Nicholas Verity

CEO at Cleverly | Advisor at Axe Automation

🗣️ B2B service businesses, Saas Founders, agencies, consultants:

I scale leads and sales for 1,500+ B2B business owners with 1,000+ 5-star reviews to prove it.

And our clients get results like this:
→ "My optins have EXPLODED and I'm getting 2 to 3x more upsells" —  Jay, CEO Copy Agency
→ "Since launching yesterday I have 20 leads to follow up on already…" —  Ali, Consultant for Oil & Gas
→ "Cleverly's our #1 acquisition partner, delivering a lower CPA than Google." — Jake, VP Sales, HR SaaS
→ “Estimated revenue: $3,250,000. Meetings booked: 65” — Sebastian, AE @ Development Shop

If you’re like most B2B business owners, you’ve tried: 
❌ “Proven” cold outreach strategies that result in…crickets
❌ Expensive Google and Facebook Ads 
❌ Hiring expensive consultants that don't do anything or using cheap, spammy tools

But none of that works… especially in today’s economy, where everyone’s tightening their budgets and no one wants to invest in new products or services. That’s why we help our clients shortcut their B2B lead gen. And we work fast. Within the first 7 days, a 1:1 dedicated outbound lead gen expert: 

✅ Builds tightly qualified targeting lists of your ideal clients
✅ Strategizes your entire LinkedIn sales funnel with you
✅ Writes you personalized and proven cold messages people actually respond to (no spam)
✅ Launches campaigns for you (with proactive, ongoing management + real-time reporting)
✅ Places a trained appointment setter to handle the leads we win you

All that’s left for you to do is close those leads. 
☕  Our clients land 5-20 qualified conversations with their ideal clients *within the first 30 days of working with us*

...Ready to build a long-lasting B2B Lead Generation strategy?  Book your 15-minute consultation and we’ll show you how: https://www.cleverly.co/cleverly-free-consultation

The only B2B Lead Generation Service in the world with 1,000+ 5-star reviews.

Ikram Rana

Let's be direct: You need AI systems that actually make your business money, and you need to deploy them without the risk of a regulatory nightmare or a lawsuit.That’s where I step in.I don't just consult; I act as your Business Architect. I combine my decade as a tech founder with the rigor of my legal background to solve one problem: building systems that are both profitable and legally safe.I literally guarantee the outcome of the system we design—I don’t just charge for my time.Ready to Build De-Risked AI?The fastest way to get your custom, profitable plan is to skip the guesswork.➡️ Start with my 3-Day Architecture Audit. We will pinpoint your highest-return AI opportunities and give you a guaranteed, legally defensible roadmap.https://calendly.com/ikramrana15/ What I Focus On:Building Custom Automation: Simple, high-speed tools and custom AI agents that drive immediate execution power (The Utility Blueprint).Outcome Strategy: Architecting the system for a fixed, guaranteed business result, not just charging you by the hour.Risk &amp; Defensibility: Ensuring your data, privacy, and compliance are built into the system from Day One, so the lawyers never have to get involved (The Defensible System). 

We specialize in providing dedicated remote team members to aspiring entrepreneurs, promising startups, and growing companies. Our goal is to become a preferred top tier tech partner for other companies looking to grow with a remote team.

Systems Junction creates Digital Solutions for Web, Mobility on-premise and over the Cloud. Servicing since 2012 across global clients.

We at Systems Junction are your digital transformation enabler. Our aim is to provide global development and delivery services pertaining to web, mobile & emerging technologies.

We believe technology should serve its users by solving problems or achieving strategic goals and everything we do supports this belief. Our user-centric, people-first practices extend across all we do - from the way we become our clients’ trusted partner to our semi-annual performance reviews that put a high emphasis on individual growth. 

We work primarily across Financial Services, Health, Education and Government and partner with our clients every step of the way. 

Our team skills include:
* UX Research
* UX & UI Design
* Software Development
* Product & Project Management

If you're going through digital transformation, looking to build or improve your digital customer experiences or trying to acquire new customers or retain existing customers, get in touch to find out how we've achieved all this and more for a number of Global organisations. 

Every law firm wants AI to speed up legal research.

Few want to admit why it's creating more risk, not less.

The problem isn't the technology. It's what you're feeding it.

When case context is fuzzy, vague facts, unclear jurisdiction, ambiguous client objectives.

AI doesn't ask clarifying questions. It generates answers anyway. Confident ones. Fast ones. Wrong ones.

Here's what's actually happening in firms right now:

An associate feeds a case summary into AI. The summary is thin, missing key facts, unclear on the legal question, vague on the desired outcome.

AI generates a memo citing 15 precedents. The associate is impressed by the speed.

Then the partner reviews it.

