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Articles

Ideas worth keeping, not just publishing

Operations

2 min article

19

A Workflow Gives You Something You Can Schedule

Put recurring work on paper so you can schedule it, improve it, delegate it, or hand the right parts to AI.

Turn recurring tasks into visible units of work.

  • Turn recurring tasks into visible units of work.
  • Schedule defined work instead of reacting to every new email.
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Operations

2 min article

20

Workflows Are Easier to Map Than They Look

A practical way to map recurring work, then decide what to schedule, delegate, keep, or stop doing.

Start with one trigger, the steps that follow, and a clear outcome.

  • Start with one trigger, the steps that follow, and a clear outcome.
  • Use the map to question repetitive work instead of accepting it by default.
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AI agents

3 min article

21

The JAR Framework for Business AI Agents

Give a business AI agent a clear job, defined authority, and regular review so it keeps producing what you expect.

Assign the agent a specific job instead of a generic goal

  • Assign the agent a specific job instead of a generic goal
  • Define what information it can access and what it can say
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Automation

2 min article

22

When Automation Has No ROI

A working automation can still waste time and tokens. Judge it by the outcome, and kill it when the simpler option works better.

A technically working automation can still have no return.

  • A technically working automation can still have no return.
  • Compare the automated process with the fastest simple alternative.
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AI implementation

2 min article

23

Keep Your AI Blast Radius Small

A practical sequence for simplifying work, using conventional automation, and adding AI without taking on more risk than necessary.

Simplify the workflow before adding technology.

  • Simplify the workflow before adding technology.
  • Use conventional automation when it can do the job.
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Business systems

2 min article

24

Starting Business Systems Is the Hardest Part

Starting can be the most daunting part of putting systems into a business. Once the work is moving, the skills and benefits begin to follow.

The initial start often takes the most effort.

  • The initial start often takes the most effort.
  • Building systems develops the skills to keep improving them.
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AI governance

2 min article

25

Your Business Needs a Ministry of Magic

When anyone can vibe code a business tool, someone still needs to keep the models, data, security, stability, and architecture accountable.

Easy software creation can produce rogue tools with little accountability.

  • Easy software creation can produce rogue tools with little accountability.
  • Businesses need visibility into models, data location, security, stability, and architecture.
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Operations

3 min article

26

Catch the Work Before You Automate It

Learn a small habit for spotting repetitive work and choosing one worthwhile change to test before reaching for AI.

Notice recurring work before choosing a tool.

  • Notice recurring work before choosing a tool.
  • Use LIFT to compare which task is worth changing first.
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Operations

2 min article

27

The Cheapest Automation Might Be Deleting the Step

Before you automate a clumsy workflow step, check whether the business would be better off without it.

Automating a bad step only makes the bad step faster.

  • Automating a bad step only makes the bad step faster.
  • Extra interaction can make a useful tool harder to use.
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