 episodes of automation insights
Thank you for joining us on this journey through Season 1!
The Archive
Ten past issues. Ten past episodes. Enough to see the patterns we keep coming back to.
Past 10 Issues
Oct 3, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #9
A case study sprint on using Claude Code to turn messy inputs (like notes or a CSV) into a clean deck, a working spreadsheet, and a polished...
Sep 26, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #8
The chaotic, often broken process of client intake is a universal pain point for small law firms. This week, we explore a practical framewor...
Sep 19, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #7
This week, we show how to fix the broken handoffs in manufacturing and logistics. Learn how to cut cycle time and exceptions using a simple ...
Sep 12, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #6
This week, we explore how digital agencies can use a simple stack (n8n, Lovable, Manus AI) to automate the entire journey from client intake...
Sep 5, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #5
In this week’s AutomationLive Weekly, we explore how MSPs and IT shops are cutting ticket backlogs, onboarding faster, and protecting razor-...
Aug 29, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #4
This week, we dive into Manus AI, the 'general agent' that plugs into your existing tools. Learn how it handles real-world tasks like inbox ...
Aug 22, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #3
In Episode 3 of Automation Vibes, Alex and Brianna spotlight Lovable.dev, the platform that lets small teams ship usable apps in days, not m...
Aug 15, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #2
In Episode 2 of Automation Vibes, Alex and Brianna unpack why n8n is the automation backbone for Midwest businesses. They show how visual wo...
Aug 8, 2025
Automation Vibes Weekly #1
Welcome to the first edition of Automation Vibes Weekly! This week we're diving into the tools and trends shaping the automation landscape. ...
Jul 8, 2025
How I Built 10 Game-Changing M&A Apps in 30 Days Using Base44 and n8n (And Why Every Midwest Deal-Maker Needs This Stack)
We explore how artificial intelligence is shaping the modern workplace and what it means for you.
Past 10 Episodes
Episode #10 · Oct 14, 2025
Episode 10: The Heartland Automation Wave
Season 1 finale. The Heartland Automation Wave is here. We dive into 8 verified case studies from Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and ...
Episode #9 · Oct 3, 2025
Episode 9: The Claude Code Playbook
A case study sprint on using Claude Code to turn messy inputs into client ready work. You hand it notes or a CSV, and it returns a clean dec...
Episode #8 · Sep 26, 2025
Episode 8: Front Door, Fixed
Small-firm legal intake without the fire drill: we rebuild the “front door” using one path, two exceptions, and three messages, powered by n...
Episode #7 · Sep 19, 2025
Episode 7: Fix the Glue: Automations for Shops, Warehouses, and Factories
In this episode, we wire the handoffs that actually slow down manufacturing and logistics—sales→ERP work orders, PIM→store syndication, and ...
Episode #6 · Sep 12, 2025
Episode 6: Digital Agencies: From Intake to Delivery
In this episode, we explore how digital agencies can use a simple stack—n8n for orchestration, Lovable for fast screens, and Manus AI for dr...
Episode #5 · Sep 5, 2025
Episode 5: Best Practices vs. Beginner's Mistakes
This week, we break down the critical difference between automation 'best practices' and common 'beginner's mistakes.' Learn how to build re...
Episode #5 · Sep 3, 2025
MSP Meets Automation
In this episode of Automation Vibes, we dive into how MSPs can supercharge ServiceNow, Autotask, and ConnectWise with automation platforms l...
Episode #4 · Aug 29, 2025
Custom GPTs for Small Business: Your AI Knowledge Assistant
This week, we explore the untapped potential of custom GPTs for small businesses. Learn how to build specialized AI assistants that can hand...
Episode #4 · Aug 27, 2025
The Power of Manus
Alex and Bri keep it fast and practical: how a "general AI agent" (Manus) clears inbox triage, document processing, CRM hygiene, and more wi...
Episode #3 · Aug 20, 2025
The Future of Automation: Hot Takes & Best Practices
Episode 3 turns Episode 2’s workflows into working apps with Lovable, simple, owned screens that mirror the job. We cover three repeatable p...
The Hosts
We host the show the same way we build — in public, with receipts, and with respect for how messy real work gets.
Shane Spencer
Founder, Ideas Realized
Shane is the co-host of Automation Vibes and a co-founder of FigGlow.ai. He helps turn good ideas into clearer products, better creative systems, and content that actually compounds.
Past Hosts
Community Resources
If you are getting deeper into AI building, these are places we actually point people toward.
Lovable Discord
A strong place to watch builders share prompts, patterns, and real debugging notes.
Anthropic Skilljar
Useful training for agent engineering, MCP, Claude Code, and the habits behind reliable systems.
Smithery.ai
One of the easiest ways to browse and evaluate MCP servers in the wild.
MCP.so
Another MCP registry worth checking when you want to see how people are structuring tool surfaces.
TechTide HQ Template
If the Notion AI Studies HQ template is public, we will link it here. For now, TechTide AI is the best entry point.
Season 1 Archive
Logs over Vibes — a new podcast from Alex Cinovoj and Shane Spencer. Coming soon. Season 1 aired as Automation Vibes (2025).
Alex on SubstackBuilt by Alex Cinovoj (TechTide AI) and Shane Spencer (Ideas Realized).
