Freelancer → agency owner → SaaS founder.

Now running Botster.io → an all-in-one tool that helps digital businesses extract, monitor, and weaponize web data.

Posting SaaS learnings, automation tricks, technical deep dives.

If you’re building anything online - you’ll probably find something useful here.

If you're looking to automate your business - text me, DMs are open.

Denis Grammakov

I just cancelled another $1,000/year Firecrawl subscription.

Moved all my scraping in-house. 

Not because Firecrawl is bad (it's great)

But because writing scrapers that update themselves with AI is now stupidly easy.

I describe the case.
Claude drafts the plan.
Codex pressure-tests edge cases.
Deploy.

That’s it.

In about an hour of coding I replaced 5 scrapers that were eating the entire subscription doing millions of requests.

Now they’re running on a single VPS, chewing through cheap proxies.

Clean. Controlled. Profitable.

And the best part?

The scraper is 100% mine.

No "buy more credits". Just code.

I’ll keep a couple $19/mo hobby plans around, they’re great when you need to blast 1,000 random URLs and extract some universal fields fast.

But all the low-hanging fruit WILL be trimmed.

$1,000/year tools starting to look very optional.

Denis Gramm

Solofounder @ Botster & StayAPI // B2B Web Scraping & Workflow Automation // I blog about my journey and findings

Legacy SEO tools are starting to look like a joke.

What am I paying $150/month for exactly?

Almost all my traffic comes from Search + AI.

Yet every month I open Ahrefs and it confidently shows me a big fat NOTHING 

except for a list of spam links, of course 

Thanks 🙏 

All of that while the site is growing and getting traffic.

Feels like a relic from the “10 blue links” era of Google.

No wonder new SEO / GEO SaaS startups are wiping the floor with these guys and raising funding left and right.

While the old dashboards are still pretending it’s 2016.

When they go extinct nobody will miss them

Cancelled my Cursor subscription.

Not using it anymore.

I rarely even look at the code - and even more rarely fix it myself.

When I do, VSCode is still perfectly fine.

Models are accessible directly and they work much better.

So I mostly live in Warp with a bunch of terminal windows open.

Plenty of free or better alternatives anyway:
Conductor, AutoClaude, and of course native apps.

AI gave us so many free and great solutions, there's no point in paying extra.

OpenClaw will bankrupt you if you're not careful.

I woke up to a cup of coffee and 15 notifications:

Rate limit reached
Switching to backup
Backup funds depleted
Retrying
Retrying
Retrying

Bruh.

AI agents are basically unsupervised interns with YOUR credit card.

While you sleep your “AI automation that replaced the entire marketing department” is speedrunning your bank balance.

Good thing I set hard limits.

Otherwise OpenClaw would’ve eaten my profit, my runway, and probably my house.

If you’re running AI agents, tattoo this on your forehead:

1. HARD CAPS
No soft warnings. No emails. Just kill the api key until its reviewed. 

2. LLM LAST. NOT FIRST.
If a script can do it for $0.002,
and you’re paying $0.12 for an LLM call -
it's time to rethink things. 

3. RETRY LIMITS
Three retries max.
After that fail, log and review.
“maybe next call will fix it” optimism is not going to work. 

Your agent is a toddler with a handgrenade. Act accordingly.

I had a few ideas for the updated StayAPI homepage.

Only one problem: 

I know NOTHING about animation.

(My top achievement is adding a snowflake script to my website in 2002)

So I described my ideas to Claude.

10 minutes and a few iterations later - done.

I suggested using some libraries but Claude said 'nah' and rawdogged it with pure vanilla JS + CSS keyframes.

EXACTLY how I imagined it!

How long would it take to find a freelancer for this?
How long would it take them to code this? 
How much would it cost?

Rhetorical questions.

After 90 days I’m still using OpenClaw.

Here are 4 things it actually does for me daily.

1 - Lead generation assistance

I built a pipeline on top of the Apollo API.

Now I can search, filter, enrich and deduplicate leads for StayAPI with a few Telegram prompts.

