Let AI Do the Typing. Get Paid for the Thinking.

Send us Fan Mail"No matter how prominently we show the links, users won't click." An OpenAI engineer wrote that in February 2023. It surfaced this month in the New York Times' court brief against OpenAI and Microsoft, and it should change how you report to your clients. If your monthly report leads with traffic, that number is only going one way.Traffic was never what your clients cared about anyway. They care about what happens after the click. As AI takes over more of the delivery, your job is to sit with the client, understand what matters to their business, and get paid for the thinking. Let AI do the typing.This is the first episode of the new format: the week's news, one big idea, some homework, and your questions. This week's big idea: twenty years of SOPs and offshore teams are giving way to skill files and AI employees. Here's what to hand to AI, and the jobs you should never hand over.In this episode:The OpenAI engineer who admitted users won't click, and what it means for your traffic reportsClaude Sonnet 5.5: AI work keeps getting cheaper, so don't drop your fees to match your costs"I'll just do it myself in Claude": how to answer clients who say itWhy you can outsource marketing but not accountabilityFrom SOPs to skill files: the new way to hand off repeatable workThe jobs AI won't replace: sales, strategy, relationships and tasteKeyword research for a few dollars with DataForSEOHow Viktor runs a 90-day content strategy from keyword research to monthly reportThe litmus test: if the job is typing into a computer, AI should be doing itThis week's homework: design one meaningful client report, then hand it to AIChapters:0:00 Cold open0:16 Intro: the new format3:40 The Feed: OpenAI says users won't click7:08 Claude Sonnet 5.5 and the falling cost of AI work10:37 You can't outsource accountability13:04 The Deep Dive: from SOPs to skill files16:22 Your three jobs AI won't replace18:42 What AI is already doing: keyword research19:50 How Viktor runs a content strategy24:38 The litmus test: should AI do this job?26:00 AI employees are vending machines, not chatbots27:47 Done Beats Perfect: hand off your monthly client reports30:18 Fan mail: send us your questions31:24 OutroWork with us:Free AI For Agencies community and AI Employee course: https://www.skool.com/agency-mavericksApply to work with Agency Mavericks: https://theagencyhour.com/headlessMentioned in this episode:Court filing quotes OpenAI engineer: users "won't click" links (Search Engine Journal): https://www.searchenginejournal.com/openai-engineer-users-wont-click-links-court-filing/591303/Introducing Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Anthropic): https://www.anthropic.com/claude-sonnet-5-5You can outsource marketing. You can't outsource accountability. (Search Engine Land): https://searchengineland.com/outsource-marketing-not-accountability-491648Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree: https://gregcrabtree.net/books/simple-numbers-straight-talk-big-profits/DataForSEO: https://dataforseo.comViktor: https://mvrx.link/get-viktorLeave us fan mail: ask anything about growing your agency and I may answer it on the show: https://mvrx.link/fanmailEvery episode of The Agency Hour: https://theagencyhour.comGot a question you want answered on the show? Email me: [email protected]. I read every one myself.

Send us Fan MailDuncan Isaaksen-Loxton used AI to write a 13-page proposal for an eight-website job. The research that used to take two days took 30 minutes. The proposal was done in a couple of hours.Then the client wrote back: "It sounds like you did this proposal with AI." The trust they'd built on the discovery call was gone, and so was the job.Duncan runs sixfive.io, a fractional CTO for small businesses. He looks after the tech so owners can get on with the work they're actually good at. In this episode we get into why business owners DIY their tech until it bites them, what happens when your team pastes client data into personal ChatGPT accounts, why AI without solid foundations just speeds up the mess, and why the human relationship still wins the work.In this episode:The "this will only take half an hour" myth, and what DIY tech really costs youStaff using personal ChatGPT accounts with business data (and whose problem that is when it leaks)A hospital that handed a government RFP to ChatGPTHow to sell backups and security without scaring peopleWhy you've shared an API key in Slack (yes, you have) and how to stopOnboarding, offboarding and why most businesses only need three toolsGoogle Workspace vs Microsoft, and the Teams rantAI is a power drill: it doesn't make you a tradieWhat to do when a client sends you a 30-page AI documentThe AI proposal that lost Duncan a client, and what he changedChapters:0:00 Cold open0:25 Intro2:58 Who is Duncan and what sixfive.io does7:11 From web developer to fractional CTO9:33 Why business owners DIY their tech12:45 Staff putting business data into personal ChatGPT14:14 Data breaches and how AI amplifies bad decisions17:00 Selling protection without the fear21:11 Slack Connect, API keys and secrets hygiene23:17 Onboarding, offboarding and the three-tool stack26:09 Google Workspace vs Microsoft29:31 Techies, builders and designers: where websites fit31:40 AI content and the power-drill problem35:09 The 30-page AI document policy39:40 Human connection can't be automated43:15 The AI proposal that lost a job46:40 How to reach Duncan49:08 OutroConnect with Duncan:sixfive.io: https://sixfive.io (book a 15-minute chat)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loxton/Mentioned in this episode:Viktor: https://mvrx.link/get-viktorDoppler: https://doppler.comEvery episode of The Agency Hour: https://theagencyhour.comGot a question you want answered on the show? Email me: [email protected]. I read every one myself.

