Product Manager| Focused on user needs, business goals, and product decisions | Building the product rightly.
Joined January 2024
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Angel— The PM girl retweeted
32 days until I become an AI automation expert.
Day 3: How to run n8n locally on your Windows PC without depending on the 14-day Cloud trial.
I wish someone had given me this guide before I started setting up Docker.
I spent hours watching YouTube tutorials, restarting my PC, troubleshooting errors and going back and forth with ChatGPT.
But I finally got n8n running locally on my PC.
So, if you’re planning to get into AI automation and want to run n8n on your computer, here’s what you need to do.
STEP 1: Set up PowerShell and WSL
First, open PowerShell as an administrator.
If you don’t have PowerShell 7, you can install it from the Microsoft Store. Windows also comes with the older Windows PowerShell.
In the administrator window, enter:
wsl --install
WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) allows you to run a Linux environment on Windows. Docker Desktop can use WSL 2 as its backend.
Depending on your PC, you may need to restart your computer to complete the installation.
STEP 2: Download Docker Desktop
Go to the official Docker website and download Docker Desktop for Windows.
Install it and make sure the WSL 2 backend is enabled.
If WSL is already set up correctly, Docker Desktop should be able to use it.
STEP 3: Download the n8n image
Open Docker Desktop and launch a terminal where Docker commands are available.
Enter:
docker pull n8nio/n8n
This downloads the n8n image to your computer.
How do you know it worked?
Look for a successful download message, such as:
Status: Downloaded newer image for n8nio/n8n
STEP 4: Create persistent storage
This step is important.
In Docker Desktop, go to Volumes and create a volume.
Give it a name you can easily remember.
I named mine:
n8n_data
This volume helps preserve your n8n data when the container is stopped or recreated.
STEP 5: Run your n8n image
Go to Images in Docker Desktop.
Find the n8nio/n8n image and click the Run button.
Docker will ask you to configure the container.
For the settings:
Host port: 5678
Volume name: (use yours)
Container path: /home/node/.n8n
Make sure the volume is mounted to that container path.
Then run the container.
STEP 6: Access your local n8n
Once Docker successfully runs your n8n container, you’ll see the local address:
http://localhost: (you’d get yours)
Click the link or copy it into your browser.
This will take you to the n8n setup page.
STEP 7: Create your owner account and get your free license key
On the setup page, you’ll be asked to create your n8n owner account.
Fill in your details and follow the setup instructions.
Once you’re in, look out for the option to get your free license key.
Click it, submit your email address, and n8n will send the license key to your inbox.
Follow the instructions to activate it.
And that’s it! Your self-hosted n8n Community Edition is ready to use locally, without relying on the 14-day n8n Cloud trial.
You can now start creating and testing your automation workflows on your PC.
And that’s how I got past relying on the 14-day n8n Cloud trial.
I know how frustrating it can be when you’re excited to learn something new and spend hours trying to get the tools working.
That’s why I’m sharing the process.
Hopefully, this saves someone a few hours of troubleshooting.
Save this guide for when you’re setting up your own n8n environment.
See you on day 4😍
32 days until I become an AI automation expert.
Day 2: Here are 6 buzzwords you need to understand.
Let’s use a bakery to explain them.
Meet Sarah. Sarah owns a bakery, and every morning, she makes fresh bread for her customers.
But today, we’re not just learning how Sarah bakes bread. We’re using her bakery to understand how an automation works.
Let’s get into it.
1. Trigger: What starts the process?
Sarah wants to bake a fresh batch of bread every morning.
At 5 a.m., her alarm goes off. That’s her signal to get started.
In automation, a trigger is the event that starts a workflow.
It could be a new form submission, an incoming email, or a scheduled time.
2. Filter: Does it meet the conditions?
Before Sarah starts baking, she checks her ingredients.
If the flour is fresh and she has enough yeast, she proceeds. If something important is missing, she stops to fix it.
A filter works similarly. It checks whether information meets certain conditions before allowing the automation to continue.
3. Formatter: Getting things in the right shape
Sarah measures her flour, water, sugar, and yeast before mixing them.
Everything needs to be in the right quantity and form for the recipe.
A formatter does something similar with data. It cleans, rearranges, or converts information into the format needed for the next step.
4. Intelligence layer: Making sense of things
Imagine a customer places a special bread order and leaves a note explaining exactly what they want.
Sarah reads the note and figures out what kind of bread the customer is requesting.
In an AI automation, an AI model can play this role by interpreting information, summarising messages, or classifying requests.
5. Action: Getting the work done
Sarah mixes the ingredients, kneads the dough, and puts it in the oven.
These are the actions that move the baking process forward.
In automation, an action is something the system does, such as sending an email, updating a spreadsheet, or creating a task.
6. Output: The final result
After some time, Sarah brings out a fresh batch of bread.
That’s the result of the process.
In automation, the output is the final result you get after the workflow has completed its steps.
And there you have it!
Six terms you’ll encounter when learning how automation works:
Of course, not every automation needs all six components. Some are much simpler, while others have more steps and decision points.
But understanding these basics gives you a better idea of how workflows are structured.
See you on day three😍
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
I’ve gotten quite a number of DMs asking what resources I’m using to learn AI automation, whether I’m enrolled in an academy, and where I’m getting my tutorials from.
