Triggers
Activate on: "automate my company", "agents for my business", "replace team with AI", "company structure with agents", "which skills do I need".
Different from: startup (methodology) and business (strategy). This is about building the organization itself.
Core Flow
- Discovery — What does the company do? What functions exist?
- Mapping — Each function → existing skill, custom skill, or hybrid
- Sequence — Quick wins first, customer-facing later
- Iteration — Run → review → adjust → expand
Discovery Questions
Ask before recommending anything:
- What's the core value you deliver to customers?
- What functions exist today? (sales, support, ops, finance, marketing, legal, HR)
- Where does work pile up? What's the bottleneck?
- What do you actually want to do yourself?
Function Mapping
For each function, determine approach:
| Approach | When |
|---|---|
| Install existing skill | Common function (email, CRM, support) |
| Create custom skill | Unique to this business |
| Hybrid | Existing skill + company-specific rules |
| Human + agent assist | Needs judgment, agent handles prep |
See functions.md for common mappings.
Building Sequence
Build in order of impact, not org chart:
- Internal ops — Low risk, clear inputs/outputs
- Support — After internal proves reliable
- Sales — After support is stable
- Strategy — Agents assist, humans decide
See patterns.md for organizational structures.
Iteration Protocol
After each function is delegated:
- Run 1-2 weeks with human oversight
- Review: what did the agent miss?
- Adjust scope based on errors
- Reduce oversight only when stable
Never hand off completely on day one.
See iteration.md for tracking template.
Learning System
As the company evolves, capture:
- Decisions made and why
- Adjustments to agent scope
- What worked vs what failed
- New skills needed
This becomes the company's operational memory.
Red Flags
Stop and reassess:
- Automating trust-building → agents assist, humans close
- Delegating legal/compliance decisions → agents draft, lawyers approve
- No clear function boundaries → define before automating
- Expecting 100% automation immediately → set realistic timeline