The blog
Build and sell AI that businesses pay for
Practical write-ups on AI agents, Claude Code, finding clients and running an AI agency. Looking for a specific tool? The free guides cover them one by one.
Automation & Agents
AI agency vs SMMA
Stride AI Academy
AI Agency vs SMMA: Which Business Should You Start?
AI agency vs SMMA compared side by side: what you sell, delivery work, retention, skills and tools, plus a simple way to decide which model suits you.
Sales & Clients
12 contract clauses
Stride AI Academy
AI Automation Agency Contract: 12 Clauses You Need
The clauses an AI automation agency contract needs: scope, change requests, data access, API costs, AI output disclaimers, IP, termination and liability.
Sales & Clients
Price your services
Stride AI Academy
AI Automation Agency Pricing: How to Price Your Services
AI automation agency pricing explained: setup fees, retainers, value-based and per-outcome pricing, how to calculate a price and what to put in each tier.
Automation & Agents
Client onboarding
Stride AI Academy
AI Automation Client Onboarding: Process and Checklist
How an AI automation agency onboards a client: kickoff agenda, secure access checklist, process map, baseline metrics, first deliverable and sign-off.
Sales & Clients
Proposal template
Stride AI Academy
AI Automation Proposal Template (Copy and Fill In)
A short AI automation proposal template: the seven sections to include, what to write in each and a fill-in version you can copy for your next client.
Automation & Agents
Inbox triage
Stride AI Academy
AI Inbox Triage Automation: How to Build It
Build AI inbox triage automation: categories, routing rules, a classification prompt, confidence thresholds, draft replies and how to measure the results.
AI Tools
10 MCP servers
Stride AI Academy
Best MCP Servers for Claude Code: 10 We'd Set Up First
The MCP servers we'd set up first in Claude Code for client builds: what each does, when to use it, the install command and how to keep access safe.
Automation & Agents
Pick your niche
Stride AI Academy
Best Niches for an AI Automation Agency (and How to Pick)
How to choose the best niche for your AI automation agency: five tests, a cheap way to check demand, and 10 niches with the automation each one buys.
AI Coding
Claude Code hooks
Stride AI Academy
Claude Code Hooks Tutorial: 3 Practical Examples
A Claude Code hooks tutorial: what hooks are, the main events, where to configure them, the JSON format and three working examples, plus safety notes.
AI Coding
Claude Code vs Codex
Stride AI Academy
Claude Code vs Codex: Which to Use for Client Builds
Claude Code vs Codex compared for building client tools: where each runs, how you pay, config files, skills, hooks and MCP, and when to use which.
AI Coding
Claude Code vs Cursor
Stride AI Academy
Claude Code vs Cursor: Terminal Agent or AI Editor?
Claude Code vs Cursor compared: a terminal-first agent vs an AI code editor, how each works, current pricing structure, who each suits and how to use both.
Sales & Clients
Cold email that lands
Stride AI Academy
Cold Email for an AI Automation Agency: Setup and Templates
Cold email for an AI automation agency: deliverability setup, list building, three example emails, a follow-up sequence and the numbers to track.
Sales & Clients
The discovery call
Stride AI Academy
Discovery Call Script for an AI Agency (With Timings)
A discovery call script for AI agencies: a 30-minute structure with timings, the exact questions to ask, how to qualify and how to end with a next step.
Automation & Agents
Lead follow-up agent
Stride AI Academy
How to Build an AI Lead Follow-Up Agent (Step by Step)
How to build an AI lead follow-up agent: the trigger, enrichment, AI-written reply, approval step, follow-up schedule, stop rules, logging and guardrails.
AI Coding
Claude Code skills
Stride AI Academy
How to Create Claude Code Skills (With a Working Example)
How to create Claude Code skills: what a skill is, where SKILL.md files go, the frontmatter fields, how Claude loads them and a complete example to copy.
Sales & Clients
Find clients
Stride AI Academy
How to Find Clients for an AI Automation Agency
How to find clients for an AI automation agency: six channels in priority order, how to build a target list, what to offer first and a weekly plan.
Sales & Clients
Sell voice agents
Stride AI Academy
How to Sell AI Voice Agents to Local Businesses
How to sell AI voice agents: who buys them, which call types to start with, how to run a demo, how to price it, common objections and US compliance basics.
Automation & Agents
Start an AI agency
Stride AI Academy
How to Start an AI Automation Agency in 8 Steps
A step-by-step plan to start an AI automation agency: the skills to learn, your first niche and offer, a demo build, outreach, delivery and pricing.
Automation & Agents
Is Skool worth it?
Stride AI Academy
Is Skool Worth It? An Honest Look for Members and Creators
Is Skool worth it? What the platform does well, its limits, current creator pricing and a checklist for judging a paid Skool community before you join.
Automation & Agents
Automate this first
Stride AI Academy
What to Automate First in a Small Business: A Scoring Method
What to automate first in a small business: list the repetitive tasks, score each on time, cost and ease, then start with the winner. With an example.