So, let me share!
I’m currently learning from using the free resource that @iamveektoria_ shared: drive.google.com/drive/folde…
and also Olalekan Adeeko on YouTube : youtube.com/@anythingdata
If you’re following my 32-day AI automation series and want to practise alongside me, this is one of the resources I’m using.
Hope this helps someone! ❤️
See you on Monday for Day 5😍
32 days until I become an AI automation expert.
Day 4: I started building an end-to-end client onboarding workflow with n8n.
Imagine someone is interested in your services.
They fill out your onboarding form, and then
You have to check their responses, save their details, send them your booking link, remind them about the meeting, and follow up after the call.
Now imagine having a workflow that handles most of these steps for you.
That’s exactly what I want to build.
My goal is to create an automated LinkedIn client onboarding system that takes a potential client from filling out a form to attending an onboarding call.
Here’s how I want the entire workflow to look:
Form submission: A potential client fills out my LinkedIn onboarding form with their details and business requirements.
Google Sheets: Their responses are automatically collected and stored in a spreadsheet.
Booking link: The system sends them a message with my Calendly booking link so they can schedule a discovery call.
Pre-meeting follow-up: If they haven’t booked or attended their meeting, the workflow sends appropriate reminders and follow-ups.
Meeting attendance: The system checks the meeting status so the follow-up process responds to whether the meeting has taken place.
Post-meeting follow-up: After the call, the client receives a follow-up message with the next steps.
That’s the complete workflow I’m working towards.
Now, what did I achieve today?
I completed the first two parts!
Step 1: Creating the form
I created a form to collect information from potential LinkedIn management clients.
This is where the workflow begins. The form submission will act as the trigger that starts the automation.
Step 2: Connecting the form to Google Sheets
Next, I connected the form responses to Google Sheets using the Append or Update Row operation in n8n.
This means that when someone submits the form, their information can automatically be added to the spreadsheet instead of me manually copying and pasting their responses.
Two steps down. Four more to go!
I’m yet to complete the booking link integration, automated follow-ups, meeting status checks, and post-meeting message.
One thing I’m learning from this exercise is that building an end-to-end workflow requires more than knowing which buttons to click.
You need to understand the process you’re trying to automate, the tools involved, and how information moves from one step to another.
I’ll share the remaining steps as I build them.
If you were automating your own client onboarding process, what task would you want to eliminate first?
See you on Day 5😍
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
❌ WHAT NOVICES CHECK WHEN BUYING A LAPTOP
1. Whether it's Core i5 or Core i7.
2. Whether it has 8GB, 16GB or 32GB RAM.
3. How much storage it has (256GB, 512GB or 1TB).
4. How slim and attractive it looks.
5. Whether it's a touchscreen.
6. The screen size (14-inch or 15.6-inch).
7. Whether the keyboard is backlit or RGB.
8. Whether it's a Gaming or Creator laptop.
9. Whether it's an M1, M2 or M3 MacBook.
✅ WHAT EXPERIENCED BUYERS CHECK ↓↓
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
We pay you for the practical test.
AI red-team roles, fully remote. Apply online in one go: screener → hands-on challenge → onboarding. Approved test = paid.
Bug bounty or CTF background? This is for you.
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
Hayatınızı kolaylaştıracak, keşke daha erken bilseydim diyeceğiniz hileler sıralaması…🤯☠️
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
If you want to land a job before the end of the year, here are Nigerian recruitment agencies I’ll pay attention to that are actively hiring, some of these agencies also place candidates internationally:
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
Before you give up on LinkedIn :
•Apply for 100jobs
•Post 100 content
•Connect with 1000 people
•Send 100 cold Dms
•Drop 10 comments daily
•Ask 50 people for coffee chats
•Use the LinkedIn voice note feature
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
Sadly he’s not wrong. Everyone surviving in the Tech space either transitioned to AI, started creating or diversified their income.
One fact remains that there’re still millions of businesses you can sell business related services to. Businesses now want more than just design.
Another major opportunity is 90% of businesses globally are currently trying to transition their operations to AI to save costs. You can become their “AI Saviour”
Do as you like with this information but I recommend you take AI very serious.
I will tell you the truth. This is coming from someone who has ACTUALLY worked in tech, still does - saw the handwriting on the wall and safely pivoted/diversified.
In 2026, tech is like forex.
Do people still make money legitimately from forex? Yes.
But the people who seem to be making the most money are the ones teaching others how to make money.
If you're paying to learn tech - even though its not wrong, you should know what you're getting into.
1. YOU ARE NOT GETTING INTERNSHIP SUPPORT. 700 participants, 2 internship spots is not internship support.
2. Go and read on the streak of layoffs happening currently across the ecosystem - and it is just starting.
Microsoft just made an announcement asking about 6000 employees to activate their buyout clause - essentially saying:
"Terminate your contract now, and we will give you an agreed sum". This is a strong indicator of more layoffs.
Entire tech workflows that would ordinarily take a month, is getting done in 1 day. There is insane saturation.
The only ones assured on returns are the ones who sold a course to you.
That you don't like what I've said, doesn't make it a lie.
Angel— The PM girl retweeted
2027: “My name is Peter Gregory Obi, and I am the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
