Home Resources Guides

The CEO's Guide Library

Comprehensive, practical guides for business leaders who want to understand AI automation — and actually implement it. No jargon. No fluff. Just what you need to know to make confident decisions and get results.

What makes our guides different

Every guide is written for the CEO or business operator — not the engineer. We explain concepts in plain English first, then go deeper for those who want it. Each guide includes:

Plain-English explanation — understand the concept in 2 minutes
Why it matters for your business — the "so what?" answered immediately
How it works in CEO.ai — practical, platform-specific application
Action steps — what to do next, not just what to know
Time estimate — so you know what you're committing to before you start
START HERE

The Complete Guide to AI Workflow Automation for SMBs

Everything you need to know to go from "AI-curious" to "AI-powered" — without the hype, the jargon, or the six-month implementation timeline.

Part 1 15 min

Understanding the Landscape

  • · What AI agents actually are (and aren't)
  • · Assistants vs. chatbots vs. autonomous agents
  • · "Workflow automation" with 10 real examples
  • · Why most AI projects fail
Part 2 20 min

Finding Your Highest-ROI Opportunities

  • · The manual process audit
  • · Effort vs. impact prioritization framework
  • · Opportunities by department
  • · How to calculate ROI before you start
Part 3 20 min

Getting Started with AI Agents & Workflows

  • · How AI agents work
  • · RAG training and multi-agent orchestration
  • · The CEO Agent explained
  • · How guided setup accelerates time-to-value
Part 4 15 min

Implementation — Your First 30 Days

  • · Week-by-week timeline
  • · Refine, train, expand
  • · Ongoing optimization
  • · How to measure success
~70 min total Web + PDF Best for: CEOs, COOs, Ops leaders (5–99 employees)

All Guides

Sort by: · · ·

Beginner Guides

BEGINNER 12 min CEOs & Operators

What Is RAG Training? The Non-Technical CEO's Complete Guide

You've heard "RAG" in every AI conversation. This guide explains what it is, why it matters, and how it transforms generic AI into AI that actually knows your business — all without a single line of code.

You'll learn:

  • ·What RAG stands for (plain English)
  • ·Why RAG-trained agents differ from generic AI
  • ·How RAG training works in CEO.ai
  • ·Common mistakes to avoid
Read This Guide
BEGINNER 10 min CEOs & Operators

AI Agents vs. AI Chatbots: What Your Business Actually Needs

Not all AI is created equal. The critical difference between chatbots (which answer questions) and AI agents (which complete tasks, make decisions, and execute workflows) — and why the distinction matters for your bottom line.

You'll learn:

  • ·Functional difference between chatbots & agents
  • ·Multi-agent orchestration explained
  • ·Real-world agent vs. chatbot examples
  • ·How to evaluate which you need
Read This Guide
BEGINNER 8 min New & Prospective Customers

Your First Week with CEO.ai: What to Expect

Just signed up — or thinking about it? Exactly what happens in your first 7 days with CEO.ai. From your setup call to your first live workflow — no surprises, no "figure it out yourself" moments.

You'll learn:

  • ·What happens on your setup call
  • ·How first agents are built together
  • ·When your first workflow goes live
  • ·Guided setup at each plan tier
Read This Guide
BEGINNER 9 min CEOs Building the Business Case

How to Sell AI Automation to Your Team (When You're the Only One Pushing It)

You see the potential. Your team sees another tool they'll have to learn. The framework for getting buy-in — from resistant team members, skeptical partners, and budget-conscious stakeholders.

You'll learn:

  • ·Why teams resist AI adoption
  • ·3 types of skeptics and how to address each
  • ·CFO-ready ROI presentation framework
  • ·The "small win" momentum strategy
Read This Guide

Intermediate Guides

INTERMEDIATE 14 min All Audiences

How the CEO Agent Works: A Complete Walkthrough

Every step of the orchestration process — from your plain-language project description to a working application committed to GitHub. Understand the architecture, agent selection logic, and feedback system.

