WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:34.880
Another login, another authentication code or app, another subscription, another place information is living, and another gap between tools that someone, normally you, has to carry across the Welcome to That Systems Show.
00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:41.759
I'm your host, Jacion, and this is where we make the marketing, sales, and delivery your business runs on a whole lot easier.
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.880
Built for the real weeks, not the perfect ones.
00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:55.920
Today's episode is for you if you are tempted to buy that next app or piece of software that will sort out all of your tech, process, and administrative problems.
00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:09.359
Whether it's that all-in-one tool that promises the world or that latest fan dangled AI app that will create like a year's worth of content for you in two minutes and just post it everywhere and make life so much easier.
00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:18.879
Or it could even be a piece of software that has been around for years and has proven that they work, but they might not be for you.
00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:39.760
So before you do anything, what I want you to do is take a step back and look at what you really need and decide if a new tool will fix your problem or if it's just going to become another thing that you get to make you feel like you're being productive or making improvements, but actually you're just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.
00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:48.640
So we have all been there, myself included, especially because I get the excuse of, oh, I'm a systems person, so I get to buy and play with all the systems.
00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:58.239
But realistically, even from a day-to-day basis, we go there buying the thing, set up half of it, and then a month later, nothing's resolved.
00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:05.599
And there you go, you've got another monthly subscription that you hold on to because maybe one day you'll get around to fixing it.
00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:07.840
Or you set it up to a point.
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:14.400
So now you feel like you've invested this time and it's this sunk cost, so you can't, you know, backtrack.
00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.919
You've got to just keep it for that little bit longer, and maybe one day you'll it'll it'll do what it's promised.
00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:31.919
Now, don't get me wrong, when things just aren't working, another tool easily feels like the right answer because it's that visible, viable part of the problem.
00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:39.599
And at the rate of change we've got going at the moment, there is a new tool every week or a new feature added to these existing tools.
00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:45.680
Um, everyone's swearing by a different one and prompt and saying what's working for them and what they're enjoying.
00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:50.000
And signing up feels like you are making progress.
00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:51.840
But is it really?
00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:58.080
Often, what it really does is just add one more thing to your plate.
00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:15.120
Another login, another authentication code or app, another subscription, another place information is living, and another gap between tools that someone, normally you, has to carry across.
00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:18.240
All in one platforms have a different kind of hope.
00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:34.639
One that swaps a pile of these small gaps for one big platform that does some jobs really well and others less well, and you still need to figure out how to connect it all up and make it work for you and cobble it together with maybe the couple of things that it doesn't quite do right.
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:52.960
So instead of jumping on the bandwagon or trying to find a magical solution, I want to challenge you to take a step back and look at the big picture, and most importantly, look at your current tools and these new tools and decide how much they hold for you.
00:03:53.280 --> 00:04:05.680
So, to help you figure all of this out and where you should invest your subscription dollars, your time, your energy, and your mental load in next, I've developed a tool called the tech load ladder.
00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:13.199
So this is a five-step ladder that describes how much of your business is held by you and how much is held by your tech.
00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:14.960
At the bottom, you are the system.
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.399
At the top, your tech is a strategic thinking partner.
00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:25.759
Every rung in between hands a little more of the running of your business over, so you're holding less.
00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:30.000
This isn't about getting to the top and stopping there.
00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:31.360
You don't need to be there.
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:39.839
You need to be at the rung of the ladder that fits your business, your budget, um, your season of life, and just how you like to do things.
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:50.399
And you're allowed to be on a different rung in the setup at different parts of your business because there are some that um are definitely more repetitive and process driven, and some that are a bit more creative.
00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.000
So keep that in mind.
00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:59.839
But um, I've gone into more detail on this with also a handy visual in a recent blog post.
00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:09.920
Um, so that is on my website at yalkeone.com forward slash blog, but I'll put a direct link to the article in the show notes for this episode.
00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:18.079
But the quick version of the five levels of the tech load ladder are level one is manual, where you are the system.
00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.360
And this is where you need to remember everything and do everything.
00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:32.560
So typically this could be in a planner or on a spreadsheet or you and via your inbox or your WhatsApp, and you're just kind of being the person who's trying to manage all the things and you've got it written down somewhere.
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:37.600
Level two is standalone, and this is where you are the integration.
00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.639
So this is where you need to remember most things and keep it moving.
00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:47.120
So you've still got your planner, you're still figuring out how things connect, but you might have a few tools that do some of these tasks for you.
00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:52.800
So Calendly, for example, could handle the bookings and sending meeting reminder emails.
