Everyone knows the moment. You’re cycling, it’s going well, and you let go of the handlebars. Briefly, carefully, hands still close. And then you notice: it just keeps going.
That’s how I want to run my companies. I want to keep cycling, just with less of a death grip on the handlebars.
No hands doesn’t mean no attention
A misunderstanding I hear a lot: a company that runs without you is a company you no longer care about. It’s exactly the opposite. Riding with no hands only works with speed, balance and a bike that’s tuned well. You have to think about it more, not less. Just at a different moment: beforehand, instead of on the way.
My four principles
1. Boundaries over control. I decide where we’re going and where the limits are. Within those limits, the team decides. The clearer the boundaries, the less I need to check.
2. Recurring work isn’t people work. Everything that comes back every week, like updating the inbox, chasing invoices or keeping schedules, belongs in a system. People are there for work that needs judgement, creativity and contact.
3. AI as a colleague, not a toy. I work with an AI assistant that’s really part of the operation: reading, preparing, tracking, following up. With one hard rule: whatever goes out, I approve. Trust grows step by step, and I measure it.
4. Profit is more than money. A company that earns a lot but eats all your time, health and attention isn’t a good company. I also count in time, energy, relationships and direction.
Where I am
I’m on the way. At Apperium there’s a team I trust that decides more and more on its own. My AI assistant prepares dozens of things for me every week. On this site I show live what he does.
But plenty still goes wrong. Drafts I throw away, decisions I end up taking myself again, days I’m the engine once more. Those stories go here too.
What’s in it for you
Are you a founder and does too much still revolve around you? Then I’m writing for you. You won’t get ten steps to freedom. You’ll get an honest log from someone who’s trying: what I set up, what it costs, what it brings, and the rules and systems you can copy straight away.
A company is only truly yours when it runs without you. That’s what I’m working towards.