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My AI Journey: From Beginner to Builder Using Free Tools.

 

How I Went from AI Beginner to Building My Own Blog & AI Agents Using Free Tools, APIs, and Real Experience




When I first started exploring artificial intelligence, I had nothing but curiosity, a few free tools, and a deep desire to learn and hopefully understand AI because when it started it sounded like this big monster that is going to absorb all the jobs and can potentially overthrow humans. Although i am highly technical I didn’t come from a coding background, and I wasn’t enrolled in any formal AI course — i was just driven by passion and the willingness to figure things out on my own. One of my first real projects was my blog, CTRL+Couture. It started out messy using Computer and the internet connection from a Public Library (South Africa National Library), but through the help of ChatGPT, I discovered practical tools like MailerLite for email marketing and automation, StatsCounter for website analytics, and Zapier for automation — all of which helped me build better systems without needing advanced coding skills. As I learned more from free courses, YouTube tutorials, and consistent trial and error, my content became more refined, SEO-optimized, and a bit automated to get subscribers and send updates on new blog posts- it was like i did magic. The below print screen shows my first 100 blog visitors tracked from Statscounter on the 03.09.2025. 





But I didn’t stop at blogging. I took on a bigger challenge — building my own AI Document Agent. The goal was to create an AI-powered assistant that could read and understand documents, generate invoices and contracts, summarize content, and then automatically produce a PDF, store it in Google Drive, and even email it to the client. I used tools like Google Colab, Github, Google Sheets, OpenRouter AI, and integrated with services via JSON authentication keys , Google Drive API and Streamlit community cloud for hosting — all while strictly sticking to free-tier limits. While some of these tools worked smoothly, others presented paywalls or technical barriers, forcing me to rethink my approach, substitute tools, or pause certain features. Despite the roadblocks, each challenge taught me something meaningful — from understanding API architecture to handling data flow between services.

This post is a reflection of that journey: the free tools I used, the AI skills I gained, the projects I brought to life (and the ones I couldn’t finish — yet), and how a simple spark of curiosity transformed into the ability to build and create with AI and now i am improving and creating for few of my clients. The below print screen is the interface for my document AI agent created and hosted on Streamlit community cloud.




Tools That Shaped My AI Journey

Here are the key tools and platforms that helped shape my journey and opened my mind to what’s possible:

  • ChatGPT – My virtual mentor, code helper, writer’s assistant, and AI coach. It helped me break down complex ideas and guided me when I got stuck.

  • MailerLite – Taught me how to run email marketing campaigns and set up automation flows for audience engagement.

  • StatsCounter – Helped me understand blog performance, traffic sources, and visitor behavior.

  • Zapier – Showed me how to automate workflows between apps without code, saving time and effort.

  • Google Colab – A powerful (and free) space to write and run Python code. My testing ground for AI experiments.

  • Google Sheets – A lightweight database and logic layer to work with dynamic data for my projects.

  • OpenRouter AI – Introduced me to the world of API access to different AI models, giving me flexibility outside the OpenAI ecosystem.

  • Google Drive API + JSON Auth – This was advanced territory. I learned how to authenticate apps using OAuth and JSON keys, store generated PDFs, and interact with Drive using Python.

  • GitHub - I didnt event know what a repository or requirements is,Github assisted me with project organization , collaborations and intergrating my code with streamlit cloud for hosting.

  • Streamlit community Cloud - Assisted me in packaging my AI document agent with an improved interface and hosting it for free, making it accessible without requiring complex server setups.

  • FreeCodeCamp, YouTube, OpenAI Community, and Online Tutorials – My daily classrooms. I built my knowledge base through free, accessible resources.

 Key Lessons I Learned

This journey taught me more than just tools or syntax — it taught me resilience, strategy, and creativity.

  1. Free tools can take you far — If you're resourceful and persistent, free-tier platforms can teach you everything you need to build real-world prototypes.

  2. You don’t need a formal degree to start — Passion, curiosity, and consistency can be just as powerful as a traditional classroom.

  3. Start messy, improve gradually — My first blog and AI projects were chaotic, but iteration made everything clearer.

  4. Every error is a lesson — API limits, OAuth failures, or broken code weren’t setbacks — they were opportunities to understand how systems actually work.

  5. Small wins matter — Generating my first automated invoice using AI was a breakthrough, even if the project wasn’t perfect or complete.

 Why I Embarked on This Journey

Living in Pretoria and watching how small and micro businesses struggle with operational inefficiencies, I saw a need that AI could help fill — even if just a little. Whether it’s automating invoices, generating contracts, streamlining email responses, 24/7 customer services for small businesses, generating Social media content plans & posting or analyzing business data,  AI tools can drastically improve how small businesses operate and assist in saving costs and unlocking new opportunities — if only someone builds those tools for them.

I’ve used guest houses, shops, and service providers in Pretoria West , Central and beyond. I’ve seen firsthand where their marketing, communication, or administrative pain points are. That’s what drove me to start creating AI-powered document agents and automation flows — to solve these everyday challenges in ways that are accessible and affordable.

🚀 What’s Next for Me

The journey doesn’t end here — it’s just beginning.

I plan to continue building AI agent systems that serve real-world business needs in Pretoria and across the African continent. My vision is to make AI not just accessible, but truly impactful for SMEs.I will keep creating dope AI agents that solves practical problems for SME's and dont be afraid to ping me if your business can use my expertise!

To achieve this, I’ll be focusing on:

  • Advancing my Python skills, so I can build, modify, and debug code confidently without relying completely on tools like Gemini or ChatGPT.

  • Mastering Google Cloud, especially authentication, API integration, and automation tools.

  • Creating smarter workflows, where AI and automation work together to save time and generate real value for local entrepreneurs.

This journey is no longer just about learning. It’s about building solutions that matter.

 Final Words

If you're just starting out, I hope my story shows that you don’t need a degree, budget, or even coding experience to begin. All you need is curiosity, patience, and the courage to experiment.

This blog is not the end — it’s a checkpoint. And I’m excited for what comes next.


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Location: Pretoria, South Africa

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