They get formatted and pushed straight into my Instantly campaigns.

2 - CRM connectivity

OpenClaw manages my Zoho Bigin CRM.

Once I get a new lead, OpenClaw picks it up, creates the person and company profiles in Bigin, and adds the proper deal card into the pipeline.

It then watches the cards, adds details as deals move through stages and makes sure they don’t go stale.

CRM stays the source of truth without me touching it.

3 - Project management autopilot

It monitors multiple Trello boards, watching over the development team and sending me updates and end-of-day summaries.

I can see which tasks moved and which ones have been stagnant longer than they should.

OpenClaw even pings devs by leaving comments and cross-manages boards across different languages (!!).

4 - Dev operations

It’s connected to my GitHub as a collaborator and helps me add or edit issues through voice or text messages via Telegram.

So bugs and feature requests go from
chat → GitHub → backlog

without friction.

At any point in time I can ask it any question about any codebase of mine and it will respond with a text or a voice message.

___

SO

Is it overhyped?

Not for me.
The quality and speed of my work went up.

Is it for everyone?

Definitely not.

Tokens get randomly spent.
Context gets lost.
App connections break.
There are plenty of bugs.

Is it worth trying?

You bet.

Is it true a 1000 agents can run your business? And do you need to buy a Mac mini?
No and no.

Ranked #1 LinkedIn HR Creator (Global), #2 Female Creator (US) | Positioning Companies & Founders to Attract Talent, Capital & Credibility | 100M+ Organic Reach | Ex-Amazon, Cognizant, Labcorp

200K+ LinkedIn & Newsletter Community 🐝 LinkedIn Growth Support, Talent Acquisition/Hiring & Brand Partnerships🐝 Neurodiversity Advocate 🐝

Hiring. Visibility. Credibility.

The three levers every founder, CEO, coach, or consultant needs to scale.
The problem? Most get them wrong.

That’s where I come in.

I built 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 to help seed to Series B startups, lean teams, and high-stake leaders attract the right talent, amplify their brand visibility, and build credibility that wins capital and clients.

What sets us apart?
We operate at the intersection of AI, recruitment, and brand strategy turning overlooked processes into growth systems.

Here’s what that looks like in numbers:
✔ 3,000+ hires placed globally across industries
✔ 250,000+ resumes reviewed with precision at scale
✔ 100M+ organic impressions without ad spend
✔ 150K+ community grown organically on LinkedIn
✔ 50K+ subscribers of our Li Newsletter: Incredible Edge
✔ Worked with enterprises like Amazon, Cognizant, Labcorp
✔ Partnered with unicorns like Atlan & Domino Data Lab
✔ Executed brand collabs with Lovable AI, Emergent AI, Gusto, Replit Agent 3, Gamma & GoPerfect
✔ Been named Favikon’s #1 HR Voice (Worldwide) and #2 Female Creator (US) - April'2025

But metrics are just the proof. The real outcome is this:

💡 Founders who save time and scale smarter.
💡 Executives who become visible authorities.
💡 Startups that attract capital and top talent on autopilot.

If you’re still struggling to hire right, stand out, or get noticed, it’s not because you lack potential.
It’s because you’re playing the wrong game.

My work is helping you change that.

📩 DM me or reach out: bookings@proven-patterns.com

Let’s build what they can’t ignore.

💜

Kumud Deepali Rudraraju, SHRM CP

Kindness is not a weakness, it’s a leadership advantage.

In a world that often rewards speed, competition, and “winning at all costs,” kindness can feel underrated.

✔️ Kindness builds trust.
✔️ Kindness strengthens teams.
✔️ Kindness fuels collaboration.
✔️ Kindness creates leaders people want to follow.

Some of the strongest professionals I know are the ones who choose empathy even when it’s not the easiest option.

Let’s stop treating kindness like a liability.
It’s a skill.
A strategy.
A strength.

Imagine what our workplaces would look like if kindness was the standard, not the exception.

💬 How has kindness positively impacted your career, life or workplace?

