The system is broken, not you
ANDREA REEVES ON WHY YOUR SOLOPRENEUR SYSTEMS KEEP FAILING, AND WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS INSTEAD
Somewhere in your house or your browser bookmarks is a system you gave up on, and that still haunts you.
The 50$ planner that lasted three weeks, the Notion dashboard someone else built for you, the app everyone swears by that you've opened twice and never again because is so overwhelming.
Those kept pilling up and, somewhere along the way, that became a story about you. How you are not disciplined and organized, that your brain is defective and that you will never get it together.
Andrea Reeves has sat across from a lot of people in that state. Where they think that quitting another tool is proof they're broken. And her answer is always the same: you're not broken! The systems you used were, because they were built for someone else's brain and sold to you like it'd fit yours too.
Ahead of her expert session in the Solo Accelerator we had a conversation about this.
Andrea gets into what actually changes when you stop designing for who you "should" be and start designing for who you are right now. Why guilt isn't something a system can erase, but a good one can hold. And what happens when someone finally stops trying to fix the old setup and just starts over, for themselves.
Enjoy the interview.
Solopreneurs drown in tools, then assume they're the problem. what's actually going on there?
When a client comes to me drowning in tools that don’t work for them, it’s usually because someone sold them a dream — that this [template, software, system, etc.] would fix all their problems.
Being a solopreneur is hard. We are making so many decisions, spinning so many plates, and a lot of us are just figuring things out as we go. We’re searching for relief, and I think many of us (myself included) have invested in tools we thought would give us reprieve only to be left the same (or more stressed than before). We live under capitalism, which prioritizes profit and efficiency over everything else, and technology companies know exactly what to say to get us to buy what they’re selling. The biggest players spend the most money to appear like the best solution for all; but that’s rarely the case, because all of us are unique and require different systems. I still fall for it sometimes, and I do this for a living!
You build systems as someone who's neurodivergent yourself. how much of your approach came from figuring out what works for your brain, instead of what you were told should work?
I have ADHD and OCD and part of why I got so good at building systems for others is because I spent years of practice building them for myself. I came out of a pretty toxic corporate job prior to starting Type C. I carried a lot of their “best practices” over to my business and it made working absolutely miserable. Many of us have been inundated with productivity tips and unspoken rules that are meant to squeeze the most amount of output out of us, not make work feel meaningful. So a big part of my work, probably the hardest part, is releasing those unrealistic expectations and, in some ways, starting from scratch. I don’t have a list of magical systems that work for all neurodivergent people; but I have a collection of tools, methods, and clarifying questions that can help folks get to the bottom of what they really need to make their operations feel good. Before going to business school, I studied journalism; I think that strategic curiosity helps with this work tremendously, because so much of what people need lives below the surface.
The whole productivity industry seems built for one kind of brain, the naturally organized one. What does it get wrong for everyone else, and is that what type c is a response to?
I have a very rebellious view of productivity in general, so apologies in advance for the soap box. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and a lot of my anxieties revolve around order, cleanliness, and a need for control. On the outside, historically, my performance has looked stellar; I notice details most people miss. I anticipate people’s needs. I usually keep a tidy workspace. I get my work done (mostly) on time. On paper, I would probably be considered a “productive” person. But I am also highly susceptible to burnout and crippling perfectionism. I have a very difficult time with work/life balance. I get overwhelmed super easily. I also hold other identities that can make living (and working) day-to-day really difficult. And no amount of time blocking or eating the frog or digital organization can fix that. I think the main thing the productivity industry misses is humanity. Neurodivergent or not, I believe we all deserve supportive systems that can meet us on our best and worst days. And that’s absolutely why Type C exists!
You talk about building "good systems." what makes a system good in your definition, beyond whether it technically works?
A good system is a system that works, technically and on a personal level. I have clients who come to me and are afraid I’m going to make them give up their sticky notes or notebooks because they aren’t “efficient.” But my mentality is, if it works for you, that’s all that matters; we can create systems around the tools you love, to make things feel less chaotic.
One of the questions I ask every client throughout our work together is, Does that work for you? And I ask without judgement. Because sometimes, to me, a system or routine can sound clunky, overwhelming, or redundant, but if it truly works for someone else, it doesn’t matter what I think. So I try to emphasize and replicate the parts of the system that work really well while finding solutions for the gaps or frustrations in the process.
For example, my Pilates instructor is almost entirely analog. She has a paper planner to track scheduling and index cards to tally up how many more sessions each client has in their package. One afternoon I asked her, nosy systems strategist that I am, if that system worked for her. She said she loves the planner and index cards, but does wish there were automated reminders for bookings so she doesn't have to field a bunch of texts from folks who want to confirm their appointment time. I recommended a few different scheduler options she could integrate with her analog system.
