#31 · How to Build AI Automation Offers (One-Time + Recurring)
The strategy is to estimate how long each task will take, then sort the tasks from the shortest to the longest. I start with the easiest, quickest tasks—like making my bed or sending a one‑minute email—to build momentum, similar to paying down debt with the lowest‑interest loan first. By completing several small wins I generate inertia that lets me tackle bigger, harder tasks later in the day.
That's a great question—my go‑to solution is to use a tool that handles about 80 % of the work so I don’t have to build my own app or database. I often pick hacky solutions because they’re the fastest and simplest way to get up and running, even if they’re not the most elegant. They get me about 90 % of the way there; the remaining 10 % may require workarounds, but I prioritize speed. Speed lets me grow through real market feedback instead of endless planning, so I can put products in front of customers quickly and iterate.
When I feel overwhelmed, I take a minute to list every single task I actually have to do on paper. The overwhelm comes not from the total volume but from my perception of the volume bouncing around in my head. My simple steps: take a deep breath, identify the first thing bouncing around that I need to do and write it out, then identify the next thing and write it out, and keep rinsing and repeating for 10‑20‑30 minutes to get a big list of actionable steps. To push further, write out the first subtask needed to move that forward—for example, after moving provinces I needed to figure out car insurance; the first actionable step was to call a phone number. Knowing the exact step reduces friction and makes it much easier to get done; this is about eliminating akrasia (weakness of will). Reduce the friction and you’ll win.
I usually just use pen and paper, which I don't think is as efficient as the one you use. I use this one called Godspeed right now. It's just a to-do manager right at your fingertips. I just write stuff. I can set a duration, for example 30 minutes, then hold command and press enter to create the task. The whole benefit is that it's based on keyboard shortcuts, which I love because I'm really fast at keyboarding. Now, is this the best to-do list? No. I think a pen and paper works just fine. I'd probably just use a pen and paper. Don't focus on the efficiency; focus on your ability to do it over a long enough period of time so you can eventually accumulate massive results.
Rather than strict time-boxing, structure your schedule by front-loading your highest-ROI, nearest-to-revenue tasks first and taking as long as needed to complete them. For instance, replying to community comments in Maker School directly drives retention, revenue, and goodwill, so it is completed first thing every morning. To speed up execution over time, record yourself completing a recurring task, review the footage to strip out wasted effort, and establish a realistic 'ideal time' benchmark. Track your time daily as a KPI until you consistently reach that benchmark. The key to productivity is productizing your daily schedule—repeating the exact same core high-value actions every day so you build speed and mastery, rather than constantly switching between contextually different tasks.