ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Fix the Process Before You Change the Tool
On the Growth Notes Podcast, Frazier continues a Toyota-themed lesson focused on improving business systems by starting with process before technology. He argues that people often jump from vendor to vendor—especially with CRMs—when the real issue is usually a broken or unclear process, not the tool itself. Frazier warns against letting a platform dictate how you work and urges listeners to define the end goal and what they’re trying to solve before choosing technology, particularly as AI drives more tool-chasing behavior. He frames tools as both support for maintaining productivity and growth and as a lever for shifting gears, but only after processes are optimized. With year-end planning underway, he encourages reviewing what to add, remove, or budget for by first fixing and enhancing the underlying process.