Walk us through one person, before and after. what their setup looked like when it was fighting them, and what changed, what it felt like, once the system finally fit.
One client in particular had a Notion setup that was built with several different templates from different creators. Halfway through our audit I found myself really confused and overwhelmed by the setup, trying to figure out how it works. It made sense that it wasn’t working for them; it was built in a way that made sense for the people who made the templates, not my client.
After wrestling with the templates for a little bit, trying to untangle and rebuild within the existing dashboard, I asked, “Do you mind if we just start from scratch?”
We took the aspects of the old dashboard they liked but made things simpler and more aligned with their work and brain. It took less time (and significantly less frustration) to just start with a blank page vs. trying to remold the old one. I prioritized simplicity, something neurodivergent brains often crave and feel most supported by. The setup was intentional, curated, and most importantly, usable.
One of your lines is building for who you are now, not who you should be. that cuts against most self-improvement advice. what actually changes when someone designs for the now version of themselves instead of the someday one?
This may seem harsh, but your someday self doesn’t exist yet. It’s okay to plan and dream, but your systems are useless if they aren’t meeting your real needs, right now. You can’t steer your ship into a new direction if there are holes in it and you're sinking. Plug the holes first, and then think about the future. Trying to do both at the same time will be overwhelming and feel impossible. In most cases, building good systems for who you are now will make it easier for them to evolve into what you’ll need later, when the time comes.
So much of this carries guilt. the abandoned planner, the system you "should" stick to, the feeling of being behind. where does that guilt come from, and can a system reduce it instead of becoming one more thing to feel guilty about?
Gosh, that guilt can stem from so many places — trauma, upbringing, capitalism and other oppressive (societal) systems. Especially for neurodivergent folks who may have felt “broken” or disorganized or different or “wrong” for such a long time, it’s a hard story to rewrite. A lot of the work I do is very practical — process mapping and tech recommendations and software setups. But it’s also emotional. It’s showing people they can be messy and non-linear and still run a business successfully. They can do things “weirdly” or differently and it doesn’t make them any less of an entrepreneur. I don’t believe a system can remove the guilt; but feeling the support of a system that was built with your needs in mind can be transformative. Also, dateless planners are so freeing!
Most solopreneurs are already running close to full. so any new system has to fit the bandwidth that's actually left. how do you design for a near-full plate instead of an empty calendar?
I recommend anyone with a near-full plate work with a systems person like me to help them. The reality is, it’s difficult to build something that will actually work when you’re burnt out on the day-to-day. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but if it’s doable for you financially to hire someone whose job it is to see the bigger picture, it’s an extremely worthy investment in your business and yourself.
I always start my clients off with a systems audit. That’s where we get to the root of what’s really going on. Because sometimes our plates are full of stuff that isn’t necessary or helpful, and we can start by taking things off one by one. I once had a design client who was manually editing client proposals in InDesign because that’s just the way they’ve always done it. Another one was spending hours on a bunch of misaligned sales calls because there was no way to filter for fit ahead of time. In both cases, I helped them build systems that would give them back hours of time. This work is about taking an honest look at where your energy is going, and where you may want to make changes to free up some space.
There are a lot of areas someone could systemize. sales, admin, client delivery, finances. with limited time, which deserve a system first, which can stay messy longer than people think, and what's the gain from getting the first one right?
This all depends on the person’s needs and goals. If you’re in a good spot financially but feel burnt out/overwhelmed, I say start with the area that drains your energy the most to see if there are more supportive systems you could integrate into your work (for most people that’s admin/client delivery). If not enough money is coming in, I say start with the areas that will bring in more of it (i.e. sales/finances); and be careful not to spend a bunch of money on software until you get your sales up.
I would also check in with yourself to see what the drive is behind fixing something. Is it “messy” to the extent that it’s costing you business and/or making your work feel miserable, or does it just not look as “put together” as you think it should even though it’s working for you? The truth is, there will always be messy aspects of our businesses because we 1) are human and 2) are responsible for so many things as solopreneurs. Most of us don’t need to have a robust system with all the bells and whistles, we just need some intentional processes.
Sometimes the thing making someone miserable is a system they built themselves, the setup that now takes more to maintain than it saves. you say "you're not the problem." so how do you tell someone the system is the problem and they built it, without it landing as "you're the problem"?
Most DIYers who build systems that make themselves miserable are doing it with someone else’s blueprint in mind. It’s not always conscious, but it’s there. I used to dread sales calls because I assumed my sales calls had to be Zoom meetings. No one told me this outright, but every business owner I knew was doing video sales calls, so I assumed that was the “right” way. The calls were so draining for me; I had anxiety about them before, during, and after. Finally, I was like, Okay, there’s gotta be a better way than this! So I started doing ‘walk & talk’ phone calls instead, no video. I also offered the option to have an email or text consultation instead, if they preferred. I still get a little anxious ahead of the phone call, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was when I was doing video (especially because I make a point to go for a walk while I talk, which calms my nervous system). I wasn’t the problem for choosing to do Zoom before; I just bought into the myth that there was only one way to do it.