You'll learn:

  • ·Project submission → architect selection flow
  • ·Spec generation and task assignment
  • ·The rating and feedback loop
  • ·Getting better results through better prompts
Read This Guide
INTERMEDIATE 15 min CEOs, CFOs, Ops Leaders

The True Cost of Manual Workflows: A CFO-Ready Analysis

Your team's manual processes cost 3–5× more than you think. The audit framework, calculation templates, and presentation format to build an airtight business case for automation.

You'll learn:

  • ·6 cost categories most businesses miss
  • ·Manual process audit in one afternoon
  • ·Cost calculation templates
  • ·CFO-ready presentation template
Read This Guide
INTERMEDIATE 11 min Agencies & Consultants

Building an AI Agent Business with the Agent API

Every agent gets its own API key. Build, train, and sell AI-powered services — without building the underlying AI infrastructure. How agencies and consultants productize AI agents.

You'll learn:

  • ·Agent API fundamentals
  • ·RAG-training for client domains
  • ·Pricing & packaging strategies
  • ·Community Agents marketplace revenue
Read This Guide
INTERMEDIATE 13 min CEOs & Ops Leaders

Workflow Design Patterns: 7 Multi-Agent Workflows Every SMB Should Consider

Not sure what to automate first? 7 proven workflow patterns that work across industries — from lead capture to internal reporting. Each includes agent config, triggers, and expected results.

You'll learn:

  • ·7 battle-tested patterns with diagrams
  • ·Trigger configuration approaches
  • ·Human-in-the-loop checkpoint design
  • ·Setup time and ROI for each pattern
Read This Guide
INTERMEDIATE 10 min Anyone Managing Agents

RAG Training Best Practices: How to Feed Your Agents the Right Knowledge

RAG training is simple — upload files and your agent gets smarter. But input quality determines output quality. What to feed your agents, how to structure knowledge, and how to diagnose issues.

You'll learn:

  • ·Best document types for RAG
  • ·Web form vs. CLI upload
  • ·Testing agent knowledge
  • ·Recursive folder ingestion via CLI
Read This Guide

Advanced Guides

Not Sure Where to Start?

Follow a curated learning path.

The "I'm New to AI" Path

For CEOs and operators who know AI matters but haven't gone deep yet.

1

AI Agents vs. Chatbots

10 min · Understand the landscape

2

What Is RAG Training?

12 min · Understand the core technology

3

How the CEO Agent Works

14 min · Understand the platform

4

Your First Week with CEO.ai

8 min · Understand the onboarding

Total: ~44 minutes Start This Path

The "Build the Business Case" Path

For leaders who need numbers and frameworks to justify the investment.

1

True Cost of Manual Workflows

15 min · Quantify the problem

2

How to Sell AI to Your Team

9 min · Build internal buy-in

3

Workflow Design Patterns

13 min · Identify opportunities

4

ROI Calculator

3 min · Get personalized numbers

Total: ~40 minutes Start This Path

The "I'm the Developer" Path

For the technical person the CEO just asked to evaluate this.

1

How the CEO Agent Works

14 min · Understand the orchestration

2

The Developer's Guide

16 min · CLI, SDK, API deep dive

3

RAG Training Best Practices

10 min · Optimize knowledge ingestion

4

Custom Multi-Tiered Workflows

13 min · Advanced architecture

Total: ~53 minutes Start This Path

The "Agency / Consultant" Path

For service providers who want to productize AI for clients.

1

Building an AI Agent Business

11 min · The opportunity

2

Workflow Design Patterns

13 min · Repeatable client solutions

3

Scaling AI Operations

14 min · Multi-client management

4

RAG Training Best Practices

10 min · Client-specific training

Total: ~48 minutes Start This Path

Want a Guide on a Specific Topic?

We write guides based on what our community actually needs. If there's a topic you want us to cover — a specific integration, a workflow pattern, an industry use case — tell us.

We review every request weekly and prioritize by demand.

Guides Give You Knowledge. The Platform Gives You Results.

You've done the research. You understand how AI agents work, what RAG training does, and why workflow automation matters. Now let's apply it to your specific business.

Your setup call is 30 minutes. We'll identify your highest-ROI opportunities and show you the CEO Agent live.

Every plan includes guided setup. Most customers are live within one week.