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Emil Karlsson — Building smarter with AI

Stockholm, Sweden

Data Engineer & AI Agent Architect — Running 9 Projects With AI as Co-Founder

I build and run AI agent infrastructure — autonomous agents that publish content, monitor analytics, and run workflows across 9 running projects, entirely self-hosted. See the full stack →

Founder of The Unnamed Roads — an AI venture studio run by one person.

Work with me → The Unnamed Roads →

Selected Career Projects

End-to-End Analytics Platform — Databricks, Streamlit & GPT-4o

Full-stack data intelligence system for a global manufacturer. Medallion architecture on Databricks, AI-powered natural language querying, z-score anomaly detection, and 10 production dashboards covering 14 markets — shipped in 12 weeks.

Conversational Analytics Prototype - Beyond Dashboards

Interactive prototype demonstrating the future of data analytics: natural language queries, proactive insights, and zero-training data exploration. Built to show what comes after traditional dashboards.

How I Built an AI Feedback Agent That Replaces Traditional Surveys – Using n8n and GPT-4

Self-Hosted Development Infrastructure - Coolify & Hetzner Platform

Complete self-hosted development infrastructure using Coolify on Hetzner cloud servers, enabling rapid Docker container deployment for tools like n8n, MageAI, Appsmith, and Grafana at just 250 SEK monthly cost.

AI-Powered Development Workflow - Claude MCP & React Prototype Platform

Comprehensive AI development workflow using Claude Sonnet 4 through MCP server, connecting multiple data sources to generate functional React prototypes from strategy to deployment in days.

The Hockey Analytics - Sports Intelligence & Data Analysis Platform

Professional hockey analytics platform built with Astro, featuring Slack integration for team communication and automated reporting. Comprehensive sports data analysis and intelligence platform for hockey performance optimization.

The Unnamed Roads - Creative Portfolio & Client Landing Platform

Modern creative portfolio and client landing platform built with Astro, featuring Slack integration for seamless communication. Professional web presence showcasing creative services with automated client onboarding workflow.

AI Workflow Automation with Notion - Prompt Engineering & Productivity Optimization

Advanced AI workflow organization and automation using Notion for prompt engineering and productivity enhancement. Comprehensive AI tool management system specializing in ChatGPT, Copilot, and workflow automation.

Automated Hockey Analytics Pipeline - AI & LLM Integration with Mage AI Data Processing

Fully automated hockey analytics platform combining AI, LLMs, and advanced data engineering. Complete pipeline automation using Mage AI, DuckDB, and interactive dashboards for comprehensive sports analysis.

Multilingual Survey Analytics - AI-Powered NLP for Customer Insight Intelligence

Advanced multilingual survey analysis platform using AI translation and NLP categorization. Comprehensive customer insights solution leveraging Databricks, Power BI, and machine learning for survey intelligence.

AI-Powered Customer Support Analytics - Large Language Models for ServiceNow Intelligence

Advanced AI and LLM integration for customer support optimization using ServiceNow data transformation. Intelligent ticket categorization and customer insights platform specializing in AI analytics.

Customer-Centric B2B Platform Strategy - Outside-In Data Analytics for Investment Decisions

Strategic B2B platform transformation using customer-centric data analytics and user insights mapping. Advanced decision-making framework using Databricks, Power BI, and Python for business intelligence solutions.

Unified Data Ecosystem Architecture - Enterprise Data Lake & Business Intelligence Platform

Comprehensive enterprise data ecosystem with scalable data lake architecture using Databricks and Power BI. Advanced data engineering and business intelligence solution delivering actionable insights and data governance.

Modern Data Stack Architecture - Cost-Effective Cloud Infrastructure for $10/Month

Complete guide to building scalable modern data stack using cloud-native tools and serverless architecture. Affordable data engineering solution demonstrating efficient data processing, automation, and visualization.

Customer-Focused KPI Analytics Platform - Real-Time Performance Intelligence & Data Integration

Advanced KPI tracking and management platform with real-time alerts and comprehensive data integration. Customer experience analytics solution using Snowflake, Databricks, and Power BI technologies.

Hockey Analytics Dashboard - Advanced Sports Data Visualization & Performance Intelligence

Comprehensive hockey performance analytics platform using Azure cloud infrastructure and Python data engineering. Advanced sports analytics dashboard specializing in hockey insights and performance metrics.

Data-Driven IT Operations Optimization - Advanced Analytics for Proactive Service Management

Enterprise IT operations transformation using advanced data analytics and business intelligence. Historical data pattern analysis for proactive optimization, specializing in ServiceNow, Power BI, and SQL analytics solutions.

