

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

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.<p>How important is automating the business?<p>I&#x27;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.<p>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?
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guiambros
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).

~~~
brandonlipman
I have a tendency to "over-engineer"/overthink projects. I love process but
the three points above are awesome. They now are on a sticky note next to my
desk. Good litmus test for automation.

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CyberFonic
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.

~~~
timmm
I've noticed this but have not heard anyone articulate it, I will look into
that book. Thanks.

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andymoe
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.

~~~
timmm
> 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.

You're totally right, I have a bad habit of wanting to build everything from
scratch and in house, I am aware of this and I will need to get over this and
enlist other services if I want to run this company by myself.

I really should have used a service like shopify, instead I built my whole
site from scratch and integrated the site with Paypal's api via node.js. The
site looks and performs excellent but it was and will continue to be a lot of
work.

Those are good suggestions and I will review those.

~~~
CyberFonic
I can relate to your approach. Engineers have a tendency to allow the "not
invented here syndrome" take hold.

But ... that is not necessarily a bad thing. It is possible that you are more
passionate and motivated by the technical aspects. If your product and the
niche that it serves doesn't stir the same intensity of passion then maybe you
should consider amping up your skills in the infrastructure side and finding
lucrative gigs in that area. If you decide to change track in the future, your
current business might be a viable sale proposition. The new owner might need
you to maintain the infrastructure on contract.

Money is good, but once your basic needs are met it doesn't buy more
happiness. In the long term you are more successful if you do what you are
good at and enjoy doing.

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j_s
[http://blog.asmartbear.com/virtual-assistant-
startup.html](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_

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auganov
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.

~~~
timmm
I think you're right, I do seem to be avoiding other tasks that are probably
more important at least right now.

