Notes
On systems that fit, and tools that do not.
Short pieces, written to be used. They are not a blog calendar. Each note is about fit: when a spreadsheet has become the operating system, when a CRM is being worked around, and when a custom system is the right decision — and when it is not.
Read them if you are trying to name a problem the tools have not named. They are written from the work: the unofficial pipeline, the second spreadsheet, the status meeting that exists because nothing else is trusted. They are not product reviews.
Business Systems/2026-04-08
Why your business has outgrown Excel
Spreadsheets are an excellent way to start. They become an expensive way to run a company once the process no longer fits in a grid.
01 · Read
Systems/2026-05-20
When should a business build a custom system?
A custom system is not a personality. It is a decision about whether how the company works is worth building around — or whether a generic tool is close enough.
02 · Read
CRM/2026-06-11
Why your CRM doesn't match your sales process
If the pipeline in the CRM and the pipeline in the business are two different stories, the system is not being used. It is being worked around.
03 · Read