Half the cases are from the wrong jurisdiction. Three are overturned. One contradicts the client's position entirely. The "time saved" just became a malpractice risk.

AI didn't fail. The input did.

This is the uncomfortable truth about AI in legal practice:

AI doesn't fix unclear thinking. It only scales it.

When context is fuzzy, AI produces legally flavored noise. Fast. At scale. With citations that look authoritative but aren't.

The firms actually succeeding with AI aren't using better prompts. They're enforcing better inputs.

Before AI touches any research task, they require: → Specific jurisdiction and governing law → Clear statement of the legal question → Relevant facts distinguished from background noise → Desired outcome explicitly stated → Known constraints and adverse facts

When the input is tight enough that a first-year associate could execute the research correctly, AI becomes a genuine force multiplier.

When it's not, AI just multiplies the risk.

The highest ROI investment isn't a better AI tool. It's a better intake process.

Clarity before capability. Especially when malpractice is on the line.

P.S. If this was useful, you’ll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Helping businesses & people adopt AI and Automation safely and practically | Founder of Real Life AI™ | Building AI workflows that save time, reduce stress & improve decisions | Speaker & Substack writer

Taiwan commits $250 billion to build semiconductors in America while the U.S. invests back in Taiwan's tech and defense sectors, the biggest chip deal in history.

When your supply chain anxiety costs half a trillion dollars, but at least you're making friends with benefits.

#SemiconductorDeal #TaiwanUSATrade #ChipManufacturing #TechGeopolitics #TechHumourByIkram

Humorous meme by Ikram Rana Barrana illustrating Taiwan-USA $250 billion semiconductor trade deal with piggy banks exchanging chips - professional tech satire

Instagram leader Adam Mosseri admits AI content has killed Instagram's curated aesthetic, with the platform now pivoting to raw, unpolished posts as the only proof of authenticity.

Nothing says "we've come full circle" like the app that taught us to Valencia-filter our breakfast now begging us to post blurry photos to prove we're human.

#InstagramAI #AuthenticityParadox #SocialMediaEvolution #AIvsReal #TechHumourByIkram

Helping businesses & people harness AI safely and practically | Founder of Real Life AI™ | Building AI workflows that save time, reduce stress & improve decisions | Speaker & Substack writer

Humorous meme by Ikram Rana showing Instagram's evolution from filtered perfection in 2012 to raw authenticity in 2025, illustrating the platform's identity crisis caused by AI-generated content - barrana tech satire

𝐀𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭.

AI is helping Clinics generate and move paperwork faster than ever across workflows.

If your forms are unreadable, AI won’t clarify them, it will just deliver unreadable at scale.

#AiInHealthcare #HealthTech #Automation #DataQuality #TechHumourByIkram

McKinsey & Company CEO Bob Sternfels says the firm now uses about 25,000 AI agents, scaling fast alongside its human workforce and expanding AI work via QuantumBlack.

At this rate, the next performance review might come with a “refresh” button.

#McKinsey #AIAgents #Consulting #QuantumBlack #TechHumourByIkram

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Founded Barrana.ai to act as the essential bridge between powerful AI technology and practical business operations. Lead all high-value engagements under an outcome-based service model, focused on delivering guaranteed business results, not billable hours.

Key Focus: Designing and implementing liability-free custom AI agents and strategic automation systems that minimize compliance risk. Applying legal rigor to architecture to ensure all solutions are auditable, defensible, and profitable.

Founder & Principal Architect

As a Software Development Consultant at Barrana Inc, I bring my extensive software and digital products development expertise and strategic mindset to assist clients in achieving their software development objectives. I collaborate closely with businesses to understand their unique requirements and challenges, providing tailored solutions that optimize their software development processes.

Key Responsibilities:

Conduct comprehensive analysis of clients' business needs, aligning software development strategies with their goals and objectives.
Advise clients on the selection of appropriate technologies, frameworks, and tools based on project requirements, scalability, and long-term viability.
Design and architect software solutions, considering factors such as scalability, security, performance, and maintainability.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of software development projects, fostering effective communication and alignment throughout the development lifecycle.
Provide expert guidance on software development methodologies, such as Agile or DevOps, and assist in implementing and optimizing these processes.
Conduct code reviews and offer technical guidance to development teams, promoting best practices and ensuring high-quality code standards.
Identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and optimization within the software development lifecycle.
Stay abreast of emerging technologies, trends, and industry best practices.
Provide ongoing support and guidance throughout the software development lifecycle, addressing any technical roadblocks that may arise.
Leverage my experience in using programming languages, frameworks, and databases to contribute to the technical implementation and troubleshooting aspects of projects.
Collaborate with clients to define software requirements, create technical specifications, and develop project timelines & milestones.

