Find the Job They Hate Doing
Hey —
John here.
Something different today. Instead of giving you another thing to build, I want you to find something a business owner already hates doing. Then help make it easier. Four-minute read.
Reply "WIN" if you tried one of the Money Move plays. I read every one.
The Quick Version
AI is already saving workers real time
Many very small businesses still aren't using it
Don't sell them AI. Find a task they hate doing.
Make that one task easier
Start with a business owner you already know
What's Happening Right Now
AI isn't just writing funny poems anymore. It's doing actual work.
In August, the U.S. Census Bureau released research showing that roughly half of workers surveyed had used AI for at least one of eleven work tasks they were asked about. Among workers who used AI at work during the previous week, close to a third said it saved them one to two hours that week.
But here's the part that caught my attention. Census research published earlier this year found that fewer than one in five businesses with four or fewer employees reported using AI.
That's a pretty big gap. And gaps are where I start looking.
Don't Sell AI
Walk into a local business and say: "I can help you implement artificial intelligence."
You've probably already lost them.
Try this instead: "What's one computer task you have to do every week that you absolutely hate doing?"
That's a different conversation.
Maybe it's writing follow-up emails. Turning notes into customer messages. Drafting responses. Writing repetitive customer communication.
Don't start with the tool. Start with the headache. And don't pitch anything yet. You're looking for a problem first.
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The Better Play
Find one small business owner you already know. Not fifty cold emails. One person.
Ask what repetitive computer task eats up their time every week. Then have them show you how they currently do it.
Your job isn't to automate their company. You're looking for one simple task Claude can help them complete faster.
Then build them a reusable Claude workflow for that one job. The prompt. The instructions. A simple example. And show them how to use it.
If their forty-minute headache becomes a ten-minute task, you've created something useful. And if Claude doesn't make it noticeably better? Don't sell it. Find another task.
Start with the task they already hate. Not with the tool.
Pick the Right Task
Some jobs are better first targets than others.
Good places to look:
Follow-up emails
Turning rough notes into polished messages
Drafting repetitive responses
Routine customer communication
Leave these alone:
Payments or financial transactions
Tasks requiring sensitive customer information
Anything their current software already does well
Anything where an AI mistake could seriously hurt the customer
Keep the first one boring. Boring is good.
The Math That Actually Works
Suppose that task takes the owner forty minutes. And they do it three times every week. That's about two hours. More than eight hours over a month.
Now cut each forty-minute session to ten or fifteen.
You're not selling prompts. You're not selling AI. You're giving them time back.
But don't start by trying to sell a three hundred dollar AI package. First prove you can actually save the time.
One owner. One task. One result.
Then decide what that result is worth.
The 3 prompts:
1. Find the Time Thief
I'm going to describe a repetitive computer task a small business owner performs every week. Ask me one question at a time until you understand how they currently do it, how long it takes, what information they use, and what the finished result needs to look like. Do not suggest a solution yet. Every sentence must earn its place.2. Make It Easier
Using what you learned, create the simplest reusable Claude workflow that could reduce the time required for this task without lowering the quality. Keep a human responsible for checking the final result. Don't add software unless it's necessary. Every sentence must earn its place.3. Hand It Over
Create simple instructions showing a non-technical business owner exactly how to use this workflow each week. Keep it short. No AI jargon. Include what they should always check before using the finished work. Every sentence must earn its place.The Cashflow Check
Before I put this one in your inbox, I ran it through something I've been working on.
It passed. With one condition.
Start with a business owner you already know. Starting cold changes the opportunity.
That's why this week's move starts in your contacts. Not with a list of strangers.
Why This Matters Right Now
September is a reset. Vacations end. Kids go back to school. Normal schedules return. And businesses start looking toward the last four months of the year.
You don't need to convince a business owner they need AI. Find something they already want off their plate.
That's a much easier place to start.
This Weekend
Open your contacts. Find one business owner you already know.
Send this:
"Quick question. What's one computer task you have to do every week that you absolutely hate doing?"
Don't mention AI. Don't pitch. Don't explain. Wait for the answer.
That answer is your starting point.
"Don't sell the tool. Remove the headache."
Find the headache.
— John
The Money Move
See you next Thursday.
P.S. Know someone who owns a small business? Forward this to them and ask them the same question. Their answer might surprise you.
