The Automated Operator | Alex Willen | Substack

In which I document my attempts to use AI to fully replace myself in running my business. Click to read The Automated Operator, by Alex Willen, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

theautomatedoperator.substack.com

The Automated Operator | Alex Willen | Substack · Oct 01, 2026

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Rebuilding a Shopify Store with ChatGPT and Claude

If I had hired a human, this would’ve been weeks and thousands of dollars.

JEVONCLAUDE

The Automated Operator | Alex Willen | Substack · Sep 22, 2026

VISUAL ARTS AND DESIGN

Meta’s Muse Is Surprisingly Unimpressive

It’s at the top of the iOS charts but feels pretty dumb compared to what I’m used to

SAN DIEGOVEGASAMAZONAWSMETA

The Automated Operator | Alex Willen | Substack · Sep 11, 2026

ESPORTS AND COMPETITIVE GAMING

ChatGPT and Claude Run My Fantasy Football Team: Draft Edition

But can they handle talking trash in the group chat?

CLAUDE

The Automated Operator | Alex Willen | Substack · Aug 28, 2026

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING

Human out of the Loop: Preparing Systems for Autonomy

Between vibe coded tools and intelligent assistants, you can hand a surprising amount of your business’ operations over to the machines.

The Automated Operator | Alex Willen | Substack · Aug 13, 2026

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

Automated Websites, Run by Claude

Testing whether Claude can manage a simple business without my involvement.