00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:58.639
But each tool you have is independent and you are the one connecting the dots.
00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:03.680
Level three is connected, and this is where the tech is now talking to each other.
00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:16.879
So not only are the tools doing their individual thing, but they are connecting to each other, and typically some sort of central database or CRM or tracker where you can get visibility of exactly where things are at that moment in time.
00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:22.160
But you still need to remember to check progress and you move things along where needed.
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:28.240
Level four is assisted, and this is now where the tech does the first draft for you.
00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:45.600
So this is similar to above, but now automations and AI really come to the forefront by doing things like pre-drafting emails for you, putting together proposals, providing you with daily briefs of what to expect that day, or meeting summary notes and creating dashboards for you.
00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:57.920
So this is kind of like having your own executive assistant, like those ones you see in the movies, which followed the big boss around and they write all the notes and they they're the ones actually doing all the real work, and the boss is just signing things off.
00:06:58.079 --> 00:06:59.600
Um, that's this level.
00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:03.360
So you will, of course, always still check before anything goes out publicly.
00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:06.240
I know that is a concern when we start talking about these automations.
00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:12.319
So this isn't about them sending the emails for you, it's drafting, you edit, and you then you send.
00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.720
So you've still got the human eyes across it.
00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.639
Then level five is advisory.
00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:22.160
And this is where the tech now takes all of this and starts acting as a strategic decision-making partner.
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:29.759
So it's looking at the data and the trends, um, your decisions, looking at them, it's the history and starting to provide advice.
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:35.680
Um, or you can use it to ask questions and do a bit of back and forth, all of that good stuff.
00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:37.680
So that's very high level.
00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.240
And that is not necessarily the goal.
00:07:40.480 --> 00:08:01.759
The goal for you is to try to move from where you are now, wherever you think the biggest friction is in your business right now, the task that you find the most frustrating, or whatever it is that process that you think this amazing app will solve for you, take a step back and go, okay, where am I on this tech load ladder?
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:04.160
Am I doing everything manually at level one?
00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.600
Do I I is the tech I have all standalone?
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.680
Um, or is it connected?
00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:12.560
Or is it assisted or is it advising?
00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:14.079
And how can I move it further?
00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.000
Where is that gap?
00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:24.000
So that is how we use this tech ladder to decide on if you should go with that next tool or not.
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:37.600
It's a way about taking a good look at how you're doing things now and seeing if the problem is the tools you have, or if it is more something that you need that um you need to, a gap that you need to fill.
00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:44.159
Is a tool that you are looking at going to take some of the load and the manual intervention off your plate?
00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:48.399
Because you don't want another thing for you or a team member to manage.
00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:53.039
You will want something that manages something for you.
00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:56.399
So help you to make a decision when you're looking at that app.
00:08:56.559 --> 00:08:58.559
Ask yourself these five questions.
00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:02.480
One, what will this take off me specifically?
00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.840
Two, what does it need to talk to and can it?
00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:07.840
So can it talk to your other tools?
00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:12.799
Three, which rung on the tech load ladder would it move this job to?
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:18.000
Four, could a connection between tools I already have do the same thing?
00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:28.960
Or could an extra AI agent or assistant in the tools I've already got or using a LLM like a Claude or a Chat GPT, take what I already have and just make it easier for me?
00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:43.919
So make sure to read the TechLoad Ladder blog post to get some more specific examples of all of this in action, but really utilize those questions the next time you see that amazing platform.
00:09:44.399 --> 00:10:11.519
Or if that's feeling just too overwhelming for you and you can't see the forest for the trees, do um if you want me to look at your processes for you and determine how you can move from, say, rung two to rung four on or whatever level you choose, make sure to check out my process audit service where in one session we'll work through what's quietly or not so quietly costing you time, money, and headspace, and we will know how to turn around.
00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:18.000
You'll come away with a big picture map of how it runs now, a step-by-step breakdown, and recommendations with options.
00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:23.200
And I say options plural because there is rarely one right answer for a real business.
00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:28.080
So you can learn more all about that at yalehion.com forward slash audit.
00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:48.159
But regardless of if you want me to look at it or you're going to look at it yourself, just make sure you take those moments to look, to ask yourself those questions, to ask that all-important um viewpoint about will this tool take something off my plate, or is it just going to be extra work for me?
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:49.919
Thank you so much for joining me today.
00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:57.600
I'd love to hear from you what you've enjoyed for this episode or what you want to know of more about systems in future episodes.
00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.120
Let me know over on Instagram.
