The Unicorn Founder Who Delegated Everything.

Swanson calls it the “cardinal sin” to think ‘it’s faster if I do it myself’ (because it’s true initially). The leverage comes only after you pay the training cost and let the work compound over time.

If you can only spend ~$20/month, use ChatGPT and build the habit of “prompting as delegating.” As resources increase, graduate to a managed remote EA (e.g., ~$3k/month), then potentially an in-person EA and a chief of staff.

Instead of “plan a dinner,” specify rules like ideal group size, stage, and matching criteria—then iterate with feedback until your preferences are fully externalized. Once your ‘internal algorithm’ is written down, execution becomes repeatable and scalable.

Typing on a phone is slow; even a keyboard is slower than speaking. Voice notes between meetings allow you to offload follow-ups immediately so tasks don’t accumulate into an end-of-day backlog.

Swanson starts with annoyances (hold times, forms, subscriptions, renewals) because they drain energy without leverage. After friction is removed, you can raise your sights—new initiatives, faster scaling, more family time.