In the early stages of a business, founders often juggle multiple roles. You might find yourself leading product development, handling marketing, providing customer service, and managing operations — all in the span of an afternoon.

I have experienced this. While launching my first AI startup, I found myself coding, responding to support tickets, optimizing for SEO, and attempting to master Google Ads after hours. Each transition between tasks came with a cost: the time needed to refocus, mental exhaustion, and overlooked details.

I eventually set some boundaries: if a task had a steep learning curve, wasn’t essential to the product or customer experience, and could quickly deplete funds if mishandled, I needed to delegate it.

Here are the first three things I outsourced — what worked, what didn’t and how I make the decision now.

1. Google Ads had to go first

I made a concerted effort. I organized campaigns, followed Google’s advice, and even experimented with Performance Max. Success was inconsistent—some days the strategy “worked,” other days I’d spend $90 for just $24 in sales.

Whether managing a SaaS tool, an ecommerce store, or a local service, paid ads can become a financial drain. The learning curve is challenging, the platform intentionally complicated, and Google continually pushes you to invest more so its algorithm can “learn.”

I brought in a specialist. Immediately, I stopped wasting time trying to decode bidding tactics and keyword nuances. This allowed me to concentrate on the product roadmap, customer relations, and the marketing aspects I truly grasped. It was worth every penny.

My advice: Try it briefly so you understand the vocabulary and the levers. Then get out. Your money will disappear faster than your learning compounds.

2. Social media was next — and it blew up (in a bad way)

I outsourced content and channel management to someone who promised to “crush it.” I gave full access to my accounts. It devolved into drama, threats and low-quality work. I shut it down.

The lesson? Never give full control of a distribution channel to someone you don’t know, and never confuse enthusiasm with competence. Social media can be valuable for any business building in public — but only if it’s handled by someone you trust and can hold accountable.

Next time: I’ll only outsource to someone vetted by people I trust, with scoped access, clear deliverables and a kill switch.

3. PR was the third — and it worked

I’d watched competitors outrank me and land strong stories. I tried the DIY route (like HARO), but the ROI wasn’t there. So I brought in someone who could own the process — strategy, pitching, follow-through — and translate my product into narratives reporters actually want.

That freed me to focus on what I do best while the media engine ran in parallel. For businesses in crowded markets or emerging categories, this kind of PR support can be game-changing.

How I decide what to outsource now

I use a simple filter:

• Is this core to the product or user experience? If yes, I keep it.
• Is the learning curve steep enough that I’ll waste weeks for marginal improvement? If yes, I outsource.
• Could a mistake here be disproportionately expensive? (Ads and legal are great examples.) Outsource.
• Do I understand it well enough to evaluate the work? If not, I’ll do a quick self-guided crash course, then bring someone in.
• Can I structure a small, low-risk test? If yes, I do that before any retainer.

Handling the handoff while staying lean

I started with literal paper notes, then the Mac Notes app. Today, I still keep it simple: Trello boards when needed, email for most communication, and regular short check-ins. The point is clarity, not tooling.

One clear metric, one owner, one cadence.

Access-wise: role-based logins, password manager and instant revocation baked into the plan. That social media experience burned this into my process.

About that “it’s faster if I do it myself” line…

It isn’t. It just feels faster because you don’t have to explain anything. In reality, you’re trading days of deep work for weeks of shallow thrash.

Do enough to understand it. Then move it off your plate — so you can focus on what only you can do.

You can’t do it all — not for long and not well. Start by outsourcing the work that burns cash when done poorly, has a steep learning curve, or pulls you furthest from the product or customer. Keep control of your infrastructure, build small, reversible contracts and measure everything.

The cost of trying to be superhuman is higher than the cost of a good specialist.