Copy Shaan Puri Tactics to Save Your Small Business

Key Takeaways

• Implement a Friction Inbox to track every task that wastes more than 10 minutes of your team's time each week.
• Use cloning systems to document your specific workflow before you hire your first employee to avoid a $4,000 bad-hire mistake.
• Check the official U.S. Small Business Administration site for local mentoring resources that help you apply these high-level tactics to a trade business.

Shaan Puri recently highlighted a list of unconventional tactics used by top-tier CEOs that most people overlook. In a recent post, he broke down specific moves like Sam Altman's Friction Inbox and MrBeast's cloning system. While these sound like tech-world jargon, they're actually practical solutions for a five-person landscaping crew or a solo accounting firm. These methods focus on removing the small, daily annoyances that eat your profit and prevent you from actually growing.

1. Build a Friction Inbox to stop wasting time

Sam Altman uses a Friction Inbox to catch every tiny thing that goes wrong in a day.

For a small business owner, friction is usually the stuff you just deal with because you're too busy to fix it. This includes a printer that jams every Tuesday or a vendor portal that requires three password resets a month. You should create a simple shared document or a dedicated email address where employees can report these hiccups. If you see the same issue three times, it's a sign you're losing money on labor. S. Htm), administrative managers spend a huge chunk of time on facility and record-keeping issues. A Friction Inbox lets you spot those patterns before they become a full-time headache. Say you run a 4-person cleaning service. If your team reports that the vacuum bags are always out of stock in the van, that's friction. Fixing the ordering process saves you 20 minutes of driving time per tech, per day.

2. Use the MrBeast Cloning System for new hires

MrBeast is famous for his cloning system, which is just a fancy way of saying he writes down exactly how he thinks. Small business owners often struggle with hiring because they expect a new person to read their mind. You can use this tactic by recording a quick video of yourself doing a task, like invoicing a client or scheduling a site visit. Don't just show them what to do. Explain why you do it that way. This creates a manual that works even when you aren't there. It prevents the common trap where an owner hires someone but still has to do 80% of the work because the new person is confused.

3. Deploy Option Drops to simplify big decisions

Shaan Puri mentioned Martin's option drops as a way to clear the deck. As an owner, you probably get hit with 50 questions a day about which supplies to buy or how to handle a customer complaint. An option drop means your team cannot just bring you a problem. They must bring two or three researched solutions with the pros and cons of each. This forces your staff to think like owners. It stops you from being the bottleneck in your own company.

4. Set a threshold for small expenses

CEO tactics often involve aggressive delegation of small dollar amounts. If you're still approving every $20 purchase for office supplies, you're paying yourself a low hourly wage to be a clerk. Set a limit, like $100, where your team can just spend the money to keep the job moving without asking you first. You can track these through basic business banking tools. If you're looking for a way to manage this, you might check out Wells Fargo Initiate Business Checking for a standard starting point. Just make sure you follow the Internal Revenue Service guidelines for documenting these costs so you stay clean during tax season.

5. Audit your tools to cut ghost spend

High-growth CEOs are ruthless about cutting what doesn't work. Small businesses often sign up for software during a busy month and forget to cancel it. Take one hour this Friday to look at your bank statement. If you see a $29 monthly fee for a tool your team hasn't mentioned in 90 days, kill it immediately. This is the easiest way to add $300 to $1,000 back to your every year without finding a single new customer.

Running a business is mostly about managing the small things before they turn into big fires.

Pick one task you hate doing this week and record a three-minute video of yourself doing it correctly. Send that video to your assistant or senior tech and tell them they own that task now. That's how you start cloning yourself.

Related free tool

Bad Hire Cost Calculator — See what one bad hire is actually costing you. Free, no signup to start.

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📋 Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or professional advice. Laws and regulations change frequently, and the information presented may not reflect the most current legal developments. Always consult with a qualified professional (CPA, attorney, financial advisor) before making business decisions based on this content. MyBizNerd may receive compensation through affiliate links, but this never influences our recommendations.

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