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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.
Related: How to Turn Big Business Moments Into Lasting Brand Momentum
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 trust, with scoped access, clear deliverables and a kill switch.
3. PR was the third — and it worked
I’d watched competitors outrank me and land strong stories. I tried the DIY route (like HARO), but the ROI wasn’t there. So I brought in someone who could own the process — strategy, pitching, follow-through — and translate my product into narratives reporters actually want.
That freed me to focus on what I do best while the media engine ran in parallel. For businesses in crowded markets or emerging categories, this kind of PR support can be game-changing.
How I decide what to outsource now
I use a simple filter:
- Is this core to the product or user experience? If yes, I keep it.
- Is the learning curve steep enough that I’ll waste weeks for marginal improvement? If yes, I outsource.
- Could a mistake here be disproportionately expensive? (Ads and legal are great examples.) Outsource.
- Do I understand it well enough to evaluate the work? If not, I’ll do a quick self-guided crash course, then bring someone in.
- Can I structure a small, low-risk test? If yes, I do that before any retainer.
Handling the handoff while staying lean
I started with literal paper notes, then the Mac Notes app. Today, I still keep it simple: Trello boards when needed, email for most communication, and regular short check-ins. The point is clarity, not tooling.
One clear metric, one owner, one cadence.
Access-wise: role-based logins, password manager and instant revocation baked into the plan. That social media experience burned this into my process.
Related: How to Actually Get Returns in Your Marketing Efforts
About that “it’s faster if I do it myself” line…
It isn’t. It just feels faster because you don’t have to explain anything. In reality, you’re trading days of deep work for weeks of shallow thrash.
Do enough to understand it. Then move it off your plate — so you can focus on what only you can do.
You can’t do it all — not for long and not well. Start by outsourcing the work that burns cash when done poorly, has a steep learning curve, or pulls you furthest from the product or customer. Keep control of your infrastructure, build small, reversible contracts and measure everything.
The cost of trying to be superhuman is higher than the cost of a good specialist.
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Jeremy Gustine