00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:03.200
I'm at Yale Keon, and I'll see you in the next episode.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:34.880
Another login, another authentication code or app, another subscription, another place information is living, and another gap between tools that someone, normally you, has to carry across the Welcome to That Systems Show.
00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:41.759
I'm your host, Jacion, and this is where we make the marketing, sales, and delivery your business runs on a whole lot easier.
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.880
Built for the real weeks, not the perfect ones.
00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:55.920
Today's episode is for you if you are tempted to buy that next app or piece of software that will sort out all of your tech, process, and administrative problems.
00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:09.359
Whether it's that all-in-one tool that promises the world or that latest fan dangled AI app that will create like a year's worth of content for you in two minutes and just post it everywhere and make life so much easier.
00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:18.879
Or it could even be a piece of software that has been around for years and has proven that they work, but they might not be for you.
00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:39.760
So before you do anything, what I want you to do is take a step back and look at what you really need and decide if a new tool will fix your problem or if it's just going to become another thing that you get to make you feel like you're being productive or making improvements, but actually you're just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.
00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:48.640
So we have all been there, myself included, especially because I get the excuse of, oh, I'm a systems person, so I get to buy and play with all the systems.
00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:58.239
But realistically, even from a day-to-day basis, we go there buying the thing, set up half of it, and then a month later, nothing's resolved.
00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:05.599
And there you go, you've got another monthly subscription that you hold on to because maybe one day you'll get around to fixing it.
00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:07.840
Or you set it up to a point.
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:14.400
So now you feel like you've invested this time and it's this sunk cost, so you can't, you know, backtrack.
00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.919
You've got to just keep it for that little bit longer, and maybe one day you'll it'll it'll do what it's promised.
00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:31.919
Now, don't get me wrong, when things just aren't working, another tool easily feels like the right answer because it's that visible, viable part of the problem.
00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:39.599
And at the rate of change we've got going at the moment, there is a new tool every week or a new feature added to these existing tools.
00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:45.680
Um, everyone's swearing by a different one and prompt and saying what's working for them and what they're enjoying.
00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:50.000
And signing up feels like you are making progress.
00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:51.840
But is it really?
00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:58.080
Often, what it really does is just add one more thing to your plate.
00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:15.120
Another login, another authentication code or app, another subscription, another place information is living, and another gap between tools that someone, normally you, has to carry across.
00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:18.240
All in one platforms have a different kind of hope.
00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:34.639
One that swaps a pile of these small gaps for one big platform that does some jobs really well and others less well, and you still need to figure out how to connect it all up and make it work for you and cobble it together with maybe the couple of things that it doesn't quite do right.
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:52.960
So instead of jumping on the bandwagon or trying to find a magical solution, I want to challenge you to take a step back and look at the big picture, and most importantly, look at your current tools and these new tools and decide how much they hold for you.
00:03:53.280 --> 00:04:05.680
So, to help you figure all of this out and where you should invest your subscription dollars, your time, your energy, and your mental load in next, I've developed a tool called the tech load ladder.
00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:13.199
So this is a five-step ladder that describes how much of your business is held by you and how much is held by your tech.
00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:14.960
At the bottom, you are the system.
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.399
At the top, your tech is a strategic thinking partner.
00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:25.759
Every rung in between hands a little more of the running of your business over, so you're holding less.
00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:30.000
This isn't about getting to the top and stopping there.
00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:31.360
You don't need to be there.
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:39.839
You need to be at the rung of the ladder that fits your business, your budget, um, your season of life, and just how you like to do things.
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:50.399
And you're allowed to be on a different rung in the setup at different parts of your business because there are some that um are definitely more repetitive and process driven, and some that are a bit more creative.
00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.000
So keep that in mind.
00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:59.839
But um, I've gone into more detail on this with also a handy visual in a recent blog post.
00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:09.920
Um, so that is on my website at yalkeone.com forward slash blog, but I'll put a direct link to the article in the show notes for this episode.
00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:18.079
But the quick version of the five levels of the tech load ladder are level one is manual, where you are the system.
00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.360
And this is where you need to remember everything and do everything.
00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:32.560
So typically this could be in a planner or on a spreadsheet or you and via your inbox or your WhatsApp, and you're just kind of being the person who's trying to manage all the things and you've got it written down somewhere.
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:37.600
Level two is standalone, and this is where you are the integration.
00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.639
So this is where you need to remember most things and keep it moving.
00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:47.120
So you've still got your planner, you're still figuring out how things connect, but you might have a few tools that do some of these tasks for you.
00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:52.800
So Calendly, for example, could handle the bookings and sending meeting reminder emails.
