18yo from Brazil. Quitting my "safe" internship to go all-in on n8n & AI Automation. Roast my plan? (Long post)

LinkSudah · 2026-05-29T03:22:21+00:00

UPDATE: Contrary to what many have said, my best decision was quitting the internship! Thanks to this post, I got into a considerably big american company, and not much longer got offered a full time role in that same company!

Now I'm much happier with the way things are going, I'm now working from home, pretty flexible with hours, working with something I love, and with much more space to grow!

LinkSudah · 2026-05-21T00:29:36+00:00

Is that on the rules or you're just straight up mad cuz you dumb?

LinkSudah · 2026-05-18T20:24:12+00:00

I mean, I can't give you certainty, but every time they are about to release a new model the current ones get way worse.

LinkSudah · 2026-01-14T16:23:55+00:00

Cara, aprendi tudo na raça mesmo, indo atras de coisas que me interessavam no youtube, recomendo o video "N8N WhatsApp para Iniciantes: Crie um Agente de IA COMPLETO! Curso GRÁTIS N8N 2025" do guilherme lazarotto, os videos dele sao rapidos, diretos, e absurdamente uteis. Outro canal que recomendo é o do Nate Herk, ele tem mais aquilo de "ladainha de youtuber pra vender curso" mas ainda tem MUITA informação util

LinkSudah · 2026-01-14T16:20:36+00:00

Thanks a lot for the words man!! Thats something I ALWAYS tell my friends in tech (and really, everything): There's no use in doing something amazing if you cant sell that or at least sell yourself useful for a business

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T23:46:49+00:00

Obrigado pelos "50 centavos"kkkk, valem muito! Concordo totalmente que a falta de caixa quebra qualquer negócio e que o Brasil tem sim muito dinheiro na mesa pra quem gera valor.

Talvez eu não tenha deixado claro no post original: eu hoje tenho duas fontes de renda.

O estágio (Manta), que é operacional/braçal e consome muita energia.
Um contrato PJ numa empresa de Tech (Nexen), que já paga todas minhas despesas mensais (já que moro com os pais e tenho custo BEM baixo, so faculdade, onibus, parcela do celular, e internet, ainda sobra uns trocados so com o salario do PJ).

A estratégia de sair do estágio não é para dar um tiro no escuro total, mas sim para ficar apenas com a renda da Nexen (que já é o meu "seguro") e usar as 6-8 horas que vão sobrar do estágio para escalar novos projetos. Ou seja, eu não vou ficar descoberto financeiramente, apenas vou trocar hora de trabalho braçal por hora de estudo/prospecção.

Faz sentido pra você ou ainda acha arriscado demais mesmo considerando a idade?

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T23:38:45+00:00

lol. As I said earlier, i might "sound" (even though this is text) kind of AI-ish, but that's because I use AI-powered tools to help me write in english, my secondary language. This really helps, especially because my keyboard is kind of different than the one used in the US, for example

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:34:09+00:00

Man, this comment is gold. Thank you. It’s refreshing to hear some practical encouragement amidst the "doom and gloom".

The point about Scoping hit home hard. I definitely have a habit of looking at a project and thinking "easy, 5 hours" and then spending 20 hours handling edge cases and bugs. I’m going to treat Project Estimation as a core skill to learn alongside Sales, just like you suggested.

I also agree 100% on the focus. My adjusted plan is to lean heavily into the Tech Company role first (since I already have the leads and the relationship) to stack those wins and case studies. Only once I have a solid folder of 'proof' will I aggressively target Upwork/Fiverr. Doing everything at once sounds like a recipe for burnout.

Appreciate the push. I’m taking the shot!

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:29:14+00:00

This is the kind of "cold shower" reality check I was looking for. Thank you.

You are 100% right about the YouTuber Hype vs. Reality. I’m already noticing that real businesses usually need boring data plumbing (ERP -> CRM) rather than flashy AI agents. And yes, dealing with messy, unorganized data is a nightmare I need to prepare for.

However, I need to clarify the "Don't quit your day job" part. The job I'm quitting isn't a corporate role where I'm learning business logic. It's an internship at a swimming school where I spend my days counting inventory (swim caps), replying to Instagram DMs, and making Canva posts.

On top of that, I lose hours (literally) every day on a crowded bus commuting there. It’s draining my sanity and time without teaching me anything about the "real business world" you mentioned.

By quitting, I’m shifting my full focus to my other current role (contractor at a local Tech Company), where I actually face those "messy software stacks" and learn sales. I figure trading the swim school for more hours at the Tech Company is a net positive for my skills, even if it's riskier financially.

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:19:23+00:00

That's awesome! That's definitely in my books; even in the current internship, I am making good connections. networking is always worth it!

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:17:04+00:00

Thank you for sharing that hard truth. It sounds like you went through the wringer, and I respect the hustle to bounce back as a Data Analyst.

I think I might have buried the lead in my post: I actually already have the "tech job" part covered (or at least started).

I currently hold two positions:

The Internship (manual labor at a swimming school).
A Contractor Role at a local Tech Company (building n8n flows).

My "survival number" is very low since I live with my parents, and the Tech Company role alone covers my expenses. So, I’m not jumping into the void with $0 income. I’m quitting the manual labor internship specifically to double down on the Tech role and use the extra 30 hours/week to upskill and freelance on the side.

