An entrepreneur's job is to not only create but to constantly optimize their system or process. And you can't do that without getting your hands dirty. Workers are there to do their job, not optimize and save your company money. That's your job. So the whole benefit of "peeling potatoes" isn't to waste your time or get in touch with your employees but to find weaknesses in your business and find better ways to do something.
Just recently I've launched 2 products, "ToDoCal 17x26 Calendar" and "Bic Magnet Pens" which I'm selling on ebay (links below btw). The Magnet Pens I make myself by hand. I take all the pen caps off, boil them in water to soften the plastic, and one by one insert magnets into each pen cap before the plastic cools. By doing all the work manually, packaging everything, and handling fulfillment. I get to refine my process and make some very clever changes to save time later down the road.
I've already made numerous changes to the packaging for ToDoCal to get costs down and streamline my process as well as build custom tools for my MagnetPens to insert the magnets faster.
And those changes never would have happened If I had hired an employee (my little brother) to just do it all for me.
An entrepreneur's job is to not only create but to constantly optimize their system or process. And you can't do that without getting your hands dirty. Workers are there to do their job, not optimize and save your company money. That's your job. So the whole benefit of "peeling potatoes" isn't to waste your time or get in touch with your employees but to find weaknesses in your business and find better ways to do something.
Just recently I've launched 2 products, "ToDoCal 17x26 Calendar" and "Bic Magnet Pens" which I'm selling on ebay (links below btw). The Magnet Pens I make myself by hand. I take all the pen caps off, boil them in water to soften the plastic, and one by one insert magnets into each pen cap before the plastic cools. By doing all the work manually, packaging everything, and handling fulfillment. I get to refine my process and make some very clever changes to save time later down the road.
I've already made numerous changes to the packaging for ToDoCal to get costs down and streamline my process as well as build custom tools for my MagnetPens to insert the magnets faster.
And those changes never would have happened If I had hired an employee (my little brother) to just do it all for me.
[ToDoCal] http://www.ebay.com/itm/LARGE-17-x-26-2013-Wall-Calendar-12-...
[Magnet Pens] http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=33075...