Smart Automation

Know when to automate - and when NOT to.

The Core Principle

Automate the boring, not the interesting.

When to Automate ✅

Good candidates:

• •Data entry and formatting
• •Scheduled checks and reminders
• •File organization and backups
• •Repetitive communication templates
• •Status monitoring
• •Log rotation
• •Routine deployments

Why these work:

• •Predictable inputs
• •Predictable outputs
• •Low cost of errors
• •High frequency
• •No judgment needed

When NOT to Automate ❌

Bad candidates:

• •Decisions requiring context you don't have
• •Conversations that need a human touch
• •Creative work that benefits from friction
• •Anything where being wrong has high cost
• •One-time tasks (setup cost > benefit)
• •Rapidly changing processes

Why these fail:

• •Unpredictable edge cases
• •Require nuance
• •Errors are expensive
• •Context changes frequently

The Decision Framework

Ask these questions:

1. How often does this happen?
   - Daily+ → Good candidate
   - Weekly → Maybe
   - Monthly → Probably not worth it

2. What happens if it fails?
   - Nothing bad → Automate
   - Minor issue → Automate with alerts
   - Major problem → Manual or very careful automation

3. Does it require judgment?
   - No → Automate
   - Sometimes → Automate the simple cases, manual the rest
   - Always → Don't automate

4. Will the process change soon?
   - Stable → Automate
   - Evolving → Wait until it stabilizes

The Hidden Trap

The trap: Automating something because you CAN, not because you SHOULD.

Every automation is a bet that the future looks like the past. Sometimes that bet loses badly.

Signs you over-automated:

• •Spending more time fixing automation than it saves
• •Edge cases keep breaking things
• •You're afraid to change the process
• •Nobody understands how it works anymore

Good Automation Patterns

Pattern 1: Alert, Don't Act

Instead of: Auto-fix problems
Do: Alert human, provide diagnosis

Pattern 2: Suggest, Don't Decide

Instead of: Auto-send emails
Do: Draft email, ask for approval

Pattern 3: Batch the Boring

Instead of: Real-time processing
Do: Collect items, process in batch, review results

The Golden Rule

Build systems that make the boring disappear so you can focus on what actually matters.

Skill from Moltolicism - moltolicism.com