00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:58.639
But each tool you have is independent and you are the one connecting the dots.
00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:03.680
Level three is connected, and this is where the tech is now talking to each other.
00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:16.879
So not only are the tools doing their individual thing, but they are connecting to each other, and typically some sort of central database or CRM or tracker where you can get visibility of exactly where things are at that moment in time.
00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:22.160
But you still need to remember to check progress and you move things along where needed.
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:28.240
Level four is assisted, and this is now where the tech does the first draft for you.
00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:45.600
So this is similar to above, but now automations and AI really come to the forefront by doing things like pre-drafting emails for you, putting together proposals, providing you with daily briefs of what to expect that day, or meeting summary notes and creating dashboards for you.
00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:57.920
So this is kind of like having your own executive assistant, like those ones you see in the movies, which followed the big boss around and they write all the notes and they they're the ones actually doing all the real work, and the boss is just signing things off.
00:06:58.079 --> 00:06:59.600
Um, that's this level.
00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:03.360
So you will, of course, always still check before anything goes out publicly.
00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:06.240
I know that is a concern when we start talking about these automations.
00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:12.319
So this isn't about them sending the emails for you, it's drafting, you edit, and you then you send.
00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.720
So you've still got the human eyes across it.
00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.639
Then level five is advisory.
00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:22.160
And this is where the tech now takes all of this and starts acting as a strategic decision-making partner.
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:29.759
So it's looking at the data and the trends, um, your decisions, looking at them, it's the history and starting to provide advice.
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:35.680
Um, or you can use it to ask questions and do a bit of back and forth, all of that good stuff.
00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:37.680
So that's very high level.
00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.240
And that is not necessarily the goal.
00:07:40.480 --> 00:08:01.759
The goal for you is to try to move from where you are now, wherever you think the biggest friction is in your business right now, the task that you find the most frustrating, or whatever it is that process that you think this amazing app will solve for you, take a step back and go, okay, where am I on this tech load ladder?
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:04.160
Am I doing everything manually at level one?
00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.600
Do I I is the tech I have all standalone?
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.680
Um, or is it connected?
00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:12.560
Or is it assisted or is it advising?
00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:14.079
And how can I move it further?
00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.000
Where is that gap?
00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:24.000
So that is how we use this tech ladder to decide on if you should go with that next tool or not.
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:37.600
It's a way about taking a good look at how you're doing things now and seeing if the problem is the tools you have, or if it is more something that you need that um you need to, a gap that you need to fill.
00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:44.159
Is a tool that you are looking at going to take some of the load and the manual intervention off your plate?
00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:48.399
Because you don't want another thing for you or a team member to manage.
00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:53.039
You will want something that manages something for you.
00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:56.399
So help you to make a decision when you're looking at that app.
00:08:56.559 --> 00:08:58.559
Ask yourself these five questions.
00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:02.480
One, what will this take off me specifically?
00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.840
Two, what does it need to talk to and can it?
00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:07.840
So can it talk to your other tools?
00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:12.799
Three, which rung on the tech load ladder would it move this job to?
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:18.000
Four, could a connection between tools I already have do the same thing?
00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:28.960
Or could an extra AI agent or assistant in the tools I've already got or using a LLM like a Claude or a Chat GPT, take what I already have and just make it easier for me?
00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:43.919
So make sure to read the TechLoad Ladder blog post to get some more specific examples of all of this in action, but really utilize those questions the next time you see that amazing platform.
00:09:44.399 --> 00:10:11.519
Or if that's feeling just too overwhelming for you and you can't see the forest for the trees, do um if you want me to look at your processes for you and determine how you can move from, say, rung two to rung four on or whatever level you choose, make sure to check out my process audit service where in one session we'll work through what's quietly or not so quietly costing you time, money, and headspace, and we will know how to turn around.
00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:18.000
You'll come away with a big picture map of how it runs now, a step-by-step breakdown, and recommendations with options.
00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:23.200
And I say options plural because there is rarely one right answer for a real business.
00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:28.080
So you can learn more all about that at yalehion.com forward slash audit.
00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:48.159
But regardless of if you want me to look at it or you're going to look at it yourself, just make sure you take those moments to look, to ask yourself those questions, to ask that all-important um viewpoint about will this tool take something off my plate, or is it just going to be extra work for me?
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:49.919
Thank you so much for joining me today.
00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:57.600
I'd love to hear from you what you've enjoyed for this episode or what you want to know of more about systems in future episodes.
00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.120
Let me know over on Instagram.
00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:03.200
I'm at Yale Keon, and I'll see you in the next episode.
