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Ask HN: Solo owner here, how important is automation?

by timmm on 2/18/15, 2:46 AM with 11 comments

I have a side project that I would like to see turn into a full time job. Right now it is only me and I have no interest in hiring anyone else, but I am running the entire show which can be a bit overwhelming at times.I sell a physical product but it is deeply facilitated by a strong web presence.

How important is automating the business?

I've set up scripts thus far that will email me when the mysql server is down, my node server is down, the site is unreachable, etc. Emails to customers are automated etc. But I know there is much more I can do.

I am capable of building just about whatever in terms of automation but there is a real upfront cost in terms of my time so my question is really Would it be wise for me to spend time in automating business tasks or should I defer that until more sales come in?

  • by guiambros on 2/18/15, 3:23 AM

    Automation makes sense when it will: 1) enhance the user experience, 2) save time, or 3) mitigate the risk.

    These things are probably in chronological order. First focus on little things that will improve the user experience (like sending automated shipping confirmation) so they like the site even more. Then focus on eliminating manual and time-consuming tasks, and reducing the risk.

    Most of the things you mentioned are related to monitoring and reducing the risk. While appropriate, monitoring mysql is pointless unless you have have people going to the site in the first place.

    (and if your MySQL is going down frequently, you have other problems)

    Don't over-engineer your project. Spend more time on creating the MVP, finding core users, understanding what they want and how to better service them. You'll know when automation is needed (e.g., when you spend several hours non-stop doing this dull manual task, when you could invest a day or two and have it fully automated).

  • by CyberFonic on 2/18/15, 3:30 AM

    Until you are able to go full-time, your primary focus should be to build revenue to the point that you can take that step. Have you looked at the opportunity cost of building your business automation compared with just buying suitable SaaS solutions and concentrating on building revenue? I get the impression you like the technical side, but that generally becomes an obstacle to growth.

    I recommend reading "The e-Myth" - work on your business not in your business.

  • by andymoe on 2/18/15, 3:06 AM

    Does your side project really require you to run your own node server and mysql server? Do the cost benefit on running those things yourself vs paying more for something like Heroku etc or other services with higher level abstractions.

    I think automation is really important at the business process level but at this stage you should probably give yourself a budget to buy vs build in most all but your really core areas. Lay the foundation but defer where you can.

    Things I would do right away is:

    - Have a credit card just for the business

    - Automate your accounting (push orders to accounting system)

    - Automate your inventory management (at least have a system)

    - Figure out shipping well and automate that.

    I leverage Shopify and Xero for these and it works OK for now.

    Feel free to email me if you want to compare notes in detail.

  • by j_s on 2/19/15, 5:19 PM

    http://blog.asmartbear.com/virtual-assistant-startup.html

    before you launch your product, think about the processes you can avoid automating

    you’ll have plenty of time before you need to scale, and you may never need to scale if the idea doesn’t work. Every hour spent writing code is wasted time if that code could be replaced by a human being doing the same task until your product proves itself

  • by auganov on 2/18/15, 7:46 AM

    If you don't know how important it is to you, then you're probably doing it for your own enjoyment. Or more likely avoidance of more important stuff.