Why Some Systems Work — and Others Never Will

About ten years ago, I made a mistake I’ve seen many founders still repeat.

I tried to implement a system in my business the way you implement a new app:

Install it. Plug it in. Expect results.

The system looked perfect on paper.

The logic made sense.

It even borrowed ideas from companies like Toyota and McDonald’s — “the greats,” right?

But it didn’t work.

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Not because the system was wrong.

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But because I didn’t stop to ask:

Is this the right system for me?

For my business?

At this stage?

With these people?

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And more importantly:

Am I ready to do the work this system demands?

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Systems Are Investments — And They Demand Effort

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We often treat business systems like purchases. Like something we can just "buy into" — a shiny CRM, a new process, a team framework. But systems aren’t expenses. They’re investments.

And like any investment, they only pay off if you commit to them.

Think of it like buying stocks. Jumping in on hype almost always leads to losses. You need to understand the company, evaluate the risk, weigh the payoff.

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Same with systems.

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Before you even think about “implementing best practices,” you need to look inward.

Ask yourself:

• What’s my real situation?
• What are my constraints — time, energy, team, tools?
• What outcome am I expecting?

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If that part isn’t clear, even the most sophisticated playbook will lead you straight into frustration.

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Small Business Is NOT a Big Corporation

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People love to throw around big names.

“Look at McDonald's.”

“Study Toyota.”

“Follow Amazon’s leadership principles.”

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But let me tell you, if you’re running a small business with a team of five, or maybe even just you and a VA, trying to copy their playbook is the fastest way to break everything.

Corporate systems are designed for scale, not agility. They assume redundancy, specialized roles, and entire departments.

If you try to force that into your business before you’re ready, you’ll end up with overcomplicated processes, overwhelmed people, and no real change.

You don’t need "best practices."

You need fitting practices.

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The Simplest System Can Be the Most Powerful

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I’ve seen businesses transform simply by creating a basic weekly routine.

No new tools. No new fancy approaches.

Just this:

• Blocks of time for specific tasks
• Clear boundaries around meetings
• A shared understanding of what "done" looks like

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That’s it.

And it works — because it’s followed.

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I do this myself.

My week is structured into focus blocks: research, content, product, client work, strategy.

Each task has its space. Each block has a purpose.

I know what I expect to get out of each one — and that clarity keeps me from drowning in distractions.

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I’ve rebuilt the entire agency workflow like this.

And because the system fits how we actually work,

I now spend no more than 1–2 hours a week managing the business.

The rest runs itself — with the help of real people, clear processes, and realistic expectations.

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A System Isn’t a Magic Button. It’s a Muscle.

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People think systems should make things easier.

Eventually, they do.

But in the beginning, they make things harder.

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Why?

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Because you’re not just changing what you do — you’re changing how you think.

You’ll need to:

• Remind your team (more than once)
• Remind yourself (even more often)
• Break old habits and install new ones
• Stop fixing everything manually and start trusting the structure

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That takes time. That takes energy. And yes — that takes willpower. But it pays off.

The alternative is to keep reacting.

Keep putting out fires.

Keep saying, "We really need to systemize things..." but never actually doing it.

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Build the System You’ll Actually Use

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Forget about tools for a moment.

Forget Notion, ClickUp, Asana, Airtable, Trello, whatever.

None of it matters if the process behind it isn’t clear.

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If all your business runs through Excel, fine.

Start there.

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What matters is repeatability.

Clarity.

And delegation.

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Which means starting with the basics:

• What are the core departments in your business?
• (Even if you’re doing everything yourself.)
• What functions does each “department” handle?
• What are the repeatable processes tied to those functions?
• And most importantly — what is the expected outcome of each process?

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Once you know this, everything else becomes easier.

You can write SOPs.

You can set responsibilities.

You can teach someone to help.

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And if your business is too chaotic for that level of clarity right now?

Start small.

Write one checklist.

Define one outcome.

Assign one person.

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But never again say: “We tried systems and they didn’t work.”

Because systems work.

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When they’re designed for you.

When they match your reality.

And when you’re ready to follow through.

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Disclaimer.

Every business has its nuances, and every founder has their unique context and resources. Whether or not my advice applies depends on your situation, experience, and needs. But one thing is universal—use your brain.

Think about how to apply the advice in your context before acting.

Your way.