Zoom’s avatars, AI agencies, and $100K side hustles

GM readers 👋 This week’s issue dives into Zoom’s ambitious plan to clone your face for meetings, Lindy’s move to full-stack agent control, and how builders are stacking small bets into serious income. You’ll learn how to grow an AI agency from scratch, mine cash flow from local niches, and scale a mobile app without touching code. Let’s get into it.

.

LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Marpipe, the leader in catalog advertising, partnered with Universal Ads to launch catalog ads on streaming TV for the first time ever.

This isn’t your typical “brand awareness” TV play - this is pure performance marketing on premium streaming inventory.

If you’re running catalog ads on Meta or Google, you know they work. Higher ROAS, better performance, consistent results.

The problem? You’ve been stuck on small screens.

Not anymore.

Turn your existing product feed into high-performing video ads and launch them on TV as effortlessly as you do on social.

We’re so confident it’ll be your next big growth channel that we’re offering $10,000 in free ad credits with no strings attached to test it out. Be an early mover on a massive wave before everyone else catches on.

Ready to claim your $10,000?

Test CTV for free.

TL;DR: Zoom just announced it’s rolling out photorealistic AI avatars in December that mirror your real-time expressions—even when you’re not camera-ready. These digital clones can be customized with professional outfits, authenticated via your live camera, and flagged as avatars during calls. It’s a step toward Zoom’s longer-term goal: AI agents that fully attend meetings and handle communication on your behalf.

Zoom’s leaning hard into an AI-mediated workplace where your virtual presence does the talking. For founders and remote teams, this could mean fewer Zoom fatigue days—and eventually, offloading entire meetings to AI agents trained on your tone, style, and context. But it also raises serious questions about trust, identity, and presence in digital workspaces.

TL;DR: Lindy’s latest update turns natural language prompts into fully functional AI agents that can run entire business workflows—from lead gen to payments—without code or APIs. With its “computer use” feature, agents can now control web apps directly, making it the most accessible and flexible AI automation platform yet. If you’re building an AI agency or automating internal ops, this changes the game.

The infrastructure for autonomous businesses is being built right now, and Lindy is one of the clearest paths in. If Zapier was the bridge to no-code SaaS stacks, Lindy is that bridge for AI agents. For founders, indie hackers, and consultants, this means building operational leverage and recurring revenue without hiring or managing dev teams. The next wave of solopreneurs will look less like freelancers—and more like one-person AI enterprises.

TL;DR: James (“The Boring Marketer”) lays out a step-by-step method for finding profitable, overlooked local niches using AI and scraped Google Maps data. Instead of competing in saturated markets like HVAC or plumbing, he targets micro-niches in tier 2–3 cities, then builds media-led lead gen funnels—no expertise required. One example? A mobile diesel mechanic business scaled to $30K/month using this exact approach.

This flips the traditional “start a service business” model on its head. Instead of owning fulfillment, you own the attention and leads. It’s a low-cost, scalable path for solo founders to tap into real-world cash flows using AI. The arbitrage here isn’t just the niche—it’s using modern tools to out-execute legacy players who don’t even know what Zapier is.

AI Agents Designed For Complex Customer Support

Maven AGI delivers enterprise-grade AI agents that autonomously resolve up to 93% of support inquiries, integrate with 100+ systems, and go live in days. Faster support. Lower costs. Happier customers. All without adding headcount.

👉 Book your demo to see how.

TL;DR: Steven, the founder behind Puff Count (a quit vaping app), shares the exact marketing-first playbook he used to grow to $44K/month MRR and exit—all without writing a single line of code. His three-phase framework—market research, organic content, and paid scaling—was driven by TikTok trends, daily posting, and sharp funnel tracking.

Most indie apps fail because they start with product. Steven started with marketing. His system is repeatable, data-driven, and built for solo founders. TikTok isn’t just for dancing teens, it’s a goldmine for demand validation and growth if you understand the game. If you're building a mobile app in 2025, this playbook isn’t optional, it’s foundational.

TL;DR: Michael Kelly bootstrapped his way from $0 to $100K in his AI automation agency by mastering one tool (Make.com), leveraging warm intros for early clients, and going deep on LinkedIn content. His journey is a tactical blueprint for anyone starting with no money, no team, and no code, just skill stacking and consistent outreach.

Michael didn’t try to “build a SaaS” or chase shiny GPT wrappers. He picked a narrow problem, built technical fluency in a core tool, and turned attention into income. For builders eyeing AI services, this model proves you don’t need funding or a big audience to win. You need reps, clarity, and one strong distribution channel.

Want to sponsor this newsletter? This newsletter goes out to thousands of creators, builders, and early-stage founders every week. If you’d like to get your product or brand in front of them, you can book a sponsorship slot here

👉 Become a Sponsor