Send us Fan MailAI isn't replacing agencies. It's replacing repetitive work. In this episode, Troy Dean shares how he's using Viktor, an AI coworker that lives inside Slack, to automate work that used to take hours and why he believes every agency owner should be learning this now. This isn't about replacing your team. It's about freeing your team from repetitive admin so they can spend more time solving client problems. Handy Links: Viktor - https://mvrx.link/get-viktor Headless Install - https://mvrx.link/headless-podcast Set Up Video - I Made Over $100K in 30 Days Installing Viktor for Clients (Step-by-Step) E2M Solutions - https://go.e2msolutions.com/partnership/agency-mavericks

AI isn't replacing agencies. It's replacing repetitive work. In this episode, Troy Dean shares how he's using Viktor, an AI coworker that lives inside Slack, to automate work that used to take hours and why he believes every agency owner should be learning this now. This isn't about replacing your team. It's about freeing your team from repetitive admin so they can spend more time solving client problems. Handy Links: Viktor - https://mvrx.link/get-viktor Headless Install - https://mvrx.link/headless-podcast Set Up Video - I Made Over $100K in 30 Days Installing Viktor for Clients (Step-by-Step) E2M Solutions - https://go.e2msolutions.com/partnership/agency-mavericks

AI isn't replacing agencies. It's replacing repetitive work. In this episode, Troy Dean shares how he's using Viktor, an AI coworker that lives inside Slack, to automate work that used to take hours and why he believes every agency owner should be learning this now. This isn't about replacing your team. It's about freeing your team from repetitive admin so they can spend more time solving client problems. Handy Links: Viktor - https://mvrx.link/get-viktor Headless Install - https://mvrx.link/headless-podcast Set Up Video - I Made Over $100K in 30 Days Installing Viktor for Clients (Step-by-Step) E2M Solutions - https://go.e2msolutions.com/partnership/agency-mavericks 

Send us Fan MailIf you want to increase capacity, improve margins, reduce operational drag, and build a business that scales without becoming dependent on more headcount, click the link below and apply to work with us.  https://mvrx.link/headless-podcast  In this episode, Troy Dean reads his new manifesto, Headless: The Future of Work, and explores one of the biggest shifts in business since the internet itself. For decades, we've built companies around a simple assumption: if you want more output, you hire more people. That assumption is breaking. AI agents, wearables, voice interfaces, and headless software are changing the way businesses operate. The question is no longer how many people work for you. The question is how much value each person can create. In this episode, Troy explores: Why headcount is becoming a misleading measure of success How AI is replacing execution while humans focus on strategy Why the office may become obsolete The collapse of the traditional agency growth model How "headless businesses" will outperform their competitors The future of work, leadership, productivity, and leverage Why value per human will become the most important business metric of the next decade This isn't a conversation about prompts, tools, or hacks. It's a conversation about what happens when the interface leaves the desk. If you're a founder, operator, executive, consultant, or agency owner trying to understand where work is heading, this episode is for you.

Send us Fan MailDiscover how Melissa Elizondo, a solo marketing agency owner, leverages AI and automation to run her entire business with minimal human input. In this episode, we explore cutting-edge AI tools, the concept of headless agencies, and how businesses can massively increase productivity while reducing costs. If you want this system installed in your agency, apply here: https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule (We’re only taking a small number of agencies right now.) Listen now and discover how the next generation of agencies are being built. Connect with Melissa Elizondo: Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Handy Links: E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks The Headless Agency - https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule  Viktor - https://mvrx.link/get-viktor

Send us Fan MailWhat if you could run a 7-figure agency… without a team? In this episode, Troy pulls back the curtain on the headless agency model, a radically different way to deliver agency services using AI-powered systems instead of traditional staff. We’re not talking theory. We’re talking real clients, real deliverables, and a live system already in motion. From zero to 10 clients in just a few weeks, with a clear path to $1M in recurring revenue, Troy breaks down exactly how the model works, from onboarding and strategy to content production, project management, and client communication. You’ll learn: The difference between AI “tools” and AI “systems” (and why it matters) How to build a team of specialized AI agents that run your agency operations The step-by-step client journey from onboarding to fully autonomous delivery How to maintain quality and brand voice without producing “AI slop” What your role becomes as the agency owner in this new model This isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about removing the bottlenecks that stop agencies from scaling. If you’ve ever felt stuck in delivery, overwhelmed by team management, or curious about what AI actually makes possible… this episode will change how you think about your agency. If you want this system installed in your agency: Apply here: https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule(We’re only taking a small number of agencies right now.) Listen now and discover how the next generation of agencies are being built.

Send us Fan MailA couple of weeks ago, I posted something that got a lot of attention: “$1M agency. No staff. 10 hours a week.” I didn’t expect it to blow up… but it did. Hundreds of comments, a flood of DMs, and one question kept coming up: “How is that actually possible?” So in this episode, I’m answering that properly. I’m walking you through the exact system I’m building right now, in real time, to run a digital agency with no team. Not a lean team. Not offshore support. Literally just me and AI. Right now, I’ve gone from zero to 10 clients in about four weeks, and I’m capping growth at one new client per week. The model gets to $1M a year at 28 clients, and I’m showing you exactly how the math works, how the delivery works, and what’s actually changing in the agency space.If you want this system installed in your agency: Apply here: https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule(We’re only taking a small number of agencies right now.)

Send us Fan MailWhat actually changes when you commit to building a real agency? In this episode of The Agency Hour, Troy Dean sits down with Josh Moore from DuoPlus to unpack what growth really looks like behind the scenes, not the highlight reel, but the decisions, pressure, and trade-offs that come with it. Josh shares how he went from solo operator to a 15-person in-house team, why he doubled his overhead overnight (on purpose), and what it takes to keep moving forward when the numbers get uncomfortable. If you’re trying to grow your agency without burning out or wondering what the next level actually demands, this is worth your time. If you want the full step-by-step plan to implement this inside your agency, follow Agency Mavericks on Instagram and DM the word “TRUST.” Because the agencies that win next… won’t be the loudest. Handy Links: Beanbox - https://www.beanbox.app DuoPlus - https://www.duoplus.nz New Zealand Innovation & Export Podcast - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast