Tech Wisdom Worth Stealing

Field notes from building clean, scalable tech for growing teams.

Operations & Process

Make the outcome visible

2 min read

Highlights

  • Name one owner
  • Pick a simple time promise
Operations & Process, Automation

If You Cannot Define Done, Do Not Automate Yet

Most automations fail before code because nobody can say what done means. Here is a simple test you can run in 60 seconds.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

Name the handoff moment

2 min read

Highlights

  • Pick one owner for done
  • Add one visible checkpoint
Operations & Process

Handoffs Are the Hidden Profit Leak

If work keeps getting dropped between people, it is not a people problem. It is a handoff problem. Here is the simple fix.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

Find the exact moment the work slows down

2 min read

Highlights

  • Name the decision that is missing
  • Add a simple rule so work keeps moving
Operations & Process

Most Bottlenecks Are Decision Stalls

If work keeps piling up in one spot, it is often not a people problem. It is a decision problem. Here is how to spot it and fix it.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Automation

Name the real owner of the system

2 min read

Highlights

  • Check access before you build
  • Write down the stop rule
Automation, Operations & Process

Automation Breaks at Permissions

Automation often fails for a boring reason. The right person does not have access. Here is how to catch it early.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

Replace panic with one small list

2 min read

Highlights

  • Pick a finish line
  • Automate the clear part, not the fuzzy part
Operations & Process

Stop Automating Feelings

If you feel overwhelmed, the answer is usually not more automation. The answer is one clear list and one clear owner.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

Pick one workflow without debate

2 min read

Highlights

  • Use a simple 3 score filter
  • Stop after you pick
Operations & Process, Automation

The 10 Minute Workflow Pick

If you have 20 processes you want to fix, you do not need a bigger list. You need a fast way to pick one workflow that is worth it.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

Capture the real steps, not the story

2 min read

Highlights

  • Save the real artifacts
  • Find the handoffs and the exceptions
Operations & Process

Interviews Lie. Watching Tells the Truth

If you only interview people about a workflow, you will capture the polite version. If you watch the work, you capture the real version.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

List your top exceptions before you build

2 min read

Highlights

  • Decide which ones you accept
  • Design the workflow for reality
Operations & Process, Automation

Exceptions Are Not Edge Cases

Most businesses try to automate the happy path. But the exceptions are what set your cost and your stress.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

Save money by pausing the wrong build

2 min read

Highlights

  • Check three prerequisites
  • Pick the next best move instead
Operations & Process, Automation

The Most Profitable Word in Ops Is Not Yet

Sometimes the smartest move is not building. It is waiting until a workflow is stable enough to automate.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot

Operations & Process

One workflow

2 min read

Highlights

  • One owner
  • One metric
Operations & Process, Automation

The Smallest Pilot That Still Proves Value

A pilot should not be a science fair. It should prove one thing fast, with one owner and one metric.

Alek Mlynek

SwiftRoot