Also, systems need to evolve. I wrote a newsletter about “breaking up” with a task management tool I loved for years; I’d recommended it to so many people and had highlighted it in my newsletter a lot. When it stopped working for me, it could have been easy for me to think, “Damn, maybe I made a mistake, or maybe this tool isn’t as good as I thought it was.” But in reality, the tool was perfect for me in a certain season of life/business, and then my life/business changed. It didn't mean I made the wrong choice initially, it just meant I needed to make a new choice that fit what I wanted and needed in this new season.
I would gently suggest shifting the narrative from “I was wrong” or “I’m the problem” to “I’m making a better decision for myself now, and that’s something to celebrate.” P.S. I always tell people not to pay for an annual subscription unless they are 99% sure they’re in love with the platform. Locking in to a tool for a year just to save $30 is not worth it, in my opinion. Going month-to-month can help relieve some of that guilt if you need to make changes.
When is a system not the answer? have you seen structure make things worse, or the honest move be to remove one rather than build one?
I personally believe there are informal and formal systems at play always. You have a system for client delivery, even if you didn’t intentionally create one. There are repetitive tasks you do in a certain order, which to me means there’s a system. People often assume system = structure = lack of freedom/flexibility. But systems don’t have to be rigid. Part of systems work is becoming more aware of what your needs and preferences are so you can customize accordingly. Sometimes that awareness leads to removing a system entirely, which can be difficult but also really freeing.
I’d say most commonly a system is not the answer if you are just getting started in business, are in the middle of a big pivot or launch, or are making significant changes to your business. You need to get a sense of what you’re doing and how you’re doing it before you invest too much time or money into more formal systems. Change is usually going to be messy, and there’s no shame in that.
You put ethics over efficiency, and you're protective of what should stay human. where do ethics and efficiency actually collide for a solo business, and what do you refuse to automate or hand off even when it would "work"?
People may be surprised but aside from my meeting scheduler and Relationship Management Database, I don’t have anything automated in my business.
I’d say this has more to do with values than ethics, ultimately. My business is built almost entirely on referrals. Connection is at the core of what I do, and I want to be fully apart of that entire process. There are ethical stances I’ll take, like boycotting certain companies or software, but a lot of the decisions I make come down to what I value most. I value human connection over efficiency, so I don’t spend much time automating. I prefer longer projects and retainers because I enjoy being ingrained in someone’s business. I don’t require many clients, so a more manual approach to systems works for me.
Maybe your business model is different. Maybe you have a lot of customers and you value the consistency, efficiency, and ease automations can bring to you and your clients. Or maybe admin stuff is just misery for you and you value doing work that lights you up, so you automate or delegate. I think it’s important to understand your values because they’ll help you make decisions that make the most sense for you and your business.
You're deliberately ai-light, and when you do use it, it's mostly for accessibility. that's almost the opposite of how ai usually gets sold. what does ai-for-accessibility look like versus ai-for-efficiency?
Auditory processing can be really difficult for me so I invest in AI transcription software for myself and clients who have an easier time processing information that way. I recently did away with my AI notetaker because I found I didn’t actually need it/never referred back to my notes afterwards.
Aside from that, I don’t really use AI. Again, in part because I value human connection and don’t really see much value in it for that. If I need support in a certain area, I’ll hire someone who knows what they’re doing to help me. If I can’t afford to do that, I’ll wait, or suggest a service swap in case they’re in need of systems support (bring back bartering!!).
I think using AI for efficiency often means trying to do more, faster — which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but I do think it’s worth questioning whether or not the things on our “more” lists are actually worth pursuing. More isn’t always better.
You're running a session on this at the solo accelerator. without giving the whole thing away, what's the one shift you hope people walk out with?
I love giving people permission to do things their own way, so I hope folks walk away with that energy — and one practical way to apply it in their business.
Last one. for the person reading this who's quietly convinced they're just bad at systems, that it's a them problem, what do you want them to know?
You’re not bad at systems, you just haven’t found any that really work for you yet. You deserve to have supportive systems that compliment how you work best, which takes a bit of trial and error, a little bit of mess. Try looking at it not as an impossible problem to solve, or another opportunity to fail, but as a chance to experiment, play, and find what works for you.
Where can people follow your work, and what's the best first step for someone who wants to work with you?
I have a newsletter called Rebellious Systems where I write about stuff like this and also do some tech reviews/tutorials: https://buttondown.com/typeccreative/archive/
You’re welcome to book a one-off session with me to talk about your situation and get some practical next steps for your systems challenge: https://www.typec-creative.com/consulting
