Why this matters
You just ran a kickoff meeting. You have a page of rough notes and three jobs: a recap with owners and dates, a tracker your team can tick off, and a short deck for the client.
Done by hand, that is an afternoon. Done well, it is one set of notes feeding three tools.
In this module you do all three for the Harbor Dental website kickoff. ChatGPT writes the recap, n8n puts the action items in a Google Sheet, and Gamma builds the deck. At each step you check the output against your notes, because every tool can add things nobody said.
What you’ll build
A recap with decisions, an action items table and open questions. Four rows in a Google Sheet called Kickoff Action Items with the columns Meeting, Owner, Task, Due date and Status. And a five-slide kickoff deck.
You also catch what the tools invented: a budget line about revisions, a mockups slide with made-up details, and a stray note meant for the tool.
What you need
- Nothing to start the practiceChatGPT, n8n, Google Sheets and Gamma are practice copies. Harbor Dental and its team are made up, and the notes are shown in the first step.
- A ChatGPT accountA free account works. For client meetings, use your company’s approved plan.
- An n8n accountSign up with this link (affiliate link: I may earn a commission, at no cost to you).
- A Google Sheet for the trackerName it Kickoff Action Items with Meeting, Owner, Task, Due date and Status in row 1. Connect it in n8n by choosing Sign in with Google.
- A Gamma account (optional)Free to start. If you do not use Gamma, ask ChatGPT for a five-slide outline and paste it into any slide tool.
- Your meeting notesRough notes or a transcript from your meeting tool. Check your company’s rules before pasting client details into any AI tool.
Concepts
3 ideas you’ll use in the practice.
Say what you want, and what to write when it is missing
Ask ChatGPT for three parts: Decisions, an Action items table with Owner, Task and Due date, and Open questions. Tell it to use only what is in the notes, and to write TBD when an owner or date is missing.
Then ask in the same chat for the action items only, as a JSON array with the same four keys on every item. A spreadsheet needs data, not a table to read.
n8n turns a list into rows
Start with Trigger manually, because you run this after each meeting. Click set mock data, paste the JSON and Save. Each object in the list becomes one item, so you see 4 items.
Add Append row in sheet and set Mapping Column Mode to Map Automatically, so each key lands in the column with the same name. The default, Map Each Column Manually, leaves every column empty and fails. Leave Status blank for your team.
Check every output before it leaves your desk
In Gamma, choose Paste in text, then Generate from notes or an outline, and put one section per slide with --- between them. Then read each slide against your notes.
The AI added "one round of revisions" to the budget slide, invented mockup details, and left a "Theme accent" note meant for itself. Delete all three. The habit is the same in all three tools.
Practice
Do every step yourself in a practice copy of the real tool. It checks your work, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on.
Do it for real
Now repeat it in your own account. Tick each step as you go.
Quick check
3 questions to check you’ve got it.
1. Why ask ChatGPT for the action items as JSON?
- n8n and sheets work with data, so each item becomes a row
- JSON is shorter to read
- ChatGPT only answers in JSON
Show the answer
n8n and sheets work with data, so each item becomes a row. A table is for reading. A list of items with the same keys is data a workflow can use.
2. The sheet step fails with "At least one value has to be added". What is the fix?
- Publish the workflow
- Set Mapping Column Mode to Map Automatically
- Delete the sheet
Show the answer
Set Mapping Column Mode to Map Automatically. Map Each Column Manually leaves every column empty. Map Automatically matches each key to the column of the same name.
3. Gamma added a budget line nobody mentioned. What do you do?
- Leave it, the AI knows best
- Delete it, because AI tools fill empty space with plausible details
- Send the deck and apologize later
Show the answer
Delete it, because AI tools fill empty space with plausible details. Check every slide against your notes before you share it.