The 1% in AI Review 2026: Albert Shiney’s AI Automation Agency Model + An Alternative

In this The 1% in AI review:

I explain Albert Shiney’s AI automation agency model.
You get a sneak peek of what’s inside The 1% in AI, including its modules and challenges.
I show you whether it’s possible to earn $50K/month with The 1% in AI.
You can read The 1% in AI reviews from Reddit and Trustpilot, so you don’t have to search for them.
I compare Albert Shiney’s AI automation model with my local SEO lead generation model.

In my opinion, The 1% in AI's automation agency model is like putting together IKEA furniture. You have the same basic tools and building materials, but the instructions change depending on whether you’re assembling a bed, chair, or desk. In the same way, every client needs a different automation setup. You have to assemble the right pieces for each client and fix the system when something doesn’t work.

For those who want to join the AI agency boom, The 1% in AI is a good starting point. However, they don't tell you how much work it takes to build automations for clients who can leave at any time. Local SEO lead generation has better client retention and provides passive income.

Public Review Sentiment

Sentiment is based on public reviews, discussions, and independent analysis available at the time of publication. Percentages reflect identified positive, negative, and neutral sentiment by platform.

Reddit (2 reviews)

Promotional, limited evidence

Positive: “The program provides structure, systems, templates, mentorship, and accountability for building AI automation agencies.”

Trustpilot (5 reviews)

Mixed Credibility, Potentially Manipulated

Positive: “I completed the 7-day AI agency course — and it exceeded expectations. Each day delivered clear, actionable value.”

Negative: “Not responsive. They use bots acting like they care about your progress through private chat but they actually don’t.”

What Are the Pros and Cons of The 1% in AI?

Pros:	Cons:
✅ The 1% in AI uses a gamified approach with its 30-day and 90-day challenges.	❌ The 1% in AI advertises a free trial, but it asks for payment upfront.
✅ The 1% in AI pays for your GHL subscription.	❌ The 1% in AI unlocks 1 module per month unless you pay annually for full access.
✅ Albert Shiney gives you 30 days of free access to BuildMyAgent.	❌ AI automation agencies require constant setup, troubleshooting, and reporting.
✅ Albert Shiney has built a large following around AI education.	❌ AI automation agencies have low client retention.

💰 Price: The 1% in AI costs $97/month, increasing to $129/month after 700 members, or $699/year.

💸 Refund Policy: The 1% in AI refunds 1 month each for completing its 30- and 90-day challenges.

🗓️ Origin: The 1% in AI launched in late 2024.

What Is Albert Shiney’s AI Automation Agency Model?

Build custom AI agents, automated workflows, and marketing and CRM systems for local businesses. Don’t sell cheap one-off tasks.
Use tools like n8n, Make.com, GoHighLevel (GHL), Claude Code, and BuildMyAgent.
Create apps and AI solutions with vibe coding and natural-language instructions.
Find clients through cold email, paid ads, organic content, and Upwork.
Charge $1,500-$3,000+ per month to implement and maintain these AI agents and systems.
Hire outreach specialists, automation builders, and account managers once you’re ready to scale to $50,000/month.

Albert Shiney’s AI automation agency model requires a lot of hands-on work. First, you handle the technical work through vibe coding. This creates a steep learning curve. You also customize AI agents, workflows, systems, apps, and solutions for each client. So every project requires a different setup and approach. What’s more, you must ensure everything runs smoothly for everyone.

What Do You Get With The 1% in AI?

12 modules on starting and building an AI automation agency.
Unlimited GoHighLevel (GHL) at no extra cost.
30-day free trial for BuildMyAgent.
$3+ million worth of software credits and discounts.
30-Day AI Challenge.
90-Day Client & Sales Challenge.
Access to The 1% in AI Skool community.
Weekly live calls, or 2 calls per week with an annual plan.
Private WhatsApp group and priority support with an annual plan.

What Do The 1% in AI Modules Cover?

Claude Code Masterclass: Diving into AI coding and development tools.
Automation: Building backend workflows using platforms like n8n and Make.
GoHighLevel: Setting up client CRMs, funnels, and communication channels.
Cold Email: Setting up outreach domains, warming them up, and running campaigns.
Organic Content: Generating inbound leads through social platforms.
Paid Ads: Running ads to attract clients.
Vibe Coding: Developing products with natural-language AI coding prompts.
Upwork: Bidding for and landing freelance and agency contracts.
Sales: Closing deals, handling objections, and using pitch frameworks.
AI Agents: Designing autonomous and conversational AI systems.
Systems: Creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) and agency workflows.
Scaling: Hiring teams, improving client retention, and scaling to $50k+/month.

What Are The 1% in AI’s 30- and 90-Day Challenges?

The 1% in AI’s 30- and 90-Day Challenges are two phases that take you from building AI solutions to landing agency clients. These challenges encourage you to stay active and complete the training.

The 30-Day Challenge focuses on the technical side of the business. If you complete all 30 days and show proof, you get a full refund of your first $97 monthly fee.

The 90-Day Challenge shifts to client acquisition. Here, you find, pitch, and close AI automation agency clients. If you complete the challenge and show proof, you receive another full month’s fee as a refund.

Who Is The 1% in AI For?

Tutorial hell victims tired of piecing together YouTube videos and social media clips.
Aspiring AI agency owners ready to act now.
People who need a structured, step-by-step framework with daily tasks and challenges.
Non-developers who want to build AI tools, agents, and software without coding experience.
AI agency owners looking to eliminate heavy monthly software overhead.

