Stop Doing
- Adam T. Hurd
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
The Simple Newsletter - Issue # 071
ADAM'S THOUGHTS:
I’ve been thinking a lot about partnerships.
I’ve seen a lot of them. Some great. Some… not so great.
In theory, a partnership is simple:
Each person plays a role that adds value to the business.
If you’ve ever read E-Myth, you know the three roles:
The doer
The manager
The visionary
Every business needs all three.
And in a healthy partnership, those roles are clear. Specialized. Respected.
But here’s what I’ve seen happen over and over again.
Someone starts as the doer. They have a skill. They build something from it. The business begins to grow.
And then… gaps appear.
Instead of leaning on a partner…
Instead of hiring…
Instead of delegating…
They learn the new skill.
Then they master it.
Then they own it.
And before they know it, they’re doing everything.
They look up one day and realize:
They’re not the owner anymore.
They’re the best employee in their own company.
Meanwhile, their partner is expecting the business to be running… but everything that keeps it running has now become a burden for the other person.
That’s the Founder Trap.
ADAM'S LESSON:
The reason this happens is simple.
When you’re great at something… it’s really hard to let it go.
It’s what built you.
It’s what made you valuable.
It’s what got you here.
And in your mind, it feels like:
“It’s faster if I just do it.”
“It’s cheaper if I just do it.”
“It’ll be better if I just do it.”
So you keep doing.
But then something dangerous happens.
You start to split yourself:
Half doing.
Half building systems.
Half trying to manage.
And now nothing is fully moving forward.
Things stall.
Things break.
Things get forgotten.
And even when you finally hire someone…
You don’t become the visionary.
You become the manager.
Then the manager becomes the best manager.
And the visionary?
Never shows up.
In partnerships, this gets even more complicated.
Because now the visionary starts doing…
The doer starts managing…
And suddenly, everyone is operating below their highest value.
That’s not how you build a business.
That’s how you build a job.
So here’s the truth:
Just because you learned how to do it…
Doesn’t mean you should keep doing it.
Other people can learn too.
And if you want to actually own a business…
You have to let them.
So here’s my question for you this week:
Where in your business are you still doing something you’ve already outgrown — simply because you’re good at it?
Reply and tell me. While I can’t respond to every message, Tom and I read every reply, and we genuinely appreciate hearing from you.
That’s all for this week.
See you next Saturday.
P.S.
Most self-employed people don’t get stuck because they lack skill… they get stuck because they refuse to let go of it. Click below to find out why so many founders become the bottleneck in their own business.
Comments