jmsktm/ops

ID8OPS - Operations Engine

Purpose

Build systems that run without you. Operations isn't about working harder—it's about working once and letting systems do the rest.

Philosophy: If you do it twice, document it. If you do it ten times, automate it. If it takes more than an hour, delegate it.

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When to Use

• Product is stable and needs operational rigor
• User is drowning in repetitive tasks
• User asks "how do I not be the bottleneck?"
• User needs to document processes
• User is thinking about hiring
• Project is in GROWING or OPERATING state

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Commands

/ops <project-slug>

Run full operations audit and systematization.

Process:

1. AUDIT - Identify recurring work
2. SYSTEMATIZE - Document processes
3. AUTOMATE - Script what can be scripted
4. DELEGATE - Hand off what can't be automated
5. MEASURE - Track operational health
6. OPTIMIZE - Improve continuously

/ops audit

Audit current operations for systematization opportunities.

/ops sop <process-name>

Create a Standard Operating Procedure document.

/ops delegate <task>

Create delegation framework for a specific task.

/ops playbook

Generate comprehensive operations playbook.

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Operations Philosophy

Solo Builder Reality

| Stage | Operations Focus | |-------|------------------| | Building | Minimal - focus on product | | Launching | Essential checklists only | | Growing | Document critical paths | | Scaling | Systematize everything |

The Operations Ladder

Level 1: Chaos
Everything in your head
You are the system

Level 2: Documentation
Processes written down
Others could follow them

Level 3: Automation
Scripts handle routine work
You review outputs

Level 4: Delegation
Others own processes
You set direction

Level 5: Organization
Systems run systems
You focus on strategy

Goal: Move up the ladder. Most solo builders stay at Level 1 too long.

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Process Detail

Phase 1: AUDIT

Identify all recurring work:

| Task | Frequency | Time/Occurrence | Weekly Hours | Category | |------|-----------|-----------------|--------------|----------| | {task} | {daily/weekly} | {X min} | {X hrs} | {ops/support/dev} |

Categories:

• Customer Support - Answering questions, issues
• Operations - Billing, admin, maintenance
• Marketing - Content, social, outreach
• Development - Bug fixes, features
• Strategy - Planning, decisions

Analysis:

• Which tasks consume most time?
• Which are repetitive and predictable?
• Which require your unique skills?
• Which could someone else do?

Phase 2: SYSTEMATIZE

For each recurring task, create an SOP:

## SOP: {Task Name}

### Purpose
Why this task exists and what it achieves.

### Trigger
When to perform this task.

### Steps
1. Step one (be specific)
2. Step two
3. Step three

### Output
What the completed task produces.

### Quality Check
How to verify it was done correctly.

### Common Issues
What goes wrong and how to fix it.

Systematization priority:

1. Tasks you hate (you'll skip them otherwise)
2. Tasks that block others
3. Tasks that cause errors when done wrong
4. Tasks that take longest

Phase 3: AUTOMATE

Automation candidates:

| Good for Automation | Bad for Automation | |--------------------|-------------------| | Repetitive, predictable | Requires judgment | | Data entry/movement | Creative work | | Notifications/alerts | Relationship building | | Reporting | Complex decisions | | Backups | Edge case handling |

Automation tools for solo builders:

| Category | Tools | |----------|-------| | Workflows | Zapier, Make, n8n | | Scheduling | Cron, scheduled functions | | Email | Sequences, auto-responders | | Data | Scripts, database triggers | | Monitoring | Uptime, error alerts |

Automation ROI:

Time saved per occurrence × Occurrences per month × 12
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Time to build automation + Time to maintain × 12

If ratio > 3, automate.

Phase 4: DELEGATE

Delegation framework:

CAN delegate:
- Tasks with clear inputs/outputs
- Tasks with written SOPs
- Tasks that don't require context
- Tasks with measurable quality

CAN'T delegate:
- Tasks requiring your unique insight
- High-stakes decisions
- Relationship-dependent work
- Tasks you haven't systematized

Delegation readiness checklist:

• [ ] SOP exists and is complete
• [ ] Quality criteria defined
• [ ] Example outputs available
• [ ] Feedback loop established
• [ ] Access/tools documented

Who to delegate to:

| Option | Cost | Best For | |--------|------|----------| | VA (Virtual Assistant) | $5-25/hr | Admin, data entry | | Freelancer | $25-100/hr | Specialized tasks | | Contractor | $50-150/hr | Ongoing work | | Part-time hire | Salary | Critical functions | | AI tools | Varies | Repetitive analysis |

Phase 5: MEASURE

Operational health metrics:

| Metric | What It Shows | Target | |--------|---------------|--------| | Response time | Support speed | < 24 hours | | Resolution rate | Support quality | > 90% | | Uptime | System reliability | > 99.5% | | Error rate | Product quality | < 1% | | Churn rate | Customer health | < 5%/mo |

Weekly ops review:

• What broke this week?
• What took longer than expected?
• What can be improved?
• What should be documented/automated?

Phase 6: OPTIMIZE

Continuous improvement cycle:

Measure → Analyze → Improve → Measure

Optimization targets:

• Reduce time per task
• Reduce error rate
• Reduce response time
• Increase automation coverage
• Increase delegation effectiveness

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Framework References

Systems Thinking

frameworks/systems-thinking.md - Building systems, not tasks

SOPs

frameworks/sops.md - Standard operating procedure patterns

Delegation

frameworks/delegation.md - Effective handoff frameworks

Customer Success

frameworks/customer-success.md - Support and onboarding systems

Team Building

frameworks/team-building.md - Hiring and culture (when ready)

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Output Templates

SOP Template

templates/sop-template.md - Standard operating procedure

Ops Playbook

templates/ops-playbook.md - Overall operations document

Hiring Scorecard

templates/hiring-scorecard.md - Evaluation framework

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Tool Integration

MCPs

Supabase:

• Operational data queries
• User support context
• System health metrics

Subagents

operations-manager:

• Complex operations coordination
• System design assistance
• Process optimization

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Handoff

After completing operations setup:

1. Save outputs:

   • SOPs → docs/sops/
   • Playbook → docs/OPS_PLAYBOOK.md

2. Log to tracker:

   /tracker log {project-slug} "OPS: Systematized {N} processes. {N} automated. Ready for scale."
   

3. Update state:

   /tracker update {project-slug} OPERATING
   

4. Next steps:

   • Execute SOPs consistently
   • Review and improve weekly
   • When exit opportunity arises, transition to exit

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Quick Wins

Day 1: Document Support

Write SOPs for:

• Answering common questions
• Bug report handling
• Refund process

Week 1: Automate Notifications

Set up:

• New user alerts
• Error notifications
• Churn warnings

Month 1: Build Playbook

Create comprehensive ops playbook covering:

• All recurring processes
• Emergency procedures
• Quality standards

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Anti-Patterns

| Anti-Pattern | Why Bad | Do Instead | |--------------|---------|------------| | "Just do it faster" | Doesn't scale | Systematize first | | Automating first | Waste if wrong | Document, then automate | | Delegating chaos | Sets up failure | Systematize, then delegate | | No documentation | Knowledge silos | Write it down | | Perfect systems | Never finished | Good enough, iterate | | Ignoring ops | Drowning inevitable | Schedule ops time |

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Quality Checks

Before finalizing operations setup:

• [ ] Critical processes documented
• [ ] SOPs are followable by others
• [ ] Automation ROI is positive
• [ ] Delegation criteria defined
• [ ] Metrics dashboard exists
• [ ] Weekly review scheduled
• [ ] Emergency procedures documented