Who Is Albert Shiney?

Albert Shiney (or Albert Olgaard) is an AI agency owner, content creator, and educator. He owns Shiney.AI, which claims 300+ appointments, $700,000+ collected, and 30+ deals closed in one month. He created two Skool communities, AI Automation (A-Z) and The 1% in AI. AI Automation (A-Z) is a free community with over 164K members. The 1% in AI is his flagship program for starting and growing an AI automation agency.

Albert Shiney also publishes free AI business and automation tutorials on social media. He has 319K Instagram followers, 79K+ YouTube subscribers, and 9K TikTok followers. He uses his real name, Albert Olgaard, across his social media platforms.

What Is Albert Shiney’s Claim?

Albert Shiney claims that The 1% in AI helps you start and grow an AI business to $50,000 in recurring monthly revenue. He also claims that his systems, scripts, and templates help you land your first paying client in 7-30 days.

Can You Reach $50K in Recurring Monthly Revenue With The 1% in AI?

You can reach $50K in recurring monthly revenue with The 1% in AI. However, only the top 5%-10% of AI automation agencies reach this level. According to Flexxable, agencies that implement custom AI receptionists typically make $300-$3,000 per month per client. At those rates, you need 17-167 clients to reach $50,000 per month. Even if you follow Albert’s recommended pricing of $1,500-$3,000, you still need 17-34 clients. That’s a lot of outreach and sales.

What’s more, you need to keep those clients to maintain your recurring revenue. If a client leaves, you need to find a replacement. You also need to build a lot of trust before a business will pay you thousands of dollars for a custom AI solution. That process takes much longer than 7-30 days. According to Ciela AI, new AI automation agencies take 45-60 days on average to get one client.

Is The 1% In AI Worth It in 2026?

The 1% in AI is worth it in 2026 if you’re ready to create, deliver, and maintain custom AI agents and workflows for clients. The program isn’t just about watching videos and studying lessons. It expects you to put what you learn into practice right away.

You also need to be prepared to do a lot of outreach and sales. AI automation agencies struggle with client retention for several reasons:

The invisible trap. When an automation works well, it runs quietly in the background. After 2-3 months, a business owner may forget how much manual work the system replaced. The monthly retainer can then start to feel like an unnecessary expense.
No clear ROI. Clients may cancel if you don’t show clear ROI through regular performance reports.
Cheaper options. Clients may hire in-house employees or freelancers at a lower cost.

As a result, you may need to keep finding new clients to replace the ones you lose. That means prospecting, closing new deals, and building new AI solutions. A business model like local SEO lead generation gives you more opportunities to build long-term client relationships.

How Does The 1% in AI Compare to AI Agent Bootcamp?

The 1% in AI teaches you how to build AI agents and workflows while also covering client acquisition. AI Agent Bootcamp focuses much more heavily on building multi-agent systems, but provides little marketing or client acquisition training.

How Does The 1% in AI Compare to AI Workshop?

The 1% in AI teaches a broader AI agency model that covers Claude Code, n8n, GHL, AI agents, vibe coding, client acquisition, and agency scaling. AI Workshop takes a skill-stacking approach, combining vibe coding, n8n, and voice AI into complete systems, and also offers voice AI certification.

How Does The 1% in AI Compare to AI Automation Society Plus?

The 1% in AI teaches both the technical and business sides of running an AI automation agency. AI Automation Society Plus puts more structure around the technical fulfillment side with 100+ n8n templates and training on AI agents, vector databases, APIs, and Supabase.

Why Is It Easier to Retain Clients With Local SEO Lead Generation Than an AI Automation Agency?

It’s easier to retain clients with local SEO lead generation than an AI automation agency because you give them a steady flow of leads each month. You build and rank your own websites, then send those leads to local businesses. These business owners see the direct value you provide. On the other hand, clients notice AI automation systems less once they run in the background.

With local SEO lead generation, you can also charge a 5%-10% commission on closed jobs. So clients only pay when your leads generate revenue for them. This gives them a reason to keep working with you for years. AI automation clients pay monthly for systems that may feel less valuable to them. If they need to cut costs, they'll cut your service first.

In my opinion, an AI automation agency is like the Toast platform. Toast helps restaurants manage orders, payments, and other operations behind the scenes. It provides useful infrastructure, but restaurants don't think about it much. Local SEO lead generation is more like Uber Eats. Uber Eats directly brings restaurants new orders. They can easily see the value they get from the platform.

Why Is Local SEO Lead Generation Passive Income?

Local SEO lead generation is passive income because you build and rank a website once. After that, leads come in automatically and go straight to your client. Ranked sites also require minimal maintenance.

For example, I spent 25 hours building my website, Pasadena Elite Drywall, (626) 995-2924, https://www.pasadenadrywalls.com/. It now ranks high in Google and gets 6-8 leads per month. Just last month, my client closed $45,000 worth of jobs from my leads. I got $4,500 from a 10% commission. And I barely touch this site anymore.

You can treat each website as a digital asset. You don’t have to constantly deliver new services to clients. You simply build more websites and let your existing properties continue generating leads. If one client leaves, you can redirect the leads to their competitors.

But local SEO lead generation requires upfront work and a few skills like web design and SEO. If you want a passive income business with high client retention, check out my local SEO lead gen program. I teach you the framework I used to build and rank 50+ websites that earn a combined total of $52,000 per month.