{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Fueled By Progress","title":"Kia Ghasem: The Truth About AI Agencies, Saying \"No\" to Clients, and Building for Scale | Ep. 92","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/3a43d1bf\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4877,"description":"💡If you like how I think about business, technology, and systems on Fueled By Progress, you can find the best way to work with me or learn more at https://markszymanski.co/start\nA candid conversation with Kia Ghasem about building an AI automation agency at 25 years old, why most AI solutions fail to deliver ROI, the trap of YouTube-dependent lead generation, and how he's pivoting from content creation back to product and service.\n🔗 Connect with Kia Ghasem:\nWebsite: https://kamexa.ai/\nLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kia-ghasem\nX: https://x.com/KiaxGhasem\nYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KiaGhasem\n🔗 Connect with Mark Szymanski:\nWebsite: https://markszymanski.co\nFacebook: https://mjs.link/FB\nInstagram: https://mjs.link/IG\nLinkedIn: https://mjs.link/LI\nX: https://mjs.link/X\nYouTube: https://mjs.link/YT\nAbout the show:\nFueled By Progress is a long-form conversation series with builders, operators, and thinkers exploring business, technology, and what it actually takes to build a meaningful life in a modern world.\nIf you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here since episodes recorded in my car—thank you. We’re still just getting warmed up 💪\nHost --- Mark Szymanski\nProduction --- Nathaniel DeHaven (https://elevatedmultimedia.com)\nChapters:\n0:00 Intro\n0:28 Welcome and Kia's Background\n1:06 How Mark Found Kia on YouTube\n2:00 Kia's Origin Story - Computer Science to AI\n3:45 Getting Started in the AI Agency Space\n5:05 The Hard Truth About Early AI Sales\n6:42 Finding Solutions That Actually Bring ROI\n8:00 When Will AI Agents Actually Work\n9:01 Mark's Journey from WordPress to AI\n10:41 Working with Overwhelmed Business Owners\n13:00 Systems Thinking vs AI Hype\n14:06 Personal Branding and The Ecosystem Breakdown\n16:26 Building Unintentionally - YouTube, School, Agency\n19:07 Why Kia Chose Agency Over Content Creation\n20:00 The YouTube Lead Gen Problem\n23:02 DIY, DWY, DFY Ladder Explained\n24:18 Moving Toward Product\n26:06 The Gap - From Uni to Agency\n27:55 The 5AM...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/uB91CeQjbdZcccS91OwALZU4EYIFDFzE7cHWKZMcuHM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81NmQ5/Yzk1MjA0ZDU2NjVk/NzE1OWQ0NjUyNTdi/ZDkwNS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}