For over a decade, I worked in Big Tech. To be honest, I loved it.
I built programs and launched cross-functional initiatives at places like Meta, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Figma. I had incredible teammates, an amazing boss, and a total comp of $300,000 a year. I was learning from the best and growing fast.
Then something inside me shifted, and I left.
About a year and a half after quitting my job and starting my own business, I’m now a founder constantly improving my systems with the help of AI tools, allowing me to scale without burning out.
Even as I thrived in my day job, I experimented on the side
While still at Figma, I started posting content on LinkedIn, coaching job seekers who wanted to land fulfilling program manager roles, and building a community around career growth. That side hustle started to take off.
I realized I didn’t just want to help tech companies grow. I wanted to help people grow inside them.
In early 2024, I left my full-time role at Figma to build my own business. I didn’t make the choice out of burnout or bitterness, but because I saw a different path — one where I could design my own schedule, create work that felt meaningful, and scale impact in a way that aligned with my values.
Today, I run a multiple six-figure business helping professionals land tech roles through a live cohort program, content creation, and brand partnerships. I’ve grown my audience to more than 300,000 across platforms without a full-time team.
AI tools have become my go-to team behind the scenes. Here’s how I’ve used them to get hours back, grow faster, and stay focused on what actually matters.
1. Fathom: My meeting assistant
Time saved: ~3 hours/week
As a coach and founder, I’m on Zoom constantly — whether it’s sales calls, group coaching sessions, or networking 1:1s. I used to rewatch recordings or spend hours summarizing notes and writing follow-ups.
Related stories
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Now, I use Fathom. It records my meetings, pulls out key moments, and auto-generates action items. I don’t even have to leave Zoom — it connects with HubSpot and syncs the recording and summary to each contact.
I save three to four hours a week, and clients and partners compliment how accurate it is.
2. Notion: My operating system
Time saved: ~3 hours/week
Before I went all in on entrepreneurship, my organization was all over the place. I used Google Docs for ideas, spreadsheets for planning, and Asana for task tracking.
Now, everything runs through Notion. It’s where I organize student feedback, build a real-time revenue dashboard, map out launches, and manage my calendar. I’ve even templatized my entire business inside it.
I love the AI feature. It helps me summarize messy notes, write agendas, and surface the exact piece of information I need without digging through 10 tabs.
3. Fyxer: The reason I am inbox zero
Time saved: ~5 hours/week
Email used to drain me. I’d spend an hour writing five thoughtful follow-ups, only to fall behind again the next day.
Now, Fyxer drafts 80% of my replies. It learns from how I write and handles things like student onboarding emails, brand partnership outreach, and thank-you notes. I just personalize and hit send. It’s an invisible tool that makes a big difference.
4. ChatGPT (Custom GPT): Tailored résumé feedback at scale
Time saved: ~1 hour per student (5-10 students/week)
One of the most rewarding parts of my business is helping students rewrite their résumés. However, it’s also one of the most time-consuming.
I built a custom GPT that takes a student’s current résumé and the job description they’re targeting and rewrites it using Google’s famous formula: “accomplished X by doing Y, resulting in Z.” It highlights their impact, aligns with the role, and uses the results-driven language hiring managers look for, especially in strategic program management roles.
It doesn’t replace coaching, but it speeds up the process dramatically. Students still get a personalized experience, but I don’t need to edit every single line myself.
5. Content creation prompts: My creative brain
Time saved: ~4 hours/week
People often ask how I consistently post across platforms. The truth is that I don’t start from scratch.
I use different ChatGPT prompts depending on the format.
For LinkedIn, I might say: “Turn this student win into a three-part story with a clear takeaway.”For newsletters, I’ll ask: “Expand this idea into a personal essay that sounds like me.”For video scripts, I go with: “Make this story punchy, with a hook and a clear CTA.”
Tone and pacing shift depending on the platform, and AI helps me map that out quickly. It’s like having a creative assistant who understands my voice while recognizing copywriting best practices. I taught it my voice by providing custom instructions, feeding past posts, and refining outputs until it sounded like me.
Instead of getting stuck on what to say, I get to focus on how I want people to feel.
One day I looked up and saw that AI had quietly given me back 10 to 15 hours a week
That’s a full day and a half I could now spend on strategy, deep work, coaching, or rest. I wasn’t always working, which is a new normal for me. I was building something that felt both sustainable and scalable.
If you’re in Big Tech doing meaningful work but starting to wonder if something else might feel more aligned, know that you don’t have to burn out to build something great. All the experience you’ve gained so far won’t go to waste. It will become the foundation for something that’s aligned, intentional, and yours.
You don’t need a big team to scale. You need the right tools, a clear direction, and the willingness to show up, fail forward, and get 1% better each time.
AI hasn’t made me less human. It’s made me more focused, present, and available for work I love.
Do you have a story to share about using AI tools professionally? Contact this editor at lhaas@businessinsider.com.
