How to Identify What to Automate (Without Overcomplicating It)

Welcome back to The Intelligent Marketer, where growth-minded founders, agency owners, and marketers go to learn modern marketing strategies.

Everyone’s asking the same question right now:

“What should I automate?”

And most people are answering it the wrong way.

They start with the tools.

They start with what’s possible.

They start with what looks cool.

That’s how you end up with:

• Overbuilt workflows

• Half-working automations

• Systems that take longer to manage than the task itself

I’ve been there.

And what I’ve learned, especially as we’ve been building more with AI inside Legacy Builder, is this:

In fact, most things shouldn’t.

Where Most People Go Wrong

They try to automate everything.

Sales. Strategy. Thinking. Creativity.

But the highest-leverage businesses don’t automate the important work.

They automate the predictable work.

There’s a difference.

The Simple Filter We Use

Before we automate anything now, we run it through a simple filter:

1. Is it repetitive?

Does this happen over and over again?

Every client.

Every week.

Every project.

If you’re doing the same thing 10+ times, it’s a candidate.

2. Is it predictable?

Does it follow a clear pattern?

Same inputs.

Same structure.

Same expected output.

If the steps don’t change much, it can likely be systemized.

3. Is it low judgment?

Does it require deep thinking, or is it mostly execution?

Formatting.

Organizing.

Summarizing.

First drafts.

If it doesn’t require your experience or decision-making, it shouldn’t require your time.

If it doesn’t?

Don’t force it.

What This Looks Like in Practice

As we’ve been experimenting more with AI (especially tools like Claude), we’ve started applying this filter across the business.

Here’s where it actually works:

• Turning raw notes into structured action items

• Cleaning up CRM data and follow-ups

• Drafting first-pass deliverables

• Organizing internal workflows

• Standardizing onboarding steps

None of this is flashy.

But it’s high leverage.

Because it removes friction.

And friction is what slows everything down.

What We Don’t Automate

This is just as important.

We don’t automate:

• Strategy

• Positioning

• Decision-making

• Client relationships

• High-level thinking

Because that’s the work that actually creates value.

Automation should support that, not replace it.

Start Small, Not Fancy

This is where most people get stuck.

They try to build the perfect system.

The fully connected stack.

The end-to-end automation.

The “this runs the whole business” setup.

And they never finish it.

Instead, do this:

Find one task.

One annoying, repetitive, predictable task.

Automate that.

Then move to the next.

Because small wins compound into real systems.

The Real Goal

The goal isn’t to automate everything.

The goal is to buy back your attention.

To remove the work that doesn’t require you…

So you can focus on the work that does.

• Thinking

• Building

• Deciding

• Leading

That’s where the leverage is.

If you’re getting into AI right now, don’t start with tools.

Start with friction.

Find what repeats.

Find what’s predictable.

Find what doesn’t need you.

Then build from there.

Are you tracking agent views on your docs?

AI agents already outnumber human visitors to your docs — now you can track them.

See your AI traffic!

See you next Friday.

– Eric
Intelligent Marketer Newsletter

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