Recurring Value: Beyond Clever Automation
Not clever automation that saves 30 minutes once. Apps and AI workflows that keep paying dividends.
TL;DR: The best automation isn’t clever—it’s compounding. This post makes the case for building systems that deliver recurring value through structured workflows with human checkpoints, rather than one-off automations that impress once and break forever.
The Automation Trap
The Recurring Value Test
A Pattern That Compounds
- Intake: make inputs structured and easy to provide.
- Execute: keep the “work” small, testable, and idempotent.
- Verify: add lightweight checks before the output becomes real.
- Report: make results visible so humans trust (and improve) the system.