Quiz-Driven User Engagement Platform - UX Research & Conversion Optimization

Advanced user engagement platform development with quiz-driven conversion strategies, comprehensive prototype testing, and iterative design specializing in user feedback analysis and customer insights.

Digital Ticket Sales Platform - Django Python & Bootstrap Development

Modern ticket sales solution with Django backend and Bootstrap frontend, featuring streamlined UX design for seamless event management and digital ticket processing.

TUVA Digital Neighborhood Watch Platform - Swift & Java Development

Complete neighborhood watch platform with Swift iOS and Java Android apps, MongoDB backend, and real-time reporting features for community safety and digital surveillance.
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Writing

From Raw Data to Revenue Decisions: Building an End-to-End Analytics Platform

How I designed and shipped a full-stack data intelligence system for a global manufacturing company — from Databricks pipelines to AI-powered dashboards.

Building With AI Agents as Co-Workers: My Stack, My Costs, and What I Actually Learned

How I run a 7-project publishing and product studio with AI agents as co-workers — the real stack behind it: OpenClaw, n8n, LiteLLM, Coolify, and a €26/month server bill.

I Built a System That Publishes 30 Articles a Week Across 10 Projects for $0.08 Each

A detailed breakdown of OpenClaw — my self-hosted AI content automation stack running on Hetzner. How it works, what it costs, and what I got wrong the first time.

My Self-Hosted AI Stack: Everything Running on One €4/Month Server

A complete walkthrough of the Hetzner + Coolify + n8n + LiteLLM stack I run in production. What each piece does, why I chose it, and the total cost breakdown.

Beyond Dashboards: Building Proactive Data Agents That Find and Share Insights Automatically

Discover how proactive data agents leverage AI and automation to automatically find and share critical business insights, transforming reactive BI into intelligent, interactive analytics.

From BI Reporting to Data-Driven Automation: A 10-Year Evolution of Data Strategy

How data strategy evolved from static BI reports to AI-powered automation. Learn from 10 years of data engineering experience: from centralized reporting to data mesh, and why making AI investments pay for themselves requires collapsing legacy and modern stacks.

Proactive AI Agents: How to Start Building Systems That Suggest and Act

· Updated
A practical guide to proactive AI agents: what they are, why they matter, and how to start building agentic workflows using tools like n8n, Apify, and modern language models.

How to Build an AI Agent for Your Website: Complete Guide with n8n, Knowledge Base, and Frontend (2025)

· Updated
Step-by-step guide to building a production-ready AI agent for your website using n8n, vector database knowledge base, and custom frontend. Includes code examples, architecture patterns, and deployment strategies.

n8n vs Zapier vs Make.com vs sim.ai: Which Workflow Automation Tool is Best in 2025?

Comprehensive comparison of the top workflow automation platforms: n8n, Zapier, Make.com, and sim.ai. Find the perfect tool for your automation needs with real-world examples, pricing analysis, and expert recommendations from a data engineer.

Beyond Dashboards: How to Build Living Data Experiences with Conversational Analytics

Dashboards fail because they require users to go somewhere else. Data prototyping expertise: learn how proactive insights and conversational analytics replace traditional dashboards with living data experiences.

From SaaS Dependence to Speed: How I Built an AI Feedback Agent in a Weekend

I built a fully-automated AI feedback agent using n8n, LangChain and Azure OpenAI in a weekend. This experience revealed a bigger shift in how enterprises should think about tooling – build first, buy only when it makes sense.

Modern Data Stack 2025: Complete Guide for $10/Month | Data Engineering Solutions

Learn to build a complete modern data stack for only $10/month. Comprehensive guide with practical examples from professional data engineering services. Including Snowflake, dbt, and cloud-native tools.

Why Most Business Dashboards Fail (Enterprise, Small Business & Sports Teams) - Data Engineer Insights

Data engineer Emil Karlsson explains why 60% of dashboards fail and shares proven strategies for creating effective data visualizations that drive real business results from his experience in Nacka, Sweden.

Mastering Rapid Prototyping: 6 Expert Steps to Validate Ideas Efficiently | Data Engineering Guide

Complete guide to rapid prototyping methodology. Learn 6 proven steps for efficient idea validation, product development, and design iteration. Expert insights on prototyping tools and techniques.
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Tools I Use

n8n, OpenClaw, LiteLLM, Coolify, Qdrant — the AI agent infrastructure stack I use to run 9 running projects autonomously on ~€35/month. Full details: see my toolstack.

View Full Toolstack

Let's Work Together

I build AI agent workflows, self-hosted automation, and content pipelines with n8n, LiteLLM, and Coolify. Happy to talk.

Get in touch →