Last night, I wanted to build something that would automatically find potential customers on Reddit.

Normally, this would mean learning coding, struggling with APIs, or paying someone to build it for me.

Instead, I did something different.

I opened my n8n account, took a 5-minute break, and let an AI assistant - Comet build the entire automation.

By the time I finished my other works, it was done.

Not just started. Done. Published. Running.

This is not a story about AI replacing developers. It's a story about tools becoming so smart that the barrier between "I have an idea" and "I built it" just disappeared.

Read on to see exactly how this happened

I opened my n8n account (an automation platform) and told Comet, an AI browser assistant, exactly what I needed:

"Build a Reddit Lead Finder automation that monitors subreddits, finds posts where people ask for help or recommendations, uses AI to verify their intent, and sends me the results."

That was it. No forms to fill. No buttons to click. Just a clear description of what I wanted.

Comet didn't ask questions. It got to work. Here's what happened over the next two hours.

First, it created a new workflow and named it "Reddit Lead Finder MVP". Then it built out the entire system piece by piece. Each step was automatic, but Comet explained what it was doing so I could follow along and learn.

Step 1: The Scheduler

Comet added a schedule trigger that tells the automation to run every single hour. No manual work needed. Just set it and forget it.

Step 2: The Input Settings

Next came the configuration. Comet created fields for the subreddit name (r/startups), the keywords to search for ("looking for", "recommendations", "tool for"), and the minimum number of upvotes needed.

Step 3: Fetching the Data

This is where it got interesting. Comet tried to connect directly to Reddit's API to fetch real posts. But Reddit required special authentication that would normally take 20 minutes to set up manually.

So Comet did something smart. Instead of getting stuck, it pivoted.

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Step 4: The Smart Workaround

Comet created a JavaScript code node that generates realistic fake Reddit posts. This meant we could test the entire workflow immediately without waiting for Reddit authentication.

It wrote code that created sample posts like "Looking for project management tools" and "Need recommendations for CRM software". Fake data, but perfect for testing.

Step 5: The Filter

Comet added a decision-making node. If a post contains your keywords, it moves forward. If not, it stops. Simple logic, powerful results.

Step 6: The AI Brain

Here's where automation becomes intelligent. Comet added an AI analysis node that reads each post and decides one thing: "Is this person actually asking for help?"

The AI doesn't just check keywords. It understands context. A post that says "I'm looking for advice" gets treated differently than "I'm looking for my lost dog".

Step 7: The Output

Finally, Comet added a webhook output that delivers the results in a clean, organized format.

Comet didn't just build it and hope for the best. It tested the entire workflow. The test showed three fake posts entered, three posts matched the keywords, and the AI correctly identified all three as legitimate requests.

Then Comet published it. The automation went live.

Below are some of the screenshots ⬇

I watched this entire process. I learned how each piece worked. I understood the logic. But I didn't write code, didn't click buttons, didn't fill forms. Comet did all of that while explaining each step.

A complete, production-ready automation built in 1 hour.

The automation is live right now and works perfectly with test data. Next, I'll connect it to real Reddit, add Google Sheets integration to save leads, and scale it across multiple subreddits. Each of those steps will take minutes now because the foundation is solid.

The world is changing fast.

AI is getting better. Tools are getting smarter. The barrier to building is getting lower.

In 6 months, what you just read might seem obvious and outdated.

In 2 years, building automations without AI assistance will seem like using a typewriter.

The time to start is not "someday when you're ready."

The time is now.

Not because the tools are perfect. They're not. There are still friction points and things that need improvement.

But the tools are good enough. And the sooner you start learning them, the sooner you get ahead.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how to build Notion templates the same way but with a different agentic AI.

But before that happens, take one small action this week.

Pick something you want to automate. Research one tool that could help. Take one step forward.

That's all you need to do.

P.S. If you're curious about replicating this, the tools you need are: n8n (free tier available), Comet Browser, and 30 minutes of clarity about what you want to automate.