Guides · general · Published Oct 12, 2026 · Last tested: N/A (series introduction)

AI Unlocked: Learn It, Build It, Use It

Draft. Confirm against post text: this article expands AI Unlocked Post 1 on LinkedIn. Align the opening and the quoted lines with the published post before publishing.

Short version: AI Unlocked is a practical series for people who want AI to do real work for them, not just answer questions. Every guide is something I have set up and tested myself, written for beginners first and useful to professionals too.

Why I’m doing this

My career has been about making new technology usable at work. A few examples:

• Digital asset management at Showtime. I helped build a DAM workflow that cut editing turnaround from hours to minutes. The lesson I took from it: the technology was never the hard part. The workflow was.
• Color management. Getting color to look the same from capture to screen to print taught me to respect the boring details that make or break a rollout.
• Jamf and MDM. Managing fleets of Macs taught me that good tools come with guardrails: least privilege, clear policies, and someone accountable.

AI agents are the same story again. They are powerful, and most people don’t know where to start. The ones who learn now will set the pattern for everyone else.

What you’ll find here

1. Learn it. Plain-English explanations: what an agent is, how it differs from a chatbot, where it needs a human.
2. Build it. Step-by-step setups you can copy, from a first agent in minutes to an AI chief of staff that delegates to specialists.
3. Use it. Templates and routines that save time every week.

How the guides are written

• Tested, not theorized. Each guide shows a “Last tested” date and version.
• Version-specific steps are flagged. AI tools change weekly. When a step depends on a release, I say so.
• Guardrails built in. Clear lanes, least privilege, and a human in the loop for anything sent, posted, bought, or deleted.

Where to start

• New to agents? Start with the learning path.
• Want to see where it leads? Read My AI team.