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Definition of Autopilot?

by K Meier
10 replies
Hi there,

Is it just me, or do people start using the word "autopilot" way too much, even when it's not real autopilot?

Yes I understand that everybody loves the idea of an automated income where you don't have to lift a finger, but lately I see many WSO or Flippa listings where it's promoted as 100% autopilot... and then in small writing it says, all you have to do is write articles, or start building backlinks, or do this and that.

Again yes, I am aware of that there is no 100% autopilot system and there is always a little bit of work involved, but lately it seems that so many people use the term autopilot to attract more buyers and then when you read about the offer, it's not even close to automated task.

Autopilot for me means that the system does the main task, which normally would take hours of work, by itself.
#autopilot #definition
  • Profile picture of the author Paul Barber
    It's not just you. lots of people just seem to be trying to use it as a marketing hook, for Internet Markets, clearly appeals to our lazy side.
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  • Profile picture of the author noble
    With tools 100% autopilot means 100% autopilot, you click start and it goes. (After inputting your desired settings of course, who wants a backlink tool that doesn't know your URL).

    With websites 100% autopilot means you do the intial setup (whatever it may be for the system) and then let it go, perhaps something such as an auto blog with plugins that spin content for unique posts and submit them social bookmarking sites for backlinks automatically. So after your 10 minute setup it would run on auto pilot for life after that.

    It really depends on what you're talking about.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Ambrose
    I agree. It winds me up when people say things are "autopilot" when they are not. Because it tarnishes those of us who DO offer autopilot programs - the term autopilot is pretty worn out now... people no longer believe that something is autopilot just because you say it is.

    We need to come up with a new term.
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  • Profile picture of the author rickfrazier1
    Autopilot is really over-used, and often mis-applied

    Autopilot came from aviation. It is a device that you enter specific parameters (your heading and altitude) and it maintains that course, despite changing conditions (within the range of it's authorized operation).

    In my mind, autopilot could be applied to, and is appropriate for an autoresponder.
    You enter the email sequence, turn it on, and it does it's job without any input...

    A little bit of a stretch, and you could say that something like Kindle can provide an "autopilot income". You post your content, and from that point, it takes care of the rest. (However, in reality, you typically need external promotion to make money with most Kindle titles...)

    Beyond examples like this, I find the use of "autopilot" to be just another of the words or phrases that make me near automatically discount what follows. You might say, I have an internal autopilot that abhors the use of the word "autopilot" to the extent I don't believe the remaiinder of the sales copy involved. [smile]
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    • Profile picture of the author NickFarina
      I met a guy at the weekend whose business is actually on autopilot. He doesnt make that much from it now because he does no work or promotion on it but built up a few thousand subscribers and probably was bringing in about $100 a month.

      Not a lot but he doesnt do anything for it now, he did all his promotion last year, articles, videos etc and now it just runs and runs. He is gonna sort it out now as he realises the potential.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kev Gowing
        Autopilot is probably the most overused term on the web at the moment. We live in times of wanting everything now and autopilot gives us that impression of getting stuff done right now and not needing to bother with it after that.
        Whatever the so called guru's say, there is no such thing as a complete autopilot business and you usually find that after the initial surge everything on autopilot starts to decline, especially when the search engines figure it out and put something in place to counter it.
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      • Profile picture of the author sscot
        Originally Posted by NickFarina View Post


        Not a lot but he doesnt do anything for it now, he did all his promotion last year, articles, videos etc and now it just runs and runs. He is gonna sort it out now as he realises the potential.
        This idea was something living in my mind as small shadow since long time and It was popuped strongly after reading NickFarina's reply.
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        • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
          I once read a story in the newspaper about someone who had bought one of those fancy modern mobile home things (RV) - it happened to have autopilot.

          Whilst on a road trip he decided to put the vehicle on autopilot and pop into the back to make a nice cup of tea...The vehicle crashed.

          There's a moral of that story regarding "autopilot".
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by Londrag View Post

    Is it just me, or do people start using the word "autopilot" way too much, even when it's not real autopilot?
    If people would stop buying this crap, people would stop selling it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigmart
    I had to laugh, reading Richard's post about the autopilot misapprehension, that story is quite true, although it was a woman, and her Winnebago had "cruise control" she was sitting in the back eating a sandwich, when it left the freeway, and sued Winnebago, because the instruction manual did not clearly state that you can not leave the seat, when it's on cruise control! The instruction manual was extensively rewritten. A win-win for the lawyers, methinks.I bet she was blonde!

    Oh, and my pet hate is the word "Autopilot" who do they think they are kidding? "Buy my software, push three buttons, switch on "Autopilot", get rich. So simple, anyone can do it"
    Living in the country, like I do, you learn to sniff out Bullsh*t, and watching these hideously long sales videos is hilarious, those "muppets" are knee deep in the stuff! But sadly, people believe it.
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