It’s a fascinating subject that’s been on my mind lately—delegation versus doing it yourself. I know there are some thumb rules around it, but when you’re scaling up, or even just thinking about it, the right time to delegate can feel like a mystery. Maybe earlier is better; maybe later is. Who knows?
The Art of Letting Go
When you start creating systems and looking to scale, you’re essentially building ways to not have to do everything yourself. That’s a good thing—teams should be capable enough to make decisions and take the hard calls without you. But there’s always the risk of a drop in quality, or at least the perception of it.
As a founder, this is the tightrope you walk: you want to empower others, but you also have your own way of doing things. When you hand something off, it might not get done exactly the way you envisioned, and that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Tech vs. Support: Where to Draw the Line?
In my case, I’ve seen my tech team step up beautifully. They design, they architect, they execute, and 99% of the time I’m not needed. That’s a win. But customer support? Sometimes I’m just not happy with the way things get handled. It’s not that people are intentionally messing up; they’re just doing the best they know. Maybe it’s my communication that’s the problem, or maybe it’s the alignment.
This brings up another question: how do you tell a team that’s already performing decently that you want things to be even better? It’s a delicate balance because everyone’s putting in effort, but you want to raise the bar.
What to Delegate—and When?
So what should be delegated? I think about this a lot. If a function in the company is fully built out—like tech is for us—it makes sense to let it go. But for customer support, or areas where quality is subjective and expectations are personal, maybe it needs more of my touch.
Then there’s this other layer: as a founder, what’s my main job now? If the team is running the tech and customer support, why is the business not growing? That’s on me. Bringing in new business should be my top priority. After all, everyone’s here for something: growth, excitement, financial security. It’s my job to create the challenge, the opportunity, and the rewards.
The People Side
People management is another big one. People move at their own pace. Some speed up, some slow down, some get distracted. It’s my job to bring in timely feedback, set expectations, and align the team towards better outcomes. That’s leadership. It’s also about knowing when to push and when to give them the space to breathe.
And let’s not forget hiring. People management doesn’t end with the current team; it also means finding new people who fit the culture and the mission. It’s an ongoing process.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it comes down to prioritization—deciding where I should spend my time and energy. If everything’s delegated, what’s left for me? Growing the business. That’s the fuel for the whole machine. Without it, even the best team can’t thrive.
Delegation isn’t a binary choice; it’s an art of knowing what to let go of and when. It’s about building a team that’s not just capable but also aligned with your vision. And it’s about making sure that as the founder, you’re focusing on what only you can do—driving the business forward.