Most founders do not need more headcount first. They need a tighter operating system. This playbook is a practical sequence to reduce repetitive work before you hire.
What this should fix
If your week is full of repeated admin, follow-ups, and decision delays because context is scattered, this framework is built for you. The goal is to move low-value busywork out of the way so the high-value work has room to move.
Step 1: Pick your top 3 recurring workflows
Start with workflows that happen at least weekly and already follow a pattern. Good first candidates include a weekly planning and operating brief, customer follow-ups and check-ins, and internal documentation handoffs. Do not automate messy workflows first; clean them up before you automate them.
Step 2: Write a simple workflow spec before prompting
For each workflow, define the trigger, required inputs, what "done" looks like, who reviews or approves, and the deadline. If you skip this step, the system will produce generic output because it lacks a concrete definition of success.
Step 3: Run role-based playbooks, not one-off prompts
Match the role to the job: use the Assistant playbook for planning and summaries, the Technical Writer playbook for SOPs and process docs, and the Customer Support playbook for queue handling and response quality. Role-based prompts win because expectations are fixed and repeatable.
Step 4: Add a weekly review loop
Each week, review hours spent on repetitive execution, tasks completed without manual rewriting, and time-to-decision on priority items. Based on what you see, take one action: keep the workflow, tighten the prompt or spec, or move the workflow back to human ownership.
Step 5: Use a clear hire rule
Hire only when the process is documented, automation cannot reach the required quality, and delay now creates business risk. This prevents expensive hires for unclear processes.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common failures are automating before documenting, asking for "everything" in one prompt, measuring output volume instead of business outcomes, and keeping low-performing automations running too long.
Next step
Set up your business context once, then reuse it across playbooks: Complete Business Profile. If you want the full implementation sequence, the course page is here: Automating Work So You Don't Have to Hire.