What Even Is n8n?
Before this, I’d never heard of it. But when you Google “open-source Zapier alternative that doesn’t cost $49/month just to send a Slack message,” you stumble upon n8n.
What sold me?
- It’s open-source.
- You can self-host it.
- It supports hundreds of integrations.
- And it allows custom logic using JavaScript/TypeScript.
Boom. Affordable, flexible automation that didn’t feel locked behind a paywall. I was intrigued.
The “Hello World” Workflow That Got Me Hooked
My first n8n workflow was laughably basic:
- Trigger: Google Sheets row added
- Action: Send message to Slack
That’s it. But when it ran… pure joy. No Zapier pricing gate. No vendor lock-in. Just a container, a canvas, and control.
TypeScript: Friend or Foe?
Once the basics were in, I wanted logic—real logic. Conditional routing, API calls to unsupported tools, the works.
n8n has “Function” and “FunctionItem” nodes where you write JS/TS code. And as a stubborn dev, I wanted structure. Reusable. Typed.
It didn’t go smoothly.
- Syntax issues
- Type confusion
- Forgetting to map a field = null errors = hours of debugging
But the turning point was this realization:
n8n doesn’t replace code. It just gives you the option to use it when it makes sense.
The Workflow That Made It All Click
Here’s what I built for a real client:
- Form submission on Webflow →
- Data pushed to Airtable (with schema mapping) →
- Sales team pinged via Slack →
- Task auto-created in ClickUp →
- Follow-up email sent via SendGrid
One single workflow.
Dozens of manual steps.
Gone.
Client? Blown away.
Me? Feeling like a wizard—with just a little TypeScript and some drag-and-drop.
Hosting Drama: Docker and a Weekend Crisis
I self-hosted n8n on a DigitalOcean droplet. Setup was easy. Maintenance? Not so much.
During a demo, the server crashed. Everything gone.
Why?
No persistent Docker volumes. Every restart wiped my workflows.
Painful. But educational. Now I:
- Use
.envfiles properly - Set up logs and workflow monitoring
- Back up workflows as JSON regularly
Lesson learned: “Self-hosted” means you actually need to host it right.
Where n8n Struggles (Let’s Be Real)
It’s not perfect. I’ve hit my share of facepalms.
- UI lag when workflows get big
- Debugging is basic (and sometimes silent failures!)
- Function nodes lack full TS support
- Error tracking could be more transparent
But here’s the trade-off:
You own it. You can tweak it. Fork it. Report bugs. Patch them. That’s real power.
5 Personal Tips That’ll Save You Headaches
- Name your nodes — “HTTP Request 3” won’t help at 2AM.
- Split large datasets with
SplitInBatchesto avoid slowdowns. - Export workflows as JSON and version control them.
- Mind your rate limits when using Notion, HubSpot, etc.
- Add failsafes — one bad node shouldn’t take down the entire flow.
Why I’d Recommend This Stack (With a Warning)
n8n + TypeScript is not for everyone.
- If YAML and Docker scare you, it might frustrate you.
- But if you’re okay getting your hands dirty, it’ll reward you with control, customization, and zero vendor lock-in.
You’ll go from automating form replies… to orchestrating ecosystems.
Read more about tech blogs . To know more about and to work with industry experts visit internboot.com .
Final Thoughts: The Joy of Human-Centered Automation
I didn’t expect to fall for workflow automation—but here we are.
There’s a calm beauty in watching a chaotic process become a silent, self-running system. Not because a robot replaced a person, but because it gave me time back. Time to think, build and breathe.
n8n and TypeScript were messy partners at first. But together? We built something amazing.
And if you’re even a little curious—you should dive in too.
