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In the early days of any business, most founders wear too many hats. You’re the product lead, marketer, customer service rep and ops manager — sometimes all in the same afternoon.
I’ve been there. When I was launching my first AI startup, I was writing code, answering support tickets, hacking on SEO and trying to figure out Google Ads at night. Every time I jumped from one thing to another, I paid a tax: ramp-up time, mental fatigue, missed details.
Eventually, I drew a line: if a function had a steep learning curve, wasn’t core to the product or customer experience, and could burn cash fast if I got it wrong, it had to go.
Here are the first three things I outsourced — what worked, what didn’t and how I make the decision now.
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1. Google Ads had to go first
I took a real swing at it. I set up campaigns, followed Google’s recommendations and even tried Performance Max. One day it would “work,” the next day I’d spend $90 to make a $24 sale.
Whether you’re running a SaaS tool, an ecommerce store, or a local service business, paid ads can become a black hole. The learning curve is steep, the platform is opaque by design and Google is always nudging you to spend more so the algorithm can “learn.”
I hired a specialist. Instantly, I stopped burning time trying to reverse engineer bidding strategies and keyword intent. I could focus on the roadmap, customers and the parts of marketing I actually understood. Worth every dollar.
My advice: Try it briefly so you understand the vocabulary and the levers. Then get out. Your money will disappear faster than your learning compounds.
2. Social media was next — and it blew up (in a bad way)
I outsourced content and channel management to someone who promised to “crush it.” I gave full access to my accounts. It devolved into drama, threats and low-quality work. I shut it down.
The lesson? Never give full control of a distribution channel to someone you don’t know, and never confuse enthusiasm with competence. Social media can be valuable for any business building in public — but only if it’s handled by someone you trust and can hold accountable.
Next time: I’ll only outsource to someone vetted by people I trus