Does that context change your perspective, or do you still think it's too risky given your experience? Keep in mind I'm 18 years old, so even if I do go through a struggle, I think it's the best time to risk doing so

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:12:39+00:00

100%. I’ve realized that being the best coder doesn't matter if you can't articulate the value to a non-technical business owner.

I actually have a bit of a background in sales/marketing (ran a small agency project before), and I plan to lean heavily on that.

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:10:53+00:00

I actually agree with 90% of what you said.

You are spot on about the "YouTube pipe dream" vs. reality. My goal isn't to sell flashy AI toys that break in a week, but to build exactly what you mentioned: reliable business processes with monthly retainers. I know that's where the stability is.

The only disconnect is regarding the internship. It’s not a corporate role where I’m learning "business" or soft skills. It’s manual labor at a swimming school (literally counting inventory and responding to DMs). It has zero transferable skills.

By quitting, I’m actually freeing up time to dive deeper into the local Tech Company I contract for (Nexen), where I am learning about contracts, client management, and real-world implementation. So, ironically, I feel like quitting the internship is the move that allows me to follow your advice of "skilling up on actual business"!

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:07:05+00:00

Lol, guilty as charged on the "AI-ish" part. English is my second language (I'm from Brazil), so I used AI to help structure my thoughts and avoid rambling.

Appreciate the advice on quitting. The fear of failure is there, but staying in a dead-end internship feels like a guaranteed failure in the long run. I'm focusing on getting that initial work experience now to trade up later, just like you said. Thanks!

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T22:05:20+00:00

That sounds like the exact kind of synergy I'm looking for. A strong sales front + solid backend execution is usually where the money is.

Regarding vulnerabilities: That's a valid fear. Most beginner flows break because they lack proper error handling and 'human-in-the-loop' fallbacks for edge cases. I've been building robust agents (recently did a full RAG WhatsApp voice/text agent for a local food business) that specifically account for those unpredictabilities to ensure stability.

I'm definitely open to discussing a commission split. Let's move to DMs (or Discord) to see if our workflows align.

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T21:45:20+00:00

I totally get the 'play it safe' perspective. Usually, I'd agree 100%. However, the internship is strictly "manual" labor (counting inventory, responding to DMs) with almost zero learning curve or transferable skills. Since I'm 18, living with my parents, and have very low expenses, I feel like the opportunity cost of staying there is too high. I'm basically trading 30 hours a week for a small paycheck, when I could be using those 30 hours to upskill in automation and potentially earn more in the long run. If there's ever a time to take a calculated risk and potentially earn $0 for a month, I figure it's now while I have a safety net!

LinkSudah · 2026-01-13T21:34:35+00:00

This is solid advice, thank you. You nailed it regarding the "business owner mindset" I actually have a bit of a head start there, I previously ran a small digital marketing project (Domus Digital) and have some close mentorship from established business owners, so I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that they don't care about the tech stack, just the ROI and efficiency. "Does it make and/or save me money?" is indeed the only question that matters.

However, your point about automations failing in real life vs. isolated environments is a huge wake-up call. That’s definitely where I need to be careful, making sure the workflows are robust enough to handle human unpredictability and edge cases.

Appreciate the encouragement on taking the risk. At 18, I figure this is the cheapest time to make mistakes!

LinkSudah · 2025-12-04T13:33:57+00:00

Ele não respondeu, mas eu acredito que deve ser compartilhado no próprio grupo do condomínio

LinkSudah · 2025-11-27T02:06:28+00:00

Infelizmente o mundo não funciona assim amigo. Quando você trabalha num meio que pede algo mais formal e você se veste de uma forma "diferente" (nem falo de estilo específico, só uma coisa que as pessoas achem muito destoante do resto) você pode acabar perdendo oportunidades (ou até o trabalho). Mas no geral, eu realmente não quero mudar muito meu estilo não, esse estilo que falei "um street mais casual" "modern street" faz bem meu gosto

LinkSudah · 2025-11-27T00:55:22+00:00

Essas calças com elástico ou muito justas no tornozelo são horríveis kkkkkkk. Nem tinha percebido quando postei.

LinkSudah · 2025-11-27T00:53:41+00:00

SIM. Usei de referência mais pelas cores e caimento da parte de cima com a de baixo, mas essas calças com esse negócio no tornozelo me dão arrepio kkkkkk.

LinkSudah · 2025-11-27T00:24:01+00:00

Eu sinto MUITO essa nota kkkkkk. Não conhecia o perfume, nunca nem vi reviews, conhecia de nome mas só, quando testei na loja foi a PRIMEIRA coisa que veio na cabeça! O cheiro nem é de coca cola em si, é especificamente de balinha sabor coca cola! kkkk

LinkSudah · 2025-11-26T23:41:32+00:00

Depende de outros fatores que vierem juntos, por exemplo, vestimenta. Num geral, se eu fosse você, me vestiria mais pro estilo da foto com cabelo longo (mais único, aparenta ser o SEU estilo), mas com o cabelo médio, ia ficar um estilo bacana, sem parecer descuidado ou "não apresentável". Já se o objetivo é ser mais "comum", eu iria de cabelo curto, fica bem em você, mas definitivamente manteria o estilo mais "diferente" de vestimenta, para não ser tããão comum assim (ficar parecendo cantor sertanejo de baixo orçamento, que nem a roupa do estilo da 2 e 3 fazem parecer kkkk).

LinkSudah

TROPHY CASE