The Founder’s n8n Cookbook: 5 Free Automations to Replace Busywork

We all love automation, but as your startup scales, simple linear workflows often aren't enough.

You start needing complex branching logic, custom code, and the ability to handle thousands of tasks without your bill skyrocketing.

This is where n8n shines. It is the node-based workflow automation tool that is winning over technical founders. Why? Because it offers incredible power and flexibility. You can self-host it to run thousands of complex workflows for a fraction of the cost of hosted alternatives.

We’ve already covered whyn8n is the best alternative for scaling operations, but knowing why to use it is different from knowing what to build.

To help you get started, we have compiled a repository of the 5 most valuable workflows every startup needs to replace manual busywork.

1. The "Lead Enricher" (Sales)

The Problem: You get a new signup, but all you have is an email address like dave@acmecorp.com. You have no idea if Acme Corp is a huge enterprise or a lemonade stand, so you don't know whether to prioritize them. The Fix: Automatically enrich the lead data before it hits your CRM.

• Trigger: Webhook (from Typeform, Tally, or your app).
• Step 1 (HTTP Request): Send the email domain to an enrichment API (like Clearbit or Apollo).
• Step 2 (If Node): If the company size is > 50 employees, mark as "High Priority."
• Action: Create the contact in HubSpot/Pipedrive and post a message to your #sales-wins Slack channel.

2. The "Content Multiplier" (Marketing)

The Problem: You write a great blog post, but you forget to promote it on social media because writing the tweets feels like a chore. The Fix: An AI agent that drafts your social posts for you.

• Trigger: RSS Feed (Watches your blog for new items).
• Step 1 (OpenAI): Send the blog content to GPT-4 with the prompt: "Summarize this into a punchy LinkedIn post and a thread of 3 Tweets."
• Action: Save the drafts to a Notion database called "Social Queue" for you to approve and post.

Note: If your focus is purely on AI-heavy automation, you might also want to look at dedicated AI tools. Check out ourcomparison of Gumloop vs. n8nto see which platform handles AI agents better.

3. The "Churn Watchdog" (Finance)

The Problem: A customer cancels, and you don't find out until the end-of-month report. By then, it is too late to save them. The Fix: Real-time alerts for cancellations so you can react instantly.

• Trigger: Stripe Trigger (Event: customer.subscription.deleted).
• Step 1 (Slack): Send an alert to the #founder-alerts channel: "🚨 CHURN ALERT: [Customer Name] just cancelled [Plan Name]."
• Action: Send an automated email from your personal Gmail account: "Hey [Name], I saw you cancelled. I'm the founder—was there something specific we messed up? I'd love to fix it."

4. The "Meeting Intel" (Operations)

The Problem: You have back-to-back sales calls and zero time to research who you are talking to. The Fix: A briefing document delivered to your inbox 15 minutes before the call.

• Trigger: Google Calendar Interval (Runs every 15 mins looking for upcoming meetings).
• Step 1 (Code Node): Extract the attendee email addresses.
• Step 2 (HTTP Request): Search LinkedIn or Google Search API for their recent activity.
• Action: Email yourself a "Dossier" containing their job title, recent posts, and company news.

5. The "Receipt Hunter" (Accounting)

The Problem: Your accountant chases you every month for the invoice from that one SaaS tool that doesn't email receipts. The Fix: Automate the filing process using AI vision.

• Trigger: Gmail Trigger (Filter: "Your receipt", "Invoice", "Payment successful").
• Step 1 (OpenAI Vision): "Extract the Vendor Name, Date, and Total Amount from this email body."
• Action: Upload the PDF attachment to a specific Google Drive folder (e.g., Drive/Finance/2025/Receipts) and add a row to your expenses spreadsheet.

Conclusion

You do not need to hire an Operations Manager yet. You just need a few good blueprints. n8n offers the flexibility to build these custom tools exactly how you need them. If you are still deciding between platforms, remember to review our Gumloop vs. n8n guideif AI is your main priority, or our guide to replacing Zapier if cost saving is your main goal.