- Lazy Leverage
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- Scale DOWN, damnit
In a world obsessed with scaling up, we've forgotten the art of scaling down.
You're a business owner or an executive.
Your time is precious.
How precious?
Let's do the math.
If your target annual earnings are $180,000, each hour of your time is worth about $86.54 (assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks a year).
Consider this: great global talent is available at around $9 an hour. That's a 10x difference.
Here’s what most people F up… “Oh I don’t have enough things for global talent to do… I need to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of that $9 to justify it!"
Wrong.
Here's why: You're still thinking like you’re hiring locally.
The Old Way: Maximizing Jobs
We used to think big. Big responsibilities. Big job descriptions. Big expectations.
Why?
Because we were used to expensive local labor costs.
If an employee didn't juggle three departments, two side projects, and the office coffee run, we couldn't break even on their salary.
But that's old math. That's old thinking.
The New Way: Minimizing Jobs
What if, instead of making jobs as big as possible, we made them as small as possible?
Sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it?
But bear with me.
Let's talk about Bob.
Bob owns a roofing company.
He has a stack of old leads gathering dust in a folder somewhere.
They're potential gold, but Bob's too busy putting out fires (sometimes literally - it's roofing, after all) to follow up.
Enter Beth, the rehash specialist.
Beth’s job is simple: Call old leads. That's it. She doesn't manage projects, she doesn't climb on roofs, she doesn't even order office supplies.
She calls old leads.
"But Jon," you say, "that's not enough work to justify a salary!"
Is it?
Let's do the math.
Beth works 40 hours a week at $9 an hour. That’s about 1500 a month, or $18,720 a year.
Now, let's say the average roof job nets Bob $10,000 in profit.
If Beth’s calling results in just two additional roofs every year, Bob has broken even on her salary.
Anything more is pure profit.
Two jobs... a year…that's the bar.
But here's the kicker:
Beth, focused solely on this one task, is likely to land far more than two jobs every year.
She might land one a month.
Or one a week.
Suddenly, Bob's $1,500/month investment is returning $60,000, $120,000, or more in additional profit each year.
That's the power of “small jobs”.
The Growth Mindset
Now, here's something crucial to understand: While we're starting Beth with a laser-focused, minimal job description, that's just the beginning.
It's not the endpoint.
Inevitably, Beth will do more.
As she gains experience and confidence, she'll spot opportunities, suggest improvements, and expand her role naturally.
But here's the key: that growth isn't required to get her started or to justify her role.
The beauty of this approach is that it allows for organic growth without the pressure of unrealistic initial expectations.
Beth might eventually become a lead-generating powerhouse, managing a team of callers, or developing new outreach strategies.
But all of that is a bonus, not a prerequisite.
This mindset shift is liberating for both employer and employee.
It sets the stage for success from day one, while leaving room for unlimited potential growth.
Why It Works
Focus breeds expertise: When someone does one thing, and only one thing, they get really good at it. Beth becomes a master of rehashing old leads.
Clear metrics: With a single, defined task, it's easy to measure success. Bob knows exactly what he's paying for and what he's getting in return.
Scalability: As the business grows, Bob can easily add more "Beths" without the complexity of expanding full-time roles.
Flexibility: If the market changes or the strategy needs tweaking, it's simple to pivot when roles are specialized and streamlined.
Global talent pool: When jobs are simple and clearly defined, you can tap into a worldwide workforce, finding the best person for each output.
Room for growth: Starting small allows for natural, pressure-free expansion of roles as employees gain experience and insight.
The Mindset Shift
This approach requires a fundamental shift in how we think about work and value.
It's not about keeping people busy. It's about keeping them effective.
It's not about hours worked. It's about outputs achieved.
It's not about job titles. It's about job impact.
And it's not about immediate multi-tasking.
It's about focused beginnings with room to grow.
Your Challenge
Look at your business.
Where are you trying to create big, catch-all roles?
Where can you split those roles into smaller, more focused jobs?
Remember, you're not looking for “full-time positions.”
Youre looking for the smallest possible thing you can ROI on.
Maybe it's a cold email specialist who focuses solely on crafting and sending initial outreach.
Perhaps it's a data entry leader who keeps your CRM squeaky clean (and lets you go out and drum up more business).
Or it could be a social media engagement expert who does nothing but respond to comments and messages.
The key is to think small. Really small. Uncomfortably small.
Because in the world of global talent, small jobs lead to big outputs.
So, what's the smallest possible job you can create in your business today?
And more importantly, what's stopping you from creating it?
Start small.
Think big.
Allow for growth.
Lazy leverage.
Yallah Habibi,
Jon
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