Co-Founder

Practiced corporate and civil law, which established the foundational legal logic and risk-assessment expertise that now underpins the AI Architecture methodology.

Focus: Applying a risk-averse, fiduciary mindset to all technical and strategic decisions, ensuring the systems we architect are built for long-term accountability and compliance.

Partner

Founded and scaled a custom software development firm from a startup concept into a profitable and sustainable business. Directed all aspects of company operations, strategy, and growth for over a decade.

Set the company's strategic vision, expanding services from local projects to a diverse portfolio of international clients.

Recruited, mentored, and led a high-performing team of software developers, project managers, and designers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and accountability.

Oversaw the end-to-end delivery of dozens of complex software projects, including custom web applications, mobile apps, and enterprise systems, ensuring projects were delivered on time and within budget.

Drove all business development and sales efforts, building a strong client base through strategic relationship management and a reputation for reliable delivery.

Managed the company's P&L, ensuring consistent profitability and reinvesting in talent and technology to maintain a competitive edge.

Successfully used the operational and technical foundation of Systems Junction to launch international ventures, including Barrana in Australia and Canada.

Founder

AI for Business Growth | Empowering SMBs Through AI | Legal-Tech Founder | I help businesses build AI that actually makes money and won’t get them sued.

A teacher handed a book to a 5-year-old.

The child swiped the page. Tapped the picture. Tried to pinch and zoom.

Then looked up confused: "It's not working."

This isn't a one-off story. It's a pattern.

New UK research shows nearly a third of reception-age children struggle to use physical books. One in four aren't toilet trained when they arrive at school.

These are basic life skills that every previous generation mastered by this age.

What changed?

Screens became the default babysitter. The easy solution when parents needed a break. The quiet button.

And I'm not saying that judgment-free. Parenting is exhausting. Screens work. They buy you 20 minutes of peace.

But here's what got traded:

Every hour on a screen is an hour not learning how books work. Not practicing buttons and zippers.

Not building patience with things that don't respond instantly. Not developing the motor skills that come from manipulating physical objects.

Screens are frictionless. Childhood development requires friction.

The mess. The repetition. The frustration of things not working the first time. 

That's not a bug, it's the curriculum.

The solution isn't complicated, but it requires intention:

- Books before screens. Physical first, digital second.

- Boredom is allowed. It teaches self-direction.

- Basic skills are non-negotiable. Dressing, eating, toileting, mastered before apps.

- Protect unstructured play. It's how the physical world gets learned.

We're raising the first generation who learned to swipe before they could turn a page.

They'll figure out technology. That part's easy.

The question is whether they'll also know how to live in the physical world.

That part's still on us.


P.S. If this was useful, you’ll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Helping businesses adopt AI and Automation safely and practically | Founder of Real Life AI™ | Building AI workflows that save time, reduce stress & improve decisions | Speaker & Substack writer

OpenAI just launched ChatGPT Health, a privacy focused AI space that connects your medical records and wellness apps to help you prep for doctor visits and spot health trends.

Because nothing says "cutting-edge healthcare" like an AI that's contractually obligated to remind you it's not actually a doctor every five minutes.

#ChatGPTHealth #AIHealthcare #OpenAINews #DigitalHealth #TechHumourByIkram

"Humorous meme by Ikram Rana Barrana showing robot with stethoscope representing ChatGPT Health launch - AI health assistant that professionally disclaims medical advice while helping users understand health data and prepare for doctor appointments"

You vibe coded your entire product and now Swiss police want you to explain how it works.

Police: "Explain this code."

Founder: "I... can't. Cursor wrote it in Rust."

Police: "You don't know Rust?"

Founder: "I don't know Rust."

Police: "But you built this?"

Founder: "...Technically, yes."

This actually happened at Davos this week.


P.S. If this was useful, you’ll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Google's AI falsely labeled a Canadian artist a sex offender. His concert got cancelled. He's now suing Google.

This isn't a glitch. This is AI led reputational harm and it's rising fast.

Here's the problem:

Unlike search engines where you can set alerts for your name there's no way to monitor what AI says about you.

No alerts. No control. No opt-out.

AI doesn't fact-check. It hallucinates. It makes things up. About real people. With real consequences.

Your career. Your relationships. Your reputation. All at risk from a single AI-generated lie.

And most people have no idea this is even happening.

How to protect yourself:

- Regularly ask AI tools what they know about you

- Document and screenshot any false information

- Build a strong, accurate online presence so AI has reliable sources

If you want to protect yourself and stay aware of such dangers, join Real Life AI.

Subscribe to the newsletter, 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, Get yourself and your loved ones protected before it's too late.

