From $13/Hour Job to AI Founder: Rizuan on Automation, Career Pivots & the Future of Work
Description
In this episode of On My Own Terms, I sit down with Mohd Rizuan, founder of Rice Labs, to talk about career pivots, building a business around AI and automation, and what the future of work means for everyday professionals.
Rizuan’s journey is anything but typical:
- From marketing & sales to tinkering with AI tools before they were mainstream
- Taking a $13/hour part-time job just to buy himself time to build his startup
- Helping agencies and SMBs scale without hiring more headcount through automation
- Busting the myth that AI is instant — and why it takes real work to make it reliable
- Sharing how patience with results and impatience with action became his formula for growth
We also dive into:
Real-world examples of automation that save hours every week
The hidden effort behind good AI prompts & why “prompt engineering” matters
What it means to stay “lean” as a business in the AI era
Rizuan’s perspective on Agentic AI and why we’re still early in adoption
If you’ve ever wondered how to future-proof your career, use AI effectively, or make the leap from corporate life into entrepreneurship — this conversation will give you both practical takeaways and a dose of inspiration.
Takeaway Quote
“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” – Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: The AI Shift We’re Not Ready For
04:08 – Welcome to OMOT
06:38 – The Hardest Decisions Every Founder Faces
11:25 – Automation & AI Explained Without the Hype
17:28 – Finding the Right Clients for AI Solutions
30:00 – Claude vs ChatGPT: Why Rizuan Made the Switch
30:12 – n8n: The Automation Tool You Should Know
31:03 – Leaving a Stable Job for the Unknown
34:49 – The Future of Work: What AI Adoption Really Looks Like
44:48 – Final Lessons: Rizuan’s Advice for Entrepreneurs
Where to find Rizuan:
Website: https://bit.ly/4gGMtcw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohd-rizuan/
🎯Find practical tools and resources to guide your journey:
Check out: https://bit.ly/3CTMZRW
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Email: johnlimcy@gmail.com
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📌 References (AI & Automation Tools)Make (formerly Integromat)
- Clay: A modern data enrichment and workflow automation platform. https://www.clay.com
Zapier: Workflow automation connecting apps and services. https://zapier.com
Apify: Web scraping and automation platform. https://apify.com
RapidAPI: API marketplace and hub for developers. https://rapidapi.com
Agentic AI: AI systems capable of autonomous actions in the real world (overview). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/introducing-agentic-ai/
Linda: AI personal assistant for workflow automation. https://www.linda.ai
Pinecone: Vector database for AI-powered search and recommendations. https://www.pinecone.io
Claude (Anthropic): A next-generation AI assistant. https://claude.ai
OpenAI: Research company developing AI systems and tools. https://openai.com
ChatGPT (OpenAI): Conversational AI platform for idea generation and workflows. https://chatgpt.com
n8n: A powerful workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps, APIs, and AI with custom logic. https://n8n.io
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