Kumud Deepali R.

Most people are using Copilot wrong.

They treat it like Google.

But Copilot isn’t a search engine.

It’s a productivity multiplier.

Here’s how to actually use Copilot across Microsoft 365 👇
🔵 Copilot in Word – Write faster, think sharper
 Use it to:
 • Draft documents from short prompts
 • Rewrite for clarity and tone
 • Summarize long reports into key takeaways
💡 Pro tip:
 “Summarize this document into 5 bullet points with action items.”
🟢 Copilot in Excel – Turn data into decisions
 Use it to:
 • Build charts, formulas, and pivot tables
 • Clean messy datasets
 • Highlight trends automatically
💡 Pro tip:
 Select your data and ask:
 “What’s driving this number?”
🟠 Copilot in PowerPoint – Build story-driven slides
 Use it to:
 • Create full decks from Word docs
 • Turn reports into visuals
 • Generate speaker notes instantly
💡 Pro tip:
 “Turn this report into a 7-slide executive summary.”
🟣 Copilot Chat – Your AI teammate
 Use it to:
 • Summarize meetings
 • Draft replies
 • Analyze PDFs and reports
 • Catch up on everything you missed
💡 Pro tip:
 “Summarize everything I missed this week.”

Stop asking Copilot to give you information.
Start asking it to help you think.

AI won’t replace professionals.
But professionals using AI will replace those who don’t.

If you're using Copilot at work, what’s your favorite prompt?

Hit the notification button and follow me on LinkedIn as I share the latest AI, career and workplace trends.

200K+ LinkedIn & Newsletter Community 🐝 AI Content Creator 🐝 LinkedIn Growth Support, Talent Acquisition/Hiring & Brand Partnerships🐝 Neurodiversity Advocate

He woke up at 4 AM.

Worked as a trash collector to support his family.

Graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

And just got accepted into Harvard Law School.

Let that sink in.

No shortcuts.

No excuses.

No “perfect timing.”

Just discipline, sacrifice, and belief.

It’s easy to underestimate people based on their current situation. It’s harder to recognize the ambition they’re quietly building behind the scenes. This is what resilience looks like.

On LinkedIn, we often celebrate promotions, funding rounds, and titles.

But stories like this?

They remind us what real grit looks like.

Your starting point doesn’t define your finish line.
If you’re grinding in silence right now, keep going.

The early mornings. The long shifts. The unseen effort. It all compounds.
Success isn’t always loud.

Sometimes it starts in the dark at 4 AM.

💬 What’s one goal you’re working toward that people don’t see yet?

🔁 Repost to inspire someone.
💾 Save this for the days you feel like quitting.
➕ Follow for more stories that remind you what’s possible.

Working with smart people is great.

Working with kind and humble people is next-level amazing.

In today’s world, talent is everywhere.

But character? That’s rare.

The smartest person in the room can elevate performance.

The kindest person in the room elevates everyone.

I’ve learned that the teams that truly thrive aren’t just high-performing, they’re high-trust.
• They share credit.
• They listen deeply.
• They assume positive intent.
• They win without ego.

Skills build businesses.
Character builds cultures.
As leaders, we should hire for both, but never compromise on humility.

💬 What qualities do you value most in the people you work with?
👉 Repost if you agree
👉 Follow for more reflections on work, leadership, and growth

Master N8N with this Quick Cheat Sheet! 

Struggling with workflow automation or looking to optimize your AI models? 

This concise N8N cheat sheet is your go-to guide for triggers, nodes, AI agents, HTTP requests, Docker setup, and more! 🐝 

Highlights: 
* AI Agent: Learn how to build intelligent AI agents that autonomously perform tasks by combining models, memory, and tools. 
* Triggers: Start your workflows based on webhooks, schedules, or form submissions. 
* Built-in Nodes: Essential nodes for data manipulation, error handling, and integration with other services. 
* Docker Self-Hosting: Set up N8N on your own infrastructure with simple commands. 
* Keyboard Shortcuts: Boost your productivity with time-saving shortcuts for N8N workflows and canvas navigation! 

