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The n8n Masterclass

The n8n Masterclass

Written by: Dylan Watkins - n8n
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Welcome to The n8n Masterclass. I’m Dylan Watkins.


Each week we break down real business wins using n8n and AI automation. You’ll learn what worked, why it worked, and what broke along the way. Founders, automation experts, and AI agencies share how they use n8n to simplify operations, scale delivery, and move faster without adding more people.


The n8n Masterclass is not about tutorials or tech jargon. It focuses on the real business side of automation, the frameworks, decision patterns, and creative problem solving that turn workflows into results.


You’ll leave every episode with one principle, one pattern, and one action you can apply this week to grow your business, reduce manual work, and unlock the potential of automation.


If you’re building a business that runs on smart systems, AI, and no-code tools, this is your playbook for scaling with n8n. Follow The n8n Masterclass and start using automation as your competitive edge.

© 2026 The n8n Masterclass
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Episodes
  • Automate the boring work of HR with n8n (free template) with Paul Karrmann
    Apr 14 2026

    Most HR teams are still setting up Slack, email, and Jira accounts by hand every time someone new joins. And when requests come in from three different places at once? Someone has to manually sort through all of it.

    In this episode, I sit down with Paul Karrmann — an automation consultant based in Germany who built two n8n workflows that fix both of these problems.

    🔗 Free HR Template: https://go.n8n.io/hr-template
    🔗 Personio Community Node: https://go.n8n.io/personio-npm

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    WHAT WE COVER

    Workflow #1 — Automated Employee Onboarding
    The moment someone joins the company, this agent automatically provisions every account (Slack, Jira, door access, and more) and sends a welcome message. Zero manual work.

    Workflow #2 — HR Request Triage
    No matter where a request comes in — Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp, or an online form — this workflow normalizes it, deduplicates it, scores it using the Eisenhower Matrix, logs it to Notion or Jira, and only alerts you when something is genuinely urgent.

    We also go deep on the Personio community node Paul built for n8n, which makes it easy to connect Europe's most widely used HR system to your automation stack.

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    TIMESTAMPS

    0:00 - Intro
    1:21 - Welcome & overview of AI in HR automation
    1:57 - Demo: Personio trigger node walkthrough
    2:49 - The #1 HR pain point: employee onboarding
    3:15 - How the onboarding agent works
    3:56 - Setting up Slack notifications & welcome messages
    8:06 - Client intake: mapping a company's tool stack
    9:43 - On-prem deployments: hospitals & Docker environments
    12:54 - HR Triage Workflow: handling requests from Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp
    13:19 - Universal intake normalizer explained
    14:16 - Eisenhower Matrix for request prioritization
    15:14 - Full Eisenhower model breakdown
    23:03 - Building the Personio community node
    24:04 - Why Paul built it (and where to get it)
    25:39 - How to connect with Paul
    26:23 - Enterprise-grade automation vs. vibe coding

    ──────────────────────────

    #n8n #WorkflowAutomation #HRAutomation #NoCode

    Get 30% Off n8n Cloud Starter or Pro Plans!
    Want to get started with n8n? Visit n8n.io/pricing and use code 2025-N8N-PODCAST-729C416E at checkout for 30% off your first month or year.

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    29 mins
  • Build n8n Workflows Without Leaving Your IDE with Etienne Lescot
    Apr 14 2026

    🎁 Download the n8n plugin repo → https://go.n8n.io/n8n-ide-plugin
    Stop switching between your IDE and n8n. Build workflows without ever leaving your coding environment.

    n8n as Code brings n8n directly into Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, and Open Claude — so you can prompt, build, and iterate on workflows without leaving your editor.


    In this episode, I sit down with Etienne Lescot, the developer behind n8n as Code, for a fully live demo. We watch him build real workflows inside Claude Code, Open Claude, and Cursor — including a two-way sync where edits in n8n automatically update your local TypeScript files, and vice versa. Zero hallucinations, runs on tiny, cheap LLMs.

    –––––––––––––––––––––––
    ⏱ TIMESTAMPS
    0:00 – Intro
    1:05 – Meet Etienne: the man who built n8n as Code
    1:54 – Live demo begins: building workflows with Claude Code
    2:14 – First prompt: Stripe + Postgres workflow
    3:37 – Switching to Open Cloud: support ticket triage workflow
    5:38 – How n8n as Code works: built-in tooling & local skills
    7:02 – Access to 7,000 community templates
    16:14 – Installation walkthrough: GitHub repo & setup
    23:13 – Cursor demo: lead nurturing workflow
    27:51 – Two-way sync between IDE and n8n
    28:59 – Zero hallucinations: runs on tiny, cheap LLMs
    –––––––––––––––––––––––
    🔗 LINKS
    📦 n8n as Code template: https://go.n8n.io/n8n-ide-plugin
    –––––––––––––––––––––––
    #n8n #AIAutomation #WorkflowAutomation #CursorAI #ClaudeCode #nocode #lowcode

    Get 30% Off n8n Cloud Starter or Pro Plans!
    Want to get started with n8n? Visit n8n.io/pricing and use code 2025-N8N-PODCAST-729C416E at checkout for 30% off your first month or year.

    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • 7 Steps to Automate Any Business With AI with Dave Ebbelaar
    Apr 1 2026

    Most businesses want to automate but few know where to start.

    In this episode, AI engineer and agency owner Dave Ebbelaar walks us through the exact 7-step framework his agency uses to take clients from idea to launch.

    Whether you're a freelancer, agency owner, or business looking to integrate AI, this episode breaks down a repeatable process that reduces risk, sets the right expectations, and actually delivers ROI.

    🔑 What you'll learn:
    → Why you should use as little AI as possible (even at an AI agency)
    → How to identify high-value, low-risk automation opportunities
    → Why mapping your current process before building anything is critical
    → The difference between deterministic software and AI systems — and why it matters
    → How to build safeguards so AI failures don't reach your customers
    → What success metrics to track after launch

    ⏱️ Timestamps:
    0:38 - Overview: 7 Steps to Implementing AI in Business
    3:01 - Step 1: Discovery
    8:48 - Step 2: Prioritization & Building the Business Case
    14:20 - Step 3: Map the As-Is Process
    19:23 - Step 4: Map the To-Be Process
    23:57 - Step 5: Prototyping & Proof of Concept
    28:42 - Step 6: Adding Safeguards & Controls
    32:37 - Step 7: Launching & Success Metrics
    37:10 - Managing Client Expectations with AI

    One tool Dave recommends for mapping workflows: Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). If you've never used it, it's worth checking out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Process_Model_and_Notation


    #n8n #AIAutomation #WorkflowAutomation #AI #NoCode

    Get 30% Off n8n Cloud Starter or Pro Plans!
    Want to get started with n8n? Visit n8n.io/pricing and use code 2025-N8N-PODCAST-729C416E at checkout for 30% off your first month or year.

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
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