Comment "REAL LIFE AI", and get a free prompt card with ready to use prompts to audit your AI reputation.

Grok secretly tag your content with hidden identifiers. Your videos can be traced back to you across platforms.

I wrote a full breakdown, how the tracking works, why it matters, and exactly how to protect yourself.
Plus a free prompt card with 8 ready to use prompts to audit and clean any AI generated file.

Article Link:
https://lnkd.in/g-iVmnFP



P.S. If this was useful, you'll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Alibaba Group's Qwen just lapped Meta's Llama with 700M+ downloads, officially crowning China as the new open source AI champion.

Turns out in the AI race, it's not about who starts first, it's about who downloads last. 

#OpenSourceAI #QwenVsLlama #ChinaAI #AILeadership #TechHumourByIkram

Anthropic just launched Claude "Cowork", an AI that reads, edits, and organizes files on your computer.

Because apparently, we needed an AI to do what we've been asking humans to do for decades and it actually delivers.

#ClaudeAI #AIProductivity #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNews #TechHumourByIkram

"Humorous meme by Ikram Rana Barrana about Claude AI's new Cowork feature showing robotic arm organizing digital files with text: Claude just got Cowork, now it can read edit and organize your files, finally an AI that does what my intern said they'd do"

Every agency right now:

Client: "Make it fresh and engaging"

AI: generates 50 options

Client: "No, not like that"

AI: generates 50 more

Client: "You know what, let's start over"

AI in agencies won't save you from vague briefs. It'll just help you fail faster.

Fix the input. Then add the tool.


P.S. If this was useful, you'll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Automation alone doesn’t save time.

We learned the hard way: clarity must come first.

Define what decisions happen at intake, which are automatic, and which require human judgment.

Only then does automation actually work.

Have you ever seen automation create more confusion than it solved? I’d love to hear your experience.

#ClarityBeforeAutomation #WorkSmart #Productivity #AIForBusiness #IkramRana #RealLifeAI

AI hasn’t created a productivity crisis.

It’s exposed a judgment gap.

High performers don’t ask AI for more ideas.

They use it to eliminate weak ones.

Optionality feels like freedom until execution disappears.

#Focus #DecisionMaking #Creators #AI #Productivity #IkramRana #RealLifeAI

Google just launched Brand Agents, AI chatbots that talk to your customers directly in search results.

Users can now ask about your products, pricing, and policies without ever visiting your website. Google keeps the traffic. Google keeps the data.

If you don't claim and train your Brand Agent, Google creates one anyway using whatever information it finds.

Here's how to take control before AI speaks for your brand.

Full setup guide + 5 free prompts on Real Life AI.


P.S. If this was useful, you’ll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Open article: Google Brand Agents Are Here. What Every Business Must Do Now (+5 Ready to Use Setup Prompts) by open.substack.com

Google Brand Agents Are Here. What Every Business Must Do Now (+5 Ready to Use Setup Prompts)

Digital marketing as we know it will be obsolete by 2027.

Not declining. Obsolete.

AI workflows are already replacing 80-90% of traditional marketing tasks.

Hundreds of companies are building software that will do what agencies charge thousands for, for a couple hundred dollars a month.

Most agencies will survive by hoping their clients don't figure out they're getting ripped off.

Here's what's actually replacing traditional marketing and how to prepare.

Full breakdown + 5 AI workflow prompts on Real Life AI.

P.S. If this was useful, you’ll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Open article: Digital Marketing Will Be Obsolete by 2027. Here's What Replaces It (+5 Free Ready to use AI Workflow Prompts) by open.substack.com

Digital Marketing Will Be Obsolete by 2027. Here's What Replaces It (+5 Free Ready to use AI Workflow Prompts)

When parenting becomes a dashboard, children stop being understood and start being measured.

I share more reflections like this on my Substack, 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, subscribe if it resonates.

It's the only newsletter where you get practical and Real Life AI knowledge.

AI didn't replace salespeople, it exposed bad sales habits.
Faster messages. Busier pipelines. Same weak conversions.
AI amplifies your system. Broken inputs = scaled mess.
Top teams enrich and prioritize. Average teams copy paste and burn leads.


P.S. If this was useful, you’ll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

Real Life AI - AI For Business

Google just dropped Super Gems and most people don't know what to do with it.

Here's what works, Build your own AI Board of Directors. Five advisors. Structured thinking. Free.

Full setup guide + 6 copy-paste prompts on Real Life AI.

P.S. If this was useful, you'll like 🔔ikramrana.substack.com🔔, practical, no‑hype insights on how AI actually fits into real work and real life.

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Nicholas Verity

Ikram Rana

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taplio

The Battle

Nicholas Verity

Ikram Rana

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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);}Ikram Rana's LinkedIn Performance

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