If you're into optimizing workflows with N8N, this cheat sheet is a must-have. 

🔗 Let’s keep learning together. Follow for more AI trends and best practices! 

#AI #Automation

n8n cheat sheet 

Life is too short to feel small at work.

You deserve to work somewhere you are:
✔ Accepted
✔ Respected
✔ Encouraged
✔ Inspired
✔ Empowered
✔ Valued

Yet too many professionals spend years in environments that slowly drain their confidence and creativity.

A great workplace doesn’t just pay you.
It uplifts you.
The right environment pushes you to grow, celebrates your ideas, and reminds you that your contribution matters.

And when people feel valued, they don’t just work harder, 
they show up with purpose.
And that’s when extraordinary things happen.

If you’re building a team, remember this:
People stay where they feel seen, supported, and respected.

If you’re building your career, remember this:
You’re allowed to choose spaces where you can thrive, not just survive.

What’s one thing that makes a workplace truly empowering for you?

Everyone remembers the teacher, the boss, the friend who said,
“I think you can do this.”

Not because it was loud.
Not because it was dramatic.
But because it came at the right moment.

A single sentence can change someone’s trajectory.

Early in our careers (and honestly, even now), doubt is louder than confidence. We question if we’re ready. If we’re capable. If we belong in the room.
And sometimes, all it takes is one person who sees what we don’t see yet.
👉 The manager who gives you the stretch project.
👉 The mentor who pushes you to apply.
👉 The colleague who says, “You should lead this.”

Belief is contagious.

And leadership isn’t just about strategy or results, it’s about conviction in other people.

Today, be that person for someone.
Send the message.
Make the introduction.
Give the opportunity.
Say the words.

You never know whose story you’re changing.

Who was that person for you? Tag them or tell them why. 👇

Life’s three best teachers:
 💔 Heartbreaks
 💸 Empty pockets
 ❌ Failures

These moments hurt the most, yet they shape us the deepest.

They teach resilience, humility, and the true value of growth.

❤️ Heartbreaks remind us to value people who stay.
💰 Empty pockets teach us gratitude and resourcefulness.
📉 Failures push us to learn, evolve, and try again, smarter this time.

No book or degree can teach what pain, loss, or struggle can.
They don’t break us; they build us.

👉 What’s one lesson you learned from your toughest phase in life? Share it in the comments, your story might inspire someone today.

🔁 Repost this to uplift someone who might need a reminder that tough times create strong people.

Image Credit: The Positive Trader

Notice how the GPS never says
“you made a mistake.”
It simply says:
“Recalculating route.”
That’s a powerful way to look at life.

We often label our setbacks as failures; wrong decisions, wrong jobs, wrong paths.
But what if they’re not mistakes at all?
What if they’re simply course corrections?

Every challenge, delay, or unexpected turn is just life adjusting the route.
You’re still moving forward.
You’re still learning.
You’re still getting closer to where you’re meant to be.

So the next time things don’t go according to plan, remember:
You didn’t fail.
Life is just recalculating your route.

What’s one “detour” in your life that taught you something valuable?

If this resonated with you, follow for more insights on AI, growth, mindset, and career development, and feel free to repost so someone who needs to see this today doesn’t miss it.

How Do You Actually Get AI ROI in 30 Days?

“30 days” doesn’t mean full enterprise transformation.

It means:
 👉 A validated use case
 👉 A working pilot
 👉 Measurable early impact

Here’s what a realistic 30-day sprint looks like:
🗓️ Week 1: Clarity & Baseline (Days 1–7)
Direction before development
✔ Define one high-impact use case
✔ Align stakeholders on expected outcome
✔ Identify measurable KPIs
✔ Gather usable data
✔ Establish baseline metrics
🎯 Outcome: Clear problem. Clear success criteria. Clear starting point.

