What should I automate first in my business?

Automate your biggest time bottleneck first, not the most impressive task. If writing proposals takes 10 hours weekly, automate that before building complex multi-agent systems. The smart start approach: identify one bottleneck (e.g., cold email writing), build one simple solution (a basic script or prompt), execute. This delivers immediate value—40 hours per month saved from one automation beats zero hours saved from an incomplete complex system.

How do I start using AI automation without getting overwhelmed?

Start with one task, not your entire business. Founders fail by trying to build spaceship-level automation before proving a simple script works. The Smart Start approach: pick one boring, repetitive task you do weekly, create a basic AI solution (prompt template or simple automation), measure time saved, then move to the next task. Transform one task completely before attempting holistic business transformation.

Is it better to build simple or complex AI automation?

Start simple. A basic prompt that saves 10 hours weekly delivers more value than a complex agent system that takes months to build and never finishes. Productivity porn (building elaborate systems) feels like work but delays results. Effective founders automate proposal writing in one day, save 40 hours monthly, then automate the next bottleneck. Complexity kills execution—boring, simple automations compound faster.

January 4, 2026

Smart Start

Githui Maina

Founder & AI Systems Architect

Most founders use AI to procrastinate.

They spend weeks building complex autonomous agents to manage a team they don't even have yet.

They try to build a spaceship before they have a bicycle.

This is "Productivity Porn." It feels like work, but it's just a distraction.

If you are starting a business, the goal is not to be "advanced." The goal is to be effective.

The Smart Start approach:

Identify one bottleneck (e.g., writing cold emails).
Build one simple solution (a basic script or prompt).
Execute.

I used to spend 10 hours a week customizing proposals.

Now I spend 15 minutes reviewing what my AI wrote.

That is 40 hours a month bought back.

Stop trying to transform your entire business overnight.

Transform one task.

Then, do it again.

What is the one boring task you will automate today?