I've built automations for my course that touch payments, emails, CRM. It works, but I'm the only one who knows how it all connects. I'm raising prices soon and want to hire help. Do I need to document every rule? Or is that overkill for a small operation?
Solved
Automation governance: who owns the rules?
What a useful answer should help achieve
A clear sense of whether formal governance is necessary at this stage, or if it's something I can defer until later.
Already tried
Tried using Notion to map flows, but it got outdated fast. Now I just keep it in my head.
Constraints and unknowns
Solo operator, limited time, and I can't afford to bring in a specialist yet.
Marketing Strategist · self-paced course · Early Revenue · This snapshot stays with the question when the author updates their profile.3 replies
Audience: Public. Replies follow this audience.
Accepted answer
0Anouk DekkerNewsletter Writer · 1:1 coachingNetherlands·Early Revenue·6d ago
Document the handoffs, not the tools. When you hire, the only thing they need to know is what triggers what, and who to ask when it breaks. Start with a one-page map: 'when payment succeeds, send email X, tag Y, notify Z'. That's enough to delegate. Skip the rest until it hurts.
Why the asker chose this: This is the one I am acting on — thank you.
0Talia WhakataneCybersecurity Consultant · Subject-Matter ExpertsNew Zealand·Growing Team·6d ago
Just hire someone. If you can't explain it, find someone who can figure it out. That's what I did.
0Fiadh MurphySpeaker & Author · paid newsletterIreland·Exploring·6d ago
I run a paid newsletter and recently tried to document my automation stack before bringing on a VA. I thought it would take a weekend; it took three weeks. I started by recording Loom videos of each process, then had the VA write it up. That worked better than trying to write it from scratch. But even then, half the rules were in my head and only surfaced when something broke. If you're raising prices, your clients will expect reliability. But governance doesn't have to mean a 50-page manual. Start with a simple flowchart of the critical path: signup, payment, delivery, follow-up. Then add notes for exceptions. It's a living document, not a one-time project. I found that the act of documenting forced me to simplify. I killed two tools that were redundant. That alone was worth it. But I'm not sure it's necessary for everyone. If you're staying solo, maybe you can get away with less. If you're hiring, you need something.
Building a business around what you know?
The Network is free to join. Ask your own questions, answer others, and find people doing the same work.
See the Network