🗓️ Week 2: Prototype & Test (Days 8–14)
Build fast, not perfect
✔ Develop a lean prototype
✔ Test with real data
✔ Identify gaps & risks
✔ Iterate quickly
🎯 Outcome: Early proof of value.

🗓️ Week 3: Pilot Deployment (Days 15–21)
Validate in the real world
✔ Deploy in a controlled environment
✔ Monitor performance vs. baseline
✔ Collect user feedback
✔ Refine workflows
🎯 Outcome: Business validation, not just a demo.

🗓️ Week 4: Measure & Prepare to Scale (Days 22–30)
Turn performance into ROI
✔ Quantify improvement (time, cost, revenue, efficiency)
✔ Document impact
✔ Build adoption plan
✔ Executive go/no-go decision
🎯 Outcome: A clear ROI case + roadmap to scale.

AI ROI doesn’t come from building the most advanced model.
It comes from:
• Picking the right problem
• Moving fast
• Measuring properly
• Prioritizing adoption

If your organization had to implement ONE AI use case in 30 days…
What would it be?

If this breakdown was helpful:
 👍 Like
 🔁 Repost on LinkedIn to help your network
 ➕ Follow for practical AI execution frameworks (no hype, just results)

One opportunity can change your entire life.
Not five.
Not fifty.
Just one.

One conversation.
One introduction.
One meeting where you almost did not show up.
One message you almost did not send.

The problem is, opportunities rarely look like opportunities in the beginning.
They look like small rooms.
They look like unpaid work.
They look like early mornings and late nights.
They look like rejection.
They look like being overlooked.

Most people quit in the season right before things change.
They stop posting because engagement is low.
They stop applying because no one responds.
They stop building because growth feels slow.
They stop showing up because no one is clapping yet.

But the breakthrough does not announce itself.
It shows up quietly and asks, “Are you still here?”

I know people whose careers changed because they attended an event they did not feel like going to.
I know founders who met their biggest client through a random introduction.
I know creators who went viral on a random Tuesday after years of consistency.

From the outside, it looks like luck.
From the inside, it looks like discipline.

You cannot control when the opportunity arrives.
You can control whether you are ready when it does.
That means:

Keep improving your skills even when no one is watching.
Keep building relationships even when there is no immediate payoff.
Keep creating even when the numbers are small.
Keep learning even when it feels repetitive.

And show up.
Show up tired.
Show up uncertain.
Show up before you feel ready.
Show up when it feels pointless.

Just keep showing up.

The version of you that almost quit will thank the version of you that did not.

If this message hit you at the right time, repost it to remind someone else not to give up.
Follow me for more reminders that consistency beats talent when talent stops trying.

“I applied to hundreds of jobs and heard nothing back.”

I’ve heard that line more times than I can count.

Most of the time, it’s not a qualification problem.
It’s a positioning problem.

Your resume isn’t clearly translating your value.

Before AI, fixing this meant:
 – Pulling keywords from every job description
 – Tweaking bullets role by role
 – Rewriting your summary each time
 – Tracking it all in a messy spreadsheet

It worked. But it was draining.

Now tools like Teal do what I used to coach candidates through,  just faster and without the guesswork.

Here’s what stands out in Teal:
◾ Keyword matching so your resume aligns with the job description (and doesn’t get filtered out).                                                 
◾AI bullet rewriting to make your impact clearer and more results-focused.   
◾Multiple resume versions tailored to different roles.                                 
◾A built-in Job Tracker to replace the chaotic spreadsheets and scattered tabs.

There’s a strong free version that covers the core features.

If you’re actively applying and want deeper insights, tracking, and optimization tools, the advanced version is worth exploring.

Sharing the link here  → https://tealhq.co/4t8QvjE

Tighten your positioning. Optimize before you hit submit on any job application.

Happy Job Searching!

#Tealpartner

taplio

The Battle

Denis Grammakov

Kumud Deepali Rudraraju, SHRM CP

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taplio

The Battle

Denis Grammakov

Kumud Deepali Rudraraju, SHRM CP

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Denis Grammakov's LinkedIn Performance

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