TL;DR - Build a lead-capture / intake automation: capture a form submission, validate it, let AI classify it, route it, and notify. It's a universal business problem that teaches every core skill at once.
Why it matters
Intake (leads, support tickets, applications) is everywhere, and building it once exercises triggers, validation, an AI decision, branching, and notifications - the whole toolkit.
Worked example - the build
Trigger: New contact-form submission
Step 1: Validate - is the email real? required fields present? (if not, stop)
Step 2: AI - classify intent: sales / support / spam
Step 3: Route - sales -> CRM row; support -> helpdesk; spam -> drop
Step 4: Notify the right person in Slack with a one-line summarySteal this - intake checklist
[ ] Trigger wired to the form
[ ] Validation before any action
[ ] AI step constrained to fixed categories
[ ] A branch per category
[ ] A notification + a record (sheet/CRM)
[ ] A test submission that proves it end to endCommon mistakes (and the fix)
- No validation. Fix: check inputs before acting (bad email -> stop).
- Acting on every message. Fix: classify and route, don't blast.
- No record. Fix: always log it somewhere you can audit.
Good to know
Build it in Zapier/Make (simplest) or n8n (more control). This exact pattern powers real businesses; once you've built one intake flow, support tickets, job applications, and event signups are the same shape.