I failed at being a 'Do No Work' CEO (Until Now)

Author

Jeff Sauer
May 17, 2025

AI solved my biggest business frustration (maybe yours too?)

I've always had a complicated relationship with the "Do No Work" CEO concept.

One of my mentors, RJ (Richard Jalichandra) hammered this idea into my head years ago in a mastermind. 

Every business book echoes it too: "Don't be a technician. Be an owner."

But here's my confession: I actually like doing the work.

Every time I've forced myself to step back and be the "pure manager" the books told me to be, I've been miserable. 

Like, questioning-my-life-choices miserable.

I bet you know exactly what I'm talking about.

For creators like us, there's something deeply satisfying about actually making stuff. Not just directing others to make it. Not just approving the final product. But getting our hands dirty in the creation process.

My business partner Mercer is the same way. He loves researching, testing, and building. It's not a burden—it's why we do this in the first place.

And I'm guessing you're nodding along right now.

Traditional business advice has always forced a painful choice: stay small but happy doing the work you love while leaving money on the table…

OR 

Scale up but spend your days managing people and processes to make more money (which you love to hate).

But here's where AI changes everything.

For the first time, we can have both. 

We can be hands-on creators AND scale like never before.

AI isn't just another tool—it's the manager, the assistant, the researcher, the first-draft writer, and the scale we never had.

It's all the parts of running a business that drained our energy.

Think about it:

  • Your research time? Cut by 95%

  • Those tedious proposals? AI drafts them in minutes

  • Client deliverables? Templated, personalized, and polished automatically

  • Learning curves for new skills? Slashed to days instead of months

The "Do No Work CEO" concept always felt like it was designed for a different type of person than me. 

Someone who gets energy from org charts and systems thinking, not from creating things.

But now? The concept has evolved.

You can be a "Do No BORING Work CEO" instead.

You still get to play in your zone of genius—the creative parts, the strategic thinking, the high-level problem solving that computers can't match. 

But all the soul-crushing administrative tasks, the repetitive elements, the parts that made you question why you started a business in the first place? Those can be delegated to AI.

I was talking to someone in ProfitSchool Pro who runs a marketing agency. For years, he resisted hiring because he didn't want to manage people. He stayed small, doing everything himself, constantly overextended.

As he goes AI-first, he's dreaming of handling 3x as many clients with zero employees. 

He's back to loving his business because he's only doing the parts he enjoys—the strategy and the client relationships. Everything else is handled by his personal fleet of AI tools.

This isn't hypothetical or futuristic. It's happening now.

If you've tried and failed at being a "Do No Work CEO" before, I'd encourage you to give it another shot with AI as your first mate. The game has fundamentally changed.

And if you've somehow managed to be successful at the traditional "Do No Work" approach through excellent management skills and delegation? 

You can cut your operational costs in half by replacing parts of your human workforce with AI.

We're talking about on-demand, 24/7 resources that don't need sleep, don't ask for raises, rarely have bad days, and can scale infinitely.

The best part? This applies to so many aspects of business beyond the obvious writing and coding use cases:

  • Market research

  • Competitive analysis

  • Content creation

  • Service delivery

  • Customer support

  • Process documentation

  • Training materials

We're truly at the inflection point where you can have your cake and eat it too—be creatively fulfilled AND build a scalable business without the traditional headaches.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you found yourself caught in this same creator's dilemma? Are you using AI to solve it? Hit reply and let me know.

Until next Saturday,
Jeff Sauer

Coming Up at ProfitSchool

Monday, May 19th - 11.30 - 12.00 PM EDT

Discover actionable techniques to overcome procrastination, get organized, and boost your productivity.

This call is for ProfitSchool Pro Members

Tuesday, May 20th  - 11.00 - 12.00 PM EDT

Building an Anti-Fragile Business – Growing Stronger Through Stress

Not just surviving pressure but thriving because of it. Learn how to build a mindset, system, and structure that gains strength under challenge—just like the world's most resilient organizations do.

This call is Open to all Newsletter Subscribers 

Thursday, May 22 - 12.00 - 1.00 PM EDT

Don't let objections derail your sales process. This session dives into identifying the root causes behind prospect hesitation and equips you with strategies to address them effectively. We'll also explore how AI can analyze past interactions to anticipate objections and even help craft compelling responses.

This call is for ProfitSchool Pro Members 

Friday, May 23 - 1.00 - 2.00 PM EDT

Struggling to stand out? Learn how strategic positioning and differentiation can make your business the clear choice.

This call is for ProfitSchool Pro Members 

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