How I'd Start a 1-Person AI Agency With Claude AI (2026) | Ricky Solanki | #35

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The Agency Giants Podcast - Episode 35 (Ricky Solanki)
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He's spent 17 years building an agency: 50 staff, 400 clients at its peak.

If he were starting again in 2026, he'd run the whole thing with one person… & make more money!

In this episode of Agency Giants, Ricky Solanki, founder of Push Group, walks through exactly how he'd build a 1-person AI agency from scratch.

• Why one person & a few AI agents can now run an entire client end to end.

• How he'd actually start from $0 using Claude Code.

• The marketing engine he'd build from day one (Automated funnels, lead magnets, & the free channel almost every agency still ignores!)

Ricky's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickysolanki/
Push Group: https://www.pushgroup.co.uk/
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00:00 Ricky's 17-Year Journey Building Push
06:26 The AI Catalyst: Repositioning the Agency & Winning Over the Team
09:05 Core Services, Client Acquisition & Paid Growth Roadmaps
18:55 Expanding Internationally: Greece, Dubai & Lessons Learned
22:31 Change Management & Building the "DIAL" AI Operating System
31:04 Build vs Buy: Software Costs, Claude Code & Margin Pressure
38:50 Licensing Your Tech, Facilitating In-House Moves & Pricing
46:53 Protecting Human Brilliance & the New "Diamond" Team Structure
52:34 Where to Start With AI: Begin With Claude & One Process
55:10 The Next Five Years: Two Businesses & Building From $0
1:04:29 Prioritising, Productizing Internal Tools & Staying Nimble
1:08:59 Exit Plans, Life at 50 & Rapid Fire Questions