9h • Wins 🌟
Client asked me to add "just one small feature" to their $40k custom automation. Previous developer quoted $8k and 3 weeks. I rebuilt the entire thing with the feature in 14 minutes.
Client asked me to add "just one small feature" to their $40k custom automation. Previous developer quoted $8k and 3 weeks. I rebuilt the entire thing with the feature in 14 minutes.
This opened Pandora's box.
THE SETUP
Client reached out on LinkedIn:
"Need a small addition to our automation"
"Previous developer wants $8k"
"Does that sound right?"
Me: "What's the addition?"
Her: "Add SMS notification when high-value order comes in"
That's it.
One SMS trigger.
THE BACKSTORY
6 months ago:
Paid developer $40k for order processing automation.
Timeline: 12 weeks
Delivered: "Enterprise-grade system"
The change request:
"Add SMS for orders over $5k"
Developer's quote:
- Scope analysis: $1,200
- Architecture review: $1,800
- Development: $3,500
- Testing: $1,000
- Deployment: $500
Total: $8,000
Timeline: 3 weeks
For. One. SMS.
THE CALL
Her: "Is this reasonable?"
Me: "No"
Her: "How much should it be?"
Me: "Can I see the automation?"
She screenshared.
Basic n8n workflow.
Nothing "enterprise" about it.
Me: "What if I just rebuild this entire thing with the SMS feature included?"
Her: "How long would that take?"
Me: "Less time than this call"
THE 14-MINUTE REBUILD
10:47 AM - She gave me the requirements
Opened Skada.ai
Typed:
"Order processing automation: Shopify webhook trigger, process order data, sync to CRM, send email notifications, when order exceeds $5000 send SMS via Twilio with order details"
Skada built:
- Shopify webhook
- Order processing logic
- CRM integration
- Email notifications
- Conditional SMS (over $5k)
- Twilio integration
- Error handling
11:01 AM - Done and deployed
Testing:
- Created test order for $3k (no SMS)
- Created test order for $6k (SMS arrived)
- Perfect
Total time: 14 minutes
THE REALIZATION
Her: "Wait... you rebuilt everything?"
Me: "Yes, with the SMS feature"
Her: "In 14 minutes?"
Me: "Yes"
She went quiet.
Her: "He charged $40k for this?"
Me: "Yes"
Her: "And wants $8k to add one feature?"
Me: "Yes"
Her: "You rebuilt it all in 14 minutes"
Me: "Yes"
Her: "I feel sick"
THE AUDIT
Her: "What exactly did he build for $40k?"
I looked at his n8n workflow:
- 14 nodes total
- Basic order processing
- Standard email notifications
- Simple CRM sync
- Shopify webhook trigger
Nothing complex.
Nothing "enterprise."
Nothing worth $40k.
My Skada rebuild:
- Same functionality
- Plus SMS feature
- Plus better error handling
- Cleaner data flow
- 14 minutes
THE BREAKDOWN
Original developer's timeline:
Week 1-2: "Requirements gathering"
Week 3-4: "Architecture design"
Week 5-8: "Core development"
Week 9-10: "Integration testing"
Week 11-12: "Deployment and training"
What it actually was:
- Week 1-2: Dragging feet
- Week 3-4: Building in 3 hours
- Week 5-8: Billing for "development"
- Week 9-10: Fixing bugs from rushing
- Week 11-12: More billing
Cost breakdown:
- Development: $28,000
- Project management: $8,000
- Documentation: $4,000
Actual value: Maybe $2,000
THE CONFRONTATION
She called the original developer:
"Why does a 4-minute change cost $8k when someone rebuilt the entire system in 14 minutes?"
Developer: "That's impossible. They probably cut corners. Our architecture is enterprise-grade..."
Translation: "I'm billing for complexity that doesn't exist"
Her: "It works perfectly and has more features"
Developer: "Well, we can't guarantee—"
Her: "We're done"
THE NEW SYSTEM
My Skada rebuild included:
- All original features
- SMS notifications for high-value orders
- Automated refund handling (bonus)
- Better error notifications (bonus)
- Duplicate order detection (bonus)
Build time: 14 minutes
Price: $3,500
Original: $40k + $8k for SMS = $48k
My version: $3,500 with more features
Savings: $44,500
THE MAINTENANCE SCAM
But wait, there's more:
She was paying $2,800/month for "maintenance"
For 6 months: $16,800
What he did: Nothing
I looked at the logs.
Last modification: 5 months ago.
Zero updates.
Zero improvements.
Just billing.
Total wasted: $56,800
THE REAL PROBLEM
Developers exploit knowledge gaps.
Client doesn't know:
- How long things actually take
- What's complex vs simple
- What's reasonable pricing
- When they're being scammed
Developer knows all this.
Uses it to extract maximum money.
THE SKADA ADVANTAGE
I can't hide behind fake complexity.
Traditional: "This will take 3 weeks to modify"
With Skada: "I'll rebuild it in 15 minutes, watch"
No room for BS.
No artificial timelines.
No complexity theater.
Just results in minutes.
CURRENT CLIENT SITUATION
After switching to my system:
- Setup: $3,500 (vs $40k)
- Monthly: $400 (vs $2,800)
- Future changes: I rebuild in minutes (vs weeks and $8k)
- Additional features: Included
She's referred 4 other business owners to me.
All with similar stories.
All got scammed by "enterprise developers"
THE PATTERN
I keep finding clients paying:
- $30k-60k for basic workflows
- $5k-10k for tiny changes
- $2k-5k monthly for zero maintenance
All of it rebuildable in under 20 minutes with Skada.
THE QUESTION THAT BREAKS EVERYTHING
"How long would this actually take to build?"
Most clients never ask.
They trust the "expert."
When I show them:
"14 minutes for everything"
They realize they've been robbed.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Every business with "custom automation":
- Probably overpaid
- Definitely overcharged for changes
- Likely paying ridiculous maintenance
Offer to rebuild it.
Show them the speed.
They'll never go back.
Anyone else finding clients trapped in $40k systems that take 15 minutes to rebuild?
10
13 comments
Client asked me to add "just one small feature" to their $40k custom automation. Previous developer quoted $8k and 3 weeks. I rebuilt the entire thing with the feature in 14 minutes.
skool.com/ai-automation-society
A community for mastering AI-driven automation and AI agents. Learn, collaborate, and optimize your workflows!
Leaderboard (30-day)
1
🔥
+3287
2
🔥
+1931
3
+1638
4
+1244
5
🔥
+571
Powered by