Get ALL of Rowan’s AI workflows and prompts: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/ai-workflows
Join me as I chat with Rowan Cheung about how he uses practical AI workflows that help his small team at The Rundown operate like a much larger organization. He demonstrates how they use AI for content creation (including AI avatars and writing assistance), business operations (meeting scheduling and email management), and team efficiency (onboarding and research). Each workflow includes specific tools, prompts, and implementation strategies that listeners can adopt for their own businesses.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
02:53 – 1) AI avatars for content creation
13:56 – 2) AI Tweet Generator
19:27 – 3) AI Newsletter Editor
22:53 – 4) Lindy AI Agent Personal Assistant
30:01 – 5) Perplexity AI Tutor
34:01 – 6) New Hire Onboarding GPT
37:32 – 7) Email Manager/Sponsorship Finder AI Agent
Key Points
• Rowan uses AI avatars (HeyGen + 11Labs) to create short-form video content, showing only the avatar briefly while using B-roll for most of the video
• Voice dictation combined with Claude AI trained on personal writing style creates Twitter/social media content that’s "90% ready"
• Lindy AI serves as a meeting scheduling agent that works 24/7 without requiring Calendly links
• Perplexity Comment functions as an AI tutor for YouTube videos, allowing users to ask questions about video content
• Custom GPT for new hire onboarding eliminates repetitive questions by containing company SOPs, policies, and team information
1) AI Avatar Content Creation
Rowan’s team grew to 150K+ Instagram followers using an AI clone of his face and voice!
The workflow:
• Write newsletter content
• Convert to script
• Generate avatar with HeyGen (3-4 seconds only!)
• Voice with ElevenLabs
• Add B-roll and storytelling
Perfect for busy founders who can’t be on camera but need content!
2) Voice-to-Tweet AI Workflow
This is BRILLIANT for content creators:
• Train Claude on your best-performing tweets
• Record voice notes while walking
• Push dictation into Claude
• Get 90% finished tweets ready to queue
3) AI Newsletter Editor
Rowan’s team writes newsletters by hand but uses Claude as an "Editor in Chief"
The hack:
• Train Claude on your best writing
• Ask it to "make it better"
• Use its suggestions selectively
• When chat gets too long, start a new one from a previous point
Result: Pro-level editing that catches details humans miss!
4) Lindy AI Meeting Scheduler
No more Calendly links! Rowan created "Ava" – an AI assistant that:
• Gets CC’d in email threads
• Checks calendar availability
• Suggests meeting times
• Books appointments
• Handles rescheduling
5) Perplexity Comment for YouTube Learning
This is a GAME-CHANGER for learning from videos:
• Perplexity Coment sits alongside YouTube videos
• Ask questions about ANY part of the content
• Get instant, contextual answers
• Turn every video into an interactive AI tutor
6) New Hire Onboarding GPT
The motto: "Don’t ask questions you haven’t asked GPT first"
Rowan built a custom GPT trained on:
• Company SOPs
• Loom transcripts
• Meeting notes
• HR policies
• Team member roles
New hires get instant answers 24/7 without bothering managers!
7) Email Inbox Management with Zapier
For newsletter/support inboxes drowning in replies:
• Filters out spam and auto-responses
• Identifies genuine customer feedback
• Pings relevant team members in Slack
• Auto-drafts 90% complete responses
Rowan landed TWO SPONSORS through emails that would’ve been missed otherwise!
Notable Quotes:
"We have a team of about 15. I think we operate as like a 50 person team in terms of speed, but in some cases we might actually operate faster because the headache of having 50 people is really burdensome." – Rowan Cheung
"The motto then becomes don’t ask questions you haven’t asked GPT first, because the GPT literally knows more about the company than I know." – Rowan Cheung on their onboarding GPT
The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends – https://www.ideabrowser.com/
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future – from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn ‘what if’ into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
Boringmarketing – Vibe Marketing for Companies: http://boringmarketing.com/
The Vibe Marketer – Join the Community and Learn: http://thevibemarketer